Xibalba

 

Mexico is not widely known internationally for producing influential black metal bands. The only band you could really make a case for is XIBALBA, from the capital city. Now going by the name Xibalba Itzaes, it was in the early and mid-1990s that this band helped put Mexico on the map when it came to extreme metal.

Brothers Jorge Ah Ektenel and Marco Ek Balam formed Xibalba some time in early 1992 after playing together in deathgrind band Dread. It wasn't long before they recruited their other brother Victor Ehxibchac on bass. While the brothers acknowledge metal influences ranging from Judas Priest and Black Sabbath to Venom and Metallica, Xibalba was about extreme metal that drew on ancient Mayan myths and legends--a far cry from the Satanism of typical death and black metal! 

Here is In Lucescitae Tristis Hiei in its entirety

After only a few months of existence,  Xibalba put out the demo In Lucescitae Tristis Hiei in June of '92. A mix of old school extreme metal and Mayan folk instruments, it was clear that they were trying to do something new. Given that they were named after the underworld in Mayan mythology, this should have come as no surprise.

This demo helped spread their name far and wide in the metal underground. Before long, they were performing shows all over Mexico. Some of these shows were sponsored by label Guttural Records. The band signed with them in order to record their first studio album proper. After struggling to get into the studio (they couldn't find a date that worked for them), they finally recorded their debut album.

"Sign of Eastern War" comes from Xibalba's debut

A true second wave black metal masterpiece, Ah Dzam Poop Ek hit the shelves in 1994. Diving even further into the ancient Mayan worldview with an even heavier folk sound, nothing like this album existed at the time. Where the viking metal bands of Scandinavia drew on pagan beliefs to challenge and upend Christianity's dominance, Xibalba's goal was the same with their focus on Mayan cosmology.

In the wake of this album, they didn't do a lot of touring. They found themselves performing in the same places in and around Mexico City, and they began to notice that the extreme metal scene was filling up with posers and wannabes. This led to the band going on hiatus in the late '90s.

From the Ah Tza EP, this is "Katun"

Shortly after the dawn of the new millenium, the band re-formed with the new name Xibalba Itzaes. This new name was to ensure that they didn't get mixed up with other bands who had the name "Xibalba" (I believe there was a hardcore band with that name who were rising in popularity). That said, they were still a Mayan-inspired, folk-influenced black metal band.

After Guttural Records put out a compilation of Xibalba's old material (2007's Ancients), the band signed with the label Nuclear War Now. Since then, they have remained active and continued to release quality black metal.

Select Discography:

In Lucescitae Tristis Hiei (demo) (1992)

The Crown of Plumes (rehearsal demo) (1994)

Ah Dzam Poop Ek (full-length) (1994

Ancient Blasphemies (split with Avzhia) (1996)

No Life (demo) (1998)

Ancients (compilation) (2007)

Demo 2010 (2010)

Ah Tza! EP (2015)

Ah Tza Xibalba Itzaes (full-length) (2018)

Next time: POCCOLUS

Nehëmah

 

When it comes to quality French black metal, there is so much more than just Les Légions Noires. While underground bands like Ixion and Skullface predate LLM by several years, NEHËMAH, from Savoy, emerged around the time that the Légions were just getting their start.

With a name based on the Sumerian word for the demon Lilith, the band was founded in 1992 by Corven. While there were several other musicians in the band in these early years, the essence of the band really consisted of Corven and Eligor. From the outset, Nehëmah has drawn inspiration from Bathory and other old-school bands. And while there isn't much music from the early years of the band, a 1992 rehearsal did eventually see the light of day as part of a boxed set.

"Black Winds Over the Walls of Csejthe" comes from their 1995 demo

In 1995, Nehëmah put out a now-classic demo, Light of a Dead Star. This demo showcased the raw, stripped-down, minimalist stylings Nehëmah is now known for. The sound clearly bears the stamp of early Bathory as well as Dead-era Mayhem and old Burzum. It's the kind of demo black metal fans live for. Following this demo, Corven chose to put the band on hold so he could focus on other projects (mainly the viking metal band Himinbjorg). 

