The Norwegian scene in the 90s was so prolific that there are so many bands people often overlook or forget about. ISVIND is one such band. While they initially formed as Ice Wind in 1992, they existed with that name for a year before they changed to Isvind in '93. They only ever released one demo (The Call of the Ice Wind) as Ice Wind.
Here is their first demo in its entirety
1994 gave us the demo Herskerinnen
Setting out to create black metal "that consumes all life and extinguishes [it] forever", Isvind had a raw take on Norwegian black metal. The riffing on those early demos calls to mind Ulver or the rawer side of Darkthrone. As overlooked as they sometimes are, Isvind is a true classic Norwegian black metal band.
Shortly after the success of the 1994 demo Herskerinnen (see above), the band entered the studio to record some proper albums. This resulted in their self-titled 7-inch in 1995. A continuation of the rawness of their demos, this 7-inch was well-received by black metal fans.
From their 1996 full-length, this is "Lysningen I Skogen"
Following on the heels of the 7-inch, Isvind released their first full-length studio album, Dark Waters Stir. An album that stands up well next to the black metal works of Ulver or Darkthrone albums like Panzerfaust, Isvind established themselves as true Norwegian black metal with this release. "Lysningen I Skogen", above, is a great sample from that album.
Like many mid-tier bands in this time, Isvind did break up. They had just finished touring in support of Dark Waters when they called it a day in 1997. Luckily for black metal fans, they did re-form in the early 2000s and have put out several albums since, still in the raw Norwegian style. Hail Isvind!
Spain is a place not really known for its black metal. A major exception is Madrid's PRIMIGENIUM. Formed in 1992, Primigenium is perhaps the most known of all Spanish second-wave black metal bands.
Founded by Smaug and Alhaz, Primigenium cites Bathory as its driving influence. With the release of early demos like 1993's rehearsal Infernal and 1994's As Eternal As the Night, the influence of the Norwegian scene could be heard as well. Their 1994 demo caught the ear of various record labels, and a new version of it was released by Wild Rags in 1996 with an additional song and an outro on it.
This is the complete As Eternal As the Night demo
Primigenium soon entered the studio to record their first full-length album. While the Greek label Unisound initially expressed interest in putting out this album, it was eventually released on Full Moon Productions. Art of War hit shelves in 1997.
From Art of War, this is "Black Sword of Vengeance"
As you can hear from "Black Sword of Vengeance," Primigenium had an aggressive take on the Norwegian style on their first full-length. Some have compared their style to Carpathian Forest, and that's a fairly apt comparison for some of the riffs. That said, I do think Primigenium were building a sound all their own.
Art of War was well-received. By 1997, black metal was enough of a worldwide phenomenon that metalheads knew to be on the lookout for great bands from places that they ordinarily would not expect. Primigenium used this momentum to release an EP in 2000 and their second full-length album (Intolerance) in 2002.
All Your Tears Will Be Ours is their 7-inch from 2000
Here's the title track from Intolerance
An album of aggressive, no-frills black metal, Intolerance helped cement Primigenium's status as Spain's premier black metal band. After Intolerance, the band went on hold for a while, but they are active now and still putting out quality black metal.
Germany has given the world many great extreme metal bands, from thrash metal bands like Sodom or Destruction that influenced first wave black metal to more well-known black metal bands like Desaster or Nagelfar (more on them later). In this post, I want to draw attention to those lesser known second-wave bands of the '90s who never rose to the status of household names. One such band is BAXAXAXA, from Bavaria.
Named after an obscure demon, the band formed in 1992. Their founding members included two members of Ungod, interestingly enough. In that year, Baxaxaxa released the Hellfire demo. This demo was an evil piece of vicious black metal with a great occult-influenced sound.
"Church of the Antichrist" comes from the Hellfire demo
Sadly, the band broke up that same year. Their Hellfire demo, however, remained influential. It was reissued in 2002 as a split with Ungod--and the band didn't even exist at the time. That demo is (rightly) considered a noteworthy album in the development of German black metal. As for Baxaxaxa themselves, they reformed in the 2010s and have actually become quite prolific.
An ad for Fulgor's early demos, from Merciless Records
Also from Bavaria, FULGOR was formed around the same time as Baxaxaxa. One of the founding members was Ancient Blasphemic Grave Invocator, who also played in Ungod and Baxaxaxa. Fulgor is known for a series of cult demos in the '90s that had an impact on underground German black metal.
"Below the Moon" is from their second demo
With a sound comparable to some of France's Les Légions Noires bands, Fulgor wasn't on the scene long. Their raw, evil sound was unleashed on the world in four demos and one 7-inch EP, all of which were released between 1993 and 1995. One of the more interesting aspects of their sound is their creative use of synths. Some of their songs are on the verge of being dungeon synth, and are sometimes labeled as such.
