MORBOSIDAD, who formed in Oakland, California, despite the band members being from Mexico, is a raw and brutal band known for a style that blends elements of war metal and black/thrash. There has been some debate about when they formed, with the band insisting they didn't form until 1993, but Tomas Stench (the mastermind behind the band and the one constant in the band) realizing they had actually formed in 1991 after finding an old interview in a 'zine from that year!
Regardless, it wasn't until '93 that their first demo was released. Their follow up, 1994's Santísima Muerte, was what made the extreme metal underground sit up and take notice. Featuring a sound that was heavy on the death metal side, Morbosidad's lyrics were also noteworthy for being highly blasphemous, in the vein of Profanatica.
Here is the complete 1994 demo
Just as things were starting to take off, tragedy struck. Their drummer died in a freak explosion in 1995. The band was devastated, and put things on hold. They didn't return to making music until 1999.
When they returned on the scene with new material in 2000--including their self-titled full-length album--their sound was still primitive and raw and evil. However, they were less death metal and more like what we now know as war metal.
From their self-titled album, this is "Bestial y Morboso"
Morbosidad is nothing else if not consistent. They wear their influences--Sarcofago, Beherit, Blasphemy, Archgoat--on their sleeve. Each release features that insane war metal style, with ultra-blasphemous lyrics in Spanish (because, according to Tomas Stench, "it gives our music a more primitive, evil, and blasphemous sound"). Even among American war metallers, very few bands sound like Morbosidad.
From their 2004 album, this is "Sangriento Sacrificio Cristiano"
Since their re-emergence in 1999, Morbosidad has consistently released brutal black/death brilliance on album after album. Even when drummer Goat Destroyer fell out of a window and died in 2009, the band soldiered on. In fact, they actually put out albums in his honor, including a split with Manticore.
"Poseido por el Diablo" comes from 2008's Profana la cruz del Nazareno
Select Discography:
Demo '93 (demo) (1993)
Santísima Muerte (demo) (1994)
Morbosidad (full-length album) (2000)
Bajo el egendro del crucificado EP (2002)
Cójete a Dios por el culo (full-length album) (2004)
Legiones bestiales EP (2006)
Profana la cruz del nazareno (full-length album) (2008)
An obscure band on the global scale, perhaps, but Mexico's ARGENTUM--from the city of Monterrey--is a major band in that country's black metal scene. I would even go so far to say that only Xibalba Itzaes is more important when it comes to a discussion of Mexican black metal.
Originally formed in 1989 as Burial, like many extreme bands of the late 80s, they played a more death metal-oriented style than black metal. As Burial, they managed to put out a couple of now very hard-to-find demos that showcased their old school sound. But, like many extreme metal bands of this era who were in their early years of existence, Burial experienced several lineup changes that also led to changes in their sound. This, in turn, led to them changing their name to Argentum in 1991.
1993's Matter Misericordiae is the first demo under the name Argentum
Argentum's initial sound still contained elements of death metal, but there was a very mystical, occultic atmosphere to their music. Combining doom metal with this old-school black/death, Argentum had a sound that not too many other bands had at the time (perhaps Mystifier is a fair point of reference?). Their first demo (Matter Misericordiae), above, is a solid example of this sound.
Misericordiae and a live demo later that year (1993) led to Argentum's name becoming more well-known in the underground. Still struggling with finding dedicated musicians, a new demo emerged after additional line-up changes as well as further evolutions in Argentum's sound. On 1994's Exothaernium, Argentum is moving away from the old-school black/death of the Burial years and toward a doom/death style with occultic black metal influences. I would say that the evil mysticism in their sound is reminiscent of some of the slower, more dirge-like elements of classic hellenic black metal.
"Ad postumum" is from Exothaernium
After their 1994 demo and a noteworthy EP, Argentum released their true masterpiece: 1996's Ad Interitum Funebrarum. On this album, Argentum's style reached its peak. A doomy, mystical affair that has been compared to Mystifier or even Tiamat, we've got long, gloomy passages with creative keyboard usage. With lots of Latin and eerie vocals, the overall effect is one that calls to mind dark Satanic rituals performed in abandoned temples.
From their 1996 album, this is "Spheram de Tenebras"
After that album, things in the band kind of ground to a halt. They went on hiatus in 1997 before breaking up in 2001. They have, however, re-formed in the past few years and are as prolific as ever.