This is the title track from the 2002 album Light of a Dead Star

Upon re-forming at the dawn of the new millenium, Eligor had departed and Corven had recruited new musicians to round out the band. Corven, Sorghal, and Dargon then became the core of the band. They continued putting out music in the raw, minimalist vein of their '90s demo material (many of the songs from this era were simply re-recorded songs from the early years). In addition to the aforementioned bands, the influence of Darkthrone's early work can also be heard. Simply listen to "Light of a Dead Star" (above).

With 2003's Shadows from the Past..., Nehëmah's vicious black metal was given a smoother production style, for a different effect. Still nasty and evil, the production was more Swedish than Norwegian. That said, there really was no one in the French scene that sounded like them. 

"The Thousand Tongues of Medusa" comes from their 2003 album

2004's Requiem Tenebrae gives us "The Great Old Ones"

Select Discography:

Feigd (rehearsal demo) (1992)

Light of a Dead Star (demo) (1995)

Nehëmah (demo) (2001)

Light of a Dead Star (full-length) (2002)

Shadows from the Past... (full-length) (2003)

Requiem Tenebrae (full-length) (2004)

Next time: XIBALBA

Obtained Enslavement

 

Returning to Norway, we encounter a band not as widely known as the elite of the second wave, but one that formed before many of them:  OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT. Formed in 1989 in Stord, they started out as a three-piece. The founding members initially went by their legal names before adopting evil stage names:  Thomas ("Pest"), Orjan ("Torquemada"), and Ove ("Døden").

They toiled in the underground as a three-piece for a few years before Heks joined as second guitarist and keyboardist in 1992. It was then that they started putting out demos. After their self-titled demo in '92, it was 1993's Out of the Crypts that caught the ear of metalheads worldwide.

In its entirety, here is the Out of the Crypts demo

On their early nineties demos, OE was--like many Norwegian bands at the time--a raw old-school death metal band. Black metal was still in its infancy in Norway, with a mere smattering of second wave albums having been released.

Obtained Enslavement's sound, however, began to evolve. By the time of the release of their self-funded debut album--1994's Centuries of Sorrow--they had begun to take on a more blackened sound. The drum production still sounds pretty death metal to me, but otherwise, it's an aggressive black metal style. Listen below:

From their debut, here is "Dark Holiness"

Despite being basically self-released, Centuries of Sorrow caught the attention of the black metal underground. It didn't sound like the then-typical Norwegian sound. But change was in the air. 

The follow-up was the brilliant Witchcraft, which took three years to release because of issues finding a reliable record label. The aggressive style of Centuries was gone in favor of a more traditional Norwegian black metal riffing. At the same time, Heks's synth playing--with the help of folk and classical instruments--added a grander, more epic feel to the songs. It's an incredible album that belongs in heavy rotation for any fan of melodic and symphonic black metal.

"From Times in Kingdoms..." is from Witchcraft

1998's Soulblight continued the sound of Witchcraft. It was a solid release of symphonic black metal that built on its predecessor. Highlighted by ice-cold riffing, Soulblight is a sorely overlooked classic of Norwegian black metal.

Soulblight gives us "The Dark Night of Souls"

These years were busy times for the members of Obtained Enslavement. In addition to releasing incredible black metal albums, their skills were in high demand elsewhere. Pest, for example, was briefly the vocalist for Gorgoroth--but OE was his main focus.

In 2000, OE released The Shepherd and the Hounds of Hell. An underwhelming release, it sounded more like typical black metal, and had a crisper, cleaner production style. It was not a bad album, but it alienated many fans. Around the time of the release of this album, Pest relocated to the USA. Shortly thereafter, the band broke up.

Select Discography:

Obtained Enslavement (demo) (1992)

Out of the Crypts (demo) (1993)

Centuries of Sorrow (full-length) (1994)

Witchcraft (full-length) (1997)

Soulblight (full-length) (1998)

The Shepherd and the Hounds of Hell (full-length) (2000)

Next time: NEHËMAH

Rudra

There are some places that surprisingly have strong black metal scenes. One such place that we've already visited a couple of times is Singapore. Another surprise is Singaporean black metal band RUDRA. Drawing on themes from Indian Hindu culture, it is a reminder that Singapore was once a British colony and that almost one-tenth of  Singapore's population is of Indian background.

