Blasphemy

Canada's scene has always been sadly neglected by the mainstream metal press.  With extreme bands like Voor, Razor, Infernal Majesty, Slaughter, and Procreation, the 1980s in Canada was a very good time for extreme metal.  In terms of black metal, the band that stands at the head of the pack is British Columbia's BLASPHEMY.

Although they formed in 1984, it wasn't until 1989 that they released their first demo, Blood Upon the Altar.  Upon first forming, they played covers of bands like Sodom, Slayer, and Bathory.  During the years between formation and the release of the demo, they did manage to make a name for themselves performing live shows.  One of the other things holding them up was that some of the band members served jail time.  The band members also adopted ritualistic stage names like Nocturnal Grave Desecrator and Black Winds (vocals/bass), Caller of the Storms (guitar), 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity (drums), and Black Priest of the Seven Satanic Blood Rituals (guitars).

The 1989 demo track "Blasphemy"

Blasphemy's style might be one of the most brutal in the history of black metal.  One can clearly hear the influence of not only the early black metal underground, but also death metal.  With the pounding drums, the guttural, demonic vocals, and the guitar playing that mixed the speed of early black/thrash with the ferociousness of old-school death metal, Blasphemy had a unique sound.  They did not think of themselves as black metal, but labelled their sound "war metal".

"Demoniac" might be Blasphemy's best known song

In 1990, Blasphemy put out the full-length album, Fallen Angel of Doom.  With a grittier production, the sound on this album was a little more intentionally raw, evil, and demonic.  It also featured re-recorded versions of several demo tracks, including the now-infamous "Demoniac" (see above).  Blasphemy declared in an interview years later that their intention was always to "pound the world like a demon with a battering ram" with their music, and I think they come damn close.

"Emperor of the Black Abyss" is from 1993's Gods of War

In 1993, Blasphemy not only put out another legendary album--Gods of War--but they also went on the infamous "Fuck Christ" tour, with Immortal and Rotting Christ.  I can only imagine how amazing those shows were (Rotting Christ at their most evil, Immortal having just released Pure Holocaust, and Blasphemy at the peak of their creative powers?).  This next clip is a taste of that tour:

After this tour, Blasphemy got put on hold because of trouble with the law (I think the drummer went to jail).  During the down time, members of Blasphemy attempted to initiate new projects such as Necrosleezer.  At the urging of fellow Canadian war metallers Conqueror, Blasphemy re-formed and put out the live album Live Ritual: Friday the 13th in 2001.  There is a also a bootleg entitled Return of the Hooded Demons that is a recording of a rehearsal from 2001, and it features new material.

Select Discography