Here is the 1993 demo Mystical Black Magic Metal
From 1995, this is the Eyequinox EP
In 1995, Fulgor broke up. They had left their mark on German black metal, however. Much of their material was recently re-released as the Mystical Black Magic Metal compilation.
Another German black metal band of the second wave worth talking about is THA-NORR. Hailing from Lower Saxony, Tha-Norr formed in 1990 but had a very limited output. Their first known release was a song on a compilation in 1993.
Here is the title track from their demo
In 1994, along with additional compilation appearances, they put out the Assault on Aerie demo. On this demo, Tha-Norr played a vicious, brutal style of black metal that clearly owed a debt to the Norwegian scene, but was its own thing at the same time. See above for an example.
The strong reception of their demo led to a record deal with Nazgul's Eyrie Productions. This collaboration resulted in Tha-Norr's only full-length studio album, Wolfenzeitalter. But what an album it was!
From the album of the same name, this is "Wolfenzeitalter"
With a sound that fits in perfectly with second wave black metal, Wolfenzeitalter is a sorely overlooked classic. To my ears, the riffing can be favorably compared to Norwegian bands like Gorgoroth and Burzum. This album didn't exactly take the world by storm, however.
Tha-Norr may have released a top-tier black metal album, but it was also their peak. After some touring in support of Wolfenzeitalter, and some discussions about a split release with Desaster that never materialized, the band broke up in 1997.
MAYHEMIC TRUTH, from the south of Germany, was a true underground phenomenon in the '90s. Formed in 1992 by Leviathan (who later went by the stage name Balor) and Beliar, they cited Bathory as their main inspiration.
From the outset, Mayhemic Truth never wanted to be a household name. They believed that black metal should remain an underground phenomenon, and even scorned any hint of mainstream success. After a supporting slot on the Sons of Northern Darkness tour with Immortal and Marduk in 1994, for example, they admitted that the resulting exposure was more than they wanted.
This is the Promotape '94 demo in its entirety
The band's official releases really only amount to a few demos and EPs in the 1990s, and some retrospective compilations of that same material. Their earliest demos are almost impossible to find, so the best way to listen to them is either the In Memoriam compilation or the R.I P. compilation.
"Cythraw" comes from a 7-inch of the same name
Mayhemic Truth had become true underground legends by the end of the '90s. However, by the year 2000, they were no more. There are conflicting stories about what exactly happened: one version is that they simply changed their name to MORRIGAN. Another version is that Mayhemic Truth broke up in 1999 and started Morrigan as an unrelated project the following year. Either way, Mayhemic Truth is now merely a chapter in the history of German black metal.
"Conspiracy of the Golden Angels" is originally off of a 1996 demo
One interesting band who formed later than these others and wasn't on the scene for very long was NINNGHIZHIDDA, from North Rhine-Westphalia. While they shared some members with Tsatthoggua (more on them later), they were their own thing. Ninnghizhidda had a symphonic sound that wasn't really like anyone else.
"Tear the Crown of Thorns" comes from their first demo
Emerging on the scene with the Horned Serpent demo in 1997, Ninnghizhidda had a raw, old-school sound with synths as a complement. They weren't quite the symphonic black metal of Dimmu Borgir or Emperor, but something rather unique.
Their first full-length studio album followed the next year (Blasphemy), and the synth components on it were even stronger. They managed to create something raw and evil, yet darkly beautiful, without being a carbon copy of the established symphonic black metal bands.
"Of Demons & Witches, Part II" is my favorite song of theirs
While they released one more demo and one more full-length studio album before breaking up in 2003, I would say they peaked on Blasphemy. It (like Tha-Norr's Wolfenzeitalter) is an overlooked gem of '90s German black metal.
Germany produced many great first-rate black metal bands in the 1990s, and while some have already been explored (Desaster, Falkenbach, Eminenz), I'll definitely examine bands like Nagelfar, Mystic Circle, and Nargaroth at a later date. As far as underground and obscure bands of this era go, here is a discography of a few bands I haven't mentioned yet:
Once again, we return to Greece to explore the incredible hellenic black metal scene. Ranking up there with excellent mid-tier Greek bands like Zemial and Deviser is AGATUS, hailing from Athens.
Where Zemial was the brainchild of Archon Vorskaath with Eskarth the Dark One as a supporting musician, Agatus was the reverse. Formed in 1991, Agatus burst onto the scene with a folk-inspired demo in 1993, A Night of the Dark Ages.
Here is the entire A Night of the Dark Ages demo
With carefully placed synths, this demo had a sound that wasn't entirely hellenic, yet still bore some resemblance to what other Greek bands were doing (some similarities to Deviser, perhaps?). Some of Varathron's mid-paced songs are sometimes cited as a point of reference.