Originally going by the name Rudhra and playing old-school death metal when they formed in 1992, the band has cited Slayer, Bathory, Black Sabbath, and early Sepultura as influences, among others. They took their name from one of the incarnations of the Hindu god Shiva--Rudra is a violent and destructive storm god!

Rudra's oldest recorded song,  "Armageddon"

Their first released music was the song "Armageddon," which appeared on the third volume of the Made in Singapore compilation series in 1993. As you can hear above, Rudra's early music was vicious, old-school death metal. Some of their aforementioned influences can clearly be heard.

In 1994, Rudra put out their first official demo, The Past. We can hear the band's evolution on this demo as they began to move past old-school death metal into a more melodic style that even verges on black metal in some places. In this early stage, the band didn't really stand out as incredibly unique. It would be their next phase where their sound radically transformed.

"Atman" is from the self-titled album--notice Indian melodies throughout

Band members Shiva (drums) and Kathir (bass/vocals) decided that they needed to go in a new direction: they would incorporate Indian and Eastern melodies, as well as themes and mantras from ancient Sanskrit texts. This resulted in a self-titled demo in 1997 and a self-titled album in 1998 (which contained much of the same material as the demo) that completely changed the face of extreme metal. These days, metal that incorporates non-Western elements is typically called "oriental metal", but Rudra have taken to calling their music "vedic metal" (after the Hindu holy texts, the Vedas).

In addition to drawing on the philosophy of the holy texts of Hinduism, Rudra also hails the ancient Indo-Aryan people in their music. Unlike the myths at the heart of Western racism and Nazism, Rudra recognizes the actual Aryans--a cultural people group who flourished on the Indian subcontinent millenia ago. We see this tribute in many of Rudra's songs, as well as the title of their 2001 album, The Aryan Crusade.

From The Aryan Crusade, this is "Rudrapatni"

"Ravens of Paradise" comes from their 2009 album

Rudra has continued to hone and refine their vedic metal since transitioning away from the more traditional death/black metal stylings of their early years. In the 00's, they put out a trilogy of albums with title Brahmavidya (where each of the three albums had a different subtitle). They then followed it up with what is arguably their most epic release, 2013's Rta.

An example of Rta's epicness, this is "Assault"

And to this day, Rudra still continues to churn out vedic-inspired extreme metal that transcends the black metal genre. There really is no one else quite like them. 

Select Discography:

The Past (demo) (1994)

Rudra (demo) (1997)

Metal Legion EP (split) (1998)

Rudra (full-length) (1998)

The Aryan Crusade (full-length) (2001)

Kurukshetra (full-length) (2003)

Brahmavidya: Primordial I (full-length) (2005)

Brahmavidya: Transcendental I (full-length) (2009)

Brahmavidya: Immortal I (full-length) (2011)

Next time: OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT

Dawn

 

Sweden's black metal scene is almost as fruitful as Norway's, full of great and classic bands. One band that doesn't get enough attention is DAWN. From the city of Linköping, Dawn is a band you need to know.

Dating back to founder Fredrik Söderberg's solo efforts at starting a band in the late 80's, Dawn didn't actually form until 1990. Drawing influence from a wide range of metal bands--including Dio, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Slayer, and Kreator--Dawn's early sound had more in common with melodic death metal than black metal. 

"Incantation of Unholyness" is off of one of Dawn's early demos

During these early years, the Swedish death metal scene figured prominently in Dawn's song writing. By their own admission, they made changes to their own style because of what bands like Eucharist and Entombed were doing. That said, Dawn didn't copy what was going on--for example, they didn't downtune their guitars as low as others did (and this contributed to their unique sound).

By late 1993, Dawn had recorded their debut album, Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher. They had signed a contract with Necropolis Records, who released the album in '94. According to Fredrik Söderberg, this wasn't truly black metal, but a combination of the various genres and styles that influenced the band. This included death metal, thrash metal, classic heavy metal, alternative, and classical. As a result, their sound was one that didn't fit neatly into a category. It bore the hallmarks of melodic Swedish death metal, but it also verged on melodic black metal in terms of style.

"Everflaming" is from Dawn's debut full-length album

A classic album, Dawn's debut established them as a force to be reckoned with in the world of extreme metal. But, all told, they were not 100% satisfied with Nær sólen, so they continued to grow as a band. Their stated goal was to make sure they didn't copy anyone else's sound. According to the band, they upped their rehearsal times, and took to touring more. As a result, the band evolved into a stronger, tighter outfit.

From their 1996 EP, this is "Sorrow Flew on Black Wings"

As a result, you can hear their sound progressing from their debut album, to their 1996 EP (Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh), to their second full-length album, 1997's Slaughtersun. While their sound on their debut was closer to melodic death metal (think early Dark Tranquillity meets Necrophobic), by Slaughtersun, their sound had a grander feel. Carefully placed synths and epic guitar riffs gave their second album a more black metal feel. To my mind, this is an album that should be in conversation with Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane.

From Slaughtersun, this is "The Knell and the World"

Since that album, there have been rumors about a third studio album, tentatively titled The Fourfold Furnace. While Fredrik has revealed that he's written guitar riffs for the album, and that an artist has worked on what might become its album cover, the band has not gotten around to recording this album. We'll see what the future holds.

Select Discography:

Demo 1 (1992)

Apparition (demo) (1992)

Promotional Demo (1993)

Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher (full-length)  (1994)

Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh EP (1996)

Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) (full-length) (1998)

The Eternal Years (demo compilation) (2014)

Next time: RUDRA

Infernum

 

Heading back to Poland, we discover the mighty INFERNUM, a band second in importance only to Graveland and Behemoth in the Polish scene. Their story gets a little tricky because of competing visions of black metal and the existence of more than one band named Infernum...

While Graveland's Rob Darken was a member of Infernum, the band really is the brainchild of Grzegorz "Karcharoth" Jurgielewicz. A prolific musician who contributed mightily to Poland's black metal scene, he also wrestled with severe schizophrenia in his private life. 

An early 90s picture of Karcharoth

Infernum was formed in late 1992, and in these early days, Grzegorz went by Anextiomarus. He and drummer Balrog put out their first demo, The Dawn Will Never Come. After meeting and recruiting Darken, they put out a second demo, Damned Majesty, on which Darken played synths. Both of these demos were put out in 1993. Infernum played a raw, yet atmospheric, black metal on those early demos. 

"The Dawn Will Never Come" is actually off of the second demo

Shortly after the second demo, Capricornus took over on drums. This was the beginning of Graveland and Infernum sharing the same line-up: Darken, Anextiomarus (who was now going by "Karcharoth"), and Capricornus. This was also around the time that Infernum took the plunge into the political far-right world of National Socialism (Nazism). This involvement in the far-right was clearly an extension of Karcharoth's obsession with extreme evil.

By this time, Infernum had proven themselves on their demos, and so had attracted the interest of record labels. Polish label Astral Wings signed Infernum and agreed to pay for the recording sessions. The resulting album was the now-classic ...Taur-nu-Fuin..., an atmospheric, pagan-infused black metal masterpiece.

From that debut comes "In the Black Clouds of War"

Problems emerged after the release of the album. Karcharoth and Capricornus had written a veritable screed in the album's liner notes, and it was more or less Nazi rantings. This brought the band to the attention of the Polish authorities (as a country that bore the brunt of the Nazis' hate in WW2, it makes sense that the authorities would not take kindly to Nazi writings).

This was also around the same time that Karcharoth's schizophrenia emerged and began to make life difficult for him and his fellow Polish musicians. Karcharoth did continue to contribute to the Polish black metal scene--including playing bass for Graveland, and beginning to write and record the follow-up to ...Taur-nu-Fuin...--but he also became more erratic. This culminated in Karcharoth attempting to travel to Norway to kill Fenriz over some perceived slight.