Like any good demo, Dark Ages opened doors for the band. They were pursued by record labels and soon entered the studio in 1994 to record their first full-length album. The immediate result was a two song promo entitled Black Moon.
"Black Moon's Blood" comes from their 1996 debut album
1994 was also the year the two brothers relocated to Australia. This relocation was one of the factors that delayed the release of their first full-length studio album. Although it was recorded in 1994 (and gave birth to the above-mentioned promotional demo), it was 1996 that finally saw the album's release.
Dawn of Martyrdom continued the medieval-influenced black metal of the first demo. Like some other great Greek black metal albums of this era (think Wizard of Nerath or Unspeakable Cults), Dawn showcased creative use of synths and thrash-like riffing. It is an album that should be in the rotation of any true black metal fan.
Here is 1997's Rite of Metamorphosis
Almost immediately after the release of Dawn, the band recorded the 7-inch EP Rite of Metamorphosis. A strong continuation of the band's style from the full-length debut, this EP was released in limited number and is hard to find even to this day.
The band's second full-length album (2002's The Weaving Fates) featured a more nuanced sound: riffing derived from melodic death metal and clean vocals abounded. Yet, it was still more in the black metal vein, and clearly resembled Agatus's earlier work.
The Weaving Fates gives us "Era of Tiamat"
Since the release of Fates, the band has been less active. They "remained dormant" (Eskarth the Dark One's words) for several years until some unique touring opportunities arose. Following this, they became active again in the 2010s.
All in all, their early work is classic second-wave black metal that is crucial for the development of the hellenic sound. Any fan of Deviser, Zemial, or Nergal needs to know this band.
Returning to England--the land that gave the genre its name--we encounter THUS DEFILED. Hailing from Worthing, in West Sussex, Thus Defiled is one of the key British black metal bands of the second wave, but sometimes it seems only the hardcore black metal fans know of them.
Having formed in 1992 from the ashes of extreme metal band Unholy Deification, Thus Defiled had the stated goal of creating "bestial blackened metal." Their first salvo of vile blackened metal was unleashed in the form of a 1993 demo, Blasphemous Coven.
This is Blasphemous Coven in its entirety
In this first phase of the band's existence, their sound was more of a death metal with black metal influences (think Crucifier or Acheron). It was evil, angry, satanic--perfect for old-school black metal fans. This demo also caught the ears of record labels and metalheads the world over. Thus Defiled was soon in high demand, and even opened for extreme metal bands like Gorguts and Blasphemy! Their second demo--Enchanted by the Dark One--was yet more brutal old-school black/death. It was also released in 1993. Thus Defiled were off to a strong start.
Their sound continued to evolve, and after some compilation appearances in 1994, they put out their first full-length studio album in 1995 (Through the Impure Veil of Dawn). It was a more recognizable black metal sound. The guitar tone was still close to old-school death metal, as were the vocals, but the song structures were more in the vein of what we call black metal. Check out "Under Blackening Horizons," below:
With the release of 1997's Wings of the Nightstorm, Thus Defiled really had established themselves as one of British black metal's elite. On their second album, their style evolved to an even stronger black metal sound. They still had a guitar tone that drew on old-school death metal, but the riffing and song structures were aggressive black metal.
The late '90s and early 2000s were good times for Thus Defiled, but the band had their struggles as well. While their success led to touring opportunities with such bands as Cradle of Filth, Dissection, and Moonspell, they (like so many extreme metal bands) had trouble maintaining a stable roster. With the recruiting of second guitarist Paul F. in 1998, things stabilized a bit.
"Rapture of Twilight Burning" comes from their 1997 album
With a more stable line-up, the band continued to evolve their black metal sound. In the 2000s, Thus Defiled's output has been a consistent series of good, quality black metal. They have shown the world that the UK can compete when it comes to extreme metal.
From the A Darker Beauty EP, this is "Ebony Thorns Embrace"
Select Discography:
Blasphemous Coven (demo) (1993)
Enchanted by the Dark One (demo) (1993)
Through the Impure Veil of Dawn (full-length) (1995)
While Italy's black metal scene during the years of the first wave was filled with some classic bands like Necrodeath and Bulldozer, and early second wave bands like Opera IX are important, very few bands really blew up to a level of worldwide fame. ABORYM, originally from Apulia, might be an exception.
Formed in 1992 by Malfeitor Fabban, the band's name comes from an ancient grimoire. The band struggled in their first few years. According to Fabban, there weren't a lot of places to rehearse in the city where he lived. Once Fabban recruited other band members and found some rehearsal space, the band got to work. In these early years, the band was primarily an old-school black/thrash that performed covers of other extreme bands (they specifically mention Rotting Christ and Sepultura).