Between episodes like this and harassment from the authorities, Karcharoth began to isolate himself from his former bandmates. His grip on reality began to get more and more tenuous, until he took his own life in 2004.

A pic of the classic Infernum line-up

In the early 2000s, there were two separate efforts to continue the work of Infernum. Darken and Capricornus took the already-recorded material and finished it, resulting in the 2005 album Farewell. Once that album was finished, they laid the band to rest. At the same time, Karcharoth recruited some musicians to be a totally new Infernum, and they recorded completely new material. This material did not emerge as an album (2006's The Curse) until after Karcharoth's suicide. This second incarnation of the band soldiered on for a few more years before ultimately calling it a day in 2009.

"Black March" is from the 'true' Infernum's final album, 2005's Farewell 

Select Discography:

The Dawn Will Never Come (demo) (1993)

Damned Majesty (demo) (1993)

...Taur-Nu-Fuin... (full-length) (1994)

Farewell (full-length) (2005)

When the Light Has Died (demo) (recorded 1996, released 2019)

Next time: DAWN

Hades

 

Formed by Jørn after his time in Old Funeral, Hades was perhaps one of the most important innovators of viking metal (after Enslaved) in the '90s. Hailing from Bergen, Jørn was joined by Remi at the band's formation in late 1991/early 1992.

Picking up Janto and Nagel to round out the band, Hades put out their now-famous demo, Alone Walkyng, in 1993. Focusing on atmosphere over speed, the clear influence of Bathory's viking period can be heard. According to Jørn, they wanted to make music inspired by their ancestors. Alone Walkyng ranks as a classic demo in Norwegian black metal. 

Here is the complete demo

The demo made quite a splash in the black metal world because of how different it sounded from the then-typical Norwegian sound. The band was courted by several labels, eventually signing with the just-formed Full Moon Productions. They then entered the studio to record their debut full-length album. The resulting album, ...Again Shall Be, stands out from the pack of 1994's Norwegian black metal because of its glorious mid-paced, epic songs. 

"Hecate (Queen of Flames)" is from their debut

Unfortunately, Jørn's non-musical activities began to impact the band. He had been involved with Varg Vikernes in church burnings, and the authorities caught up to him in late '93. He was convicted and sent to prison in early 1995. This obviously had an impact on the band's ability to continue their music-making activities.

Luckily, he and Hades were still able to collaborate in the writing of the next album. The album was recorded in 1996, and in 1997, Dawn of a Dying Sun was released. This album was in the vein of their debut, but the song writing was stronger. ...Again Shall Be was a fantastic album of second-wave Norwegian viking metal, but Dawn was a masterpiece.

"Awakening of Kings" comes from Hades's 1997 album

A mix of ripping black metal riffs and Hammerheart-inspired song structures, Dawn of a Dying Sun belongs in the collection of any black metal fan, right next to Enslaved's 90s work and Bathory's viking metal trilogy. Listen to "Awakening of Kings", above, to hear how the album deftly combines black metal that easily holds its own with the Norwegian classics and epic viking metal passages. Truly brilliant. 

Around this time, the American thrash band Hades became aware of the existence of Norway's Hades. For copyright reasons, they demanded a name change. The result was that Jørn and company became Hades Almighty. At the same time,  they also began exploring new ways to expand their black metal sound.  The resulting album, 1999's Millenium Nocturne, is a great progressive approach to black metal for the 21st century. 

"Warcry" is an awesome song from 1999's Millenium Nocturne

Since that change, the band has not been extremely prolific-- one full-length album (2001's Pulse of Decay) and an EP (2015's Pyre Era, Black!). So, we hold our breath awaiting a new release from these viking metal pioneers.

Here is the title track to their 2015 EP

Select Discography: 

Alone Walkyng (demo) (1993)

...Again Shall Be (full-length)  (1994)

The Dawn of the Dying Sun (full-length)  (1997)

(as Hades Almighty) Millenium Nocturne (full-length)  (1999)

(as Hades Almighty) The Pulse of Decay (full-length)  (2001)

(as Hades Almighty) Pyre Era, Black! EP (2015)

Next time: INFERNUM