"Black Deicide" comes from one of their early demos
This incarnation of the band put out two demos in the early nineties. In 1993, they released a rehearsal (Live in Studio), with a proper demo (Worshipping Damned Souls) to follow the next year. Their sound was not particularly noteworthy for early second wave black metal. See "Black Deicide", above.
Fabban soon branched out into other musical projects, putting Aborym on hold. He also moved to Rome in the hopes of being able to recruit musicians more in line with his vision. When Fabban started the band up again in 1997, he had recruited new musicians (including future black metal superstar Set Teitan). The band quickly got to work and put out the demo Antichristian Nuclear Sabbath.
From their debut studio album, this is "Wehrmacht Kali Ma"
Shortly after their third demo, Aborym entered the studio and recorded their first proper full-length album. The result was 1999's Kali Yuga Bizarre. By this point in their evolution, the band had begun to incorporate synths into their black metal. On this first album, the result was a black metal that veered between the symphonic and the industrial. Fabban cited industrial and electronic music as an influence, which was now beginning to seep into Aborym's style. Take note of how synths are used in "Wehrmacht Kali Ma," above.
The follow-up album--2001's Fire Walk With Us--ventured even more into industrial territory. By this point, industrial black metal was a well-established genre (genre stalwarts like Mysticum will be explored at a later date) and experimental incorporation of synths was something Norwegian bands like Thorns and Arcturus had made palatable to the black metal-loving masses.
The next few albums after Fire continued in this vein: the harsh electronics of industrial mixed with the rhythms and structure of black metal. And despite this experimental approach to black metal, there was never any question about Aborym's bonafides. Their roster--at various points--included such luminaries as Attila (of Mayhem and Tormentor fame), Faust (of Emperor fame), and Occultus (of Perdition Hearse and Mayhem fame).
"Love the Death as the Life" is off of Fire Walk With Us
This aggressive track is the title track from 2003's With No Human Intervention
This is my favorite track from 2006's Generator
These days, Aborym's sound isn't exactly industrial black metal. Like other bands that have evolved (in addition to the previously mentioned ones, think Samael and Dødhemsgard), Aborym is more electronic extreme metal. That said, their peak in the early 2000s is must-listen for fans of industrial black metal.
The years following Dead's suicide in 1991 were tumultuous ones for MAYHEM. By this time, black metal was beginning to emerge from the underground and establish itself as a legitimate genre. However, Mayhem had some issues they needed to work through.
The first issue in these times was whether or not the band even still existed. Did Dead's suicide mean the end of Mayhem? Euronymous had begun exploiting Dead's suicide for publicity's sake, including crafting the narrative that it was the posers and trendwhores in the metal underground that drove him to take his own life. Between this and Euronymous's stated intention to use a photo of Dead's corpse as the cover to a future Mayhem release, Necrobutcher had had enough. He quit the band out of frustration.
Dead without corpsepaint
The second issue Mayhem faced was that Mayhem still had no full-length studio albums to their name. 1987's Deathcrush was technically an EP, and Live in Leipzig had not been released yet. Numerous bootlegs were circulating in the underground, and some of those eventually saw the light of day as officially sanctioned releases. What was to become of Mayhem, and would their music ever see the light of day in a proper release?
Euronymous took this time as an opportunity to champion the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene. In a series of interviews in various zines, he (and to a lesser degree, Burzum's Varg Vikernes) laid down what he thought black metal should be and what it could be. He also decided to move forward with Mayhem.
Euronymous in corpsepaint
With no bassist and no vocalist, Mayhem first recruited Occultus (of Perdition Hearse) to fill both roles. While Occultus did contribute, he soon left the band because of personality clashes with Euronymous. Then, Varg was recruited to fill the role of bassist. Some recordings of rehearsals from this time period eventually saw the light of day as the From the Darkest Past bootleg.
This was also around the time that Snorre Ruch and Attila Csihar were recruited. Snorre came on board as a second guitarist and helped write lyrics for a few songs. Attila was recruited as vocalist. At this point, Mayhem's first full-length studio album was almost complete.
This rough mix of "Funeral Fog" comes from the Life Eternal EP
The resulting album was to be titled "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", and this was a title that had been up Mayhem's sleeve since before Dead's suicide. Unfortunately, Euronymous would never see the album's release. As is widely known, he was murdered by Varg Vikernes shortly after the completion of the album's recording.
The album was released in 1994. It was hailed as a milestone in black metal, and the album itself has (for better or worse) influenced scores of young musicians to try their hand at this diabolical genre of music. I think that this album is a true masterpiece, and it marvelously captures the essence of early second-wave black metal.
The title track of the album in question
Alas, with Euronymous dead and Snorre and Varg in jail for their criminal activity, Mayhem's roster was once again decimated. Was the band gone for good? Only time would tell.....
Select discography of this era:
From the Darkest Past (1992 bootleg rehearsal of DMDS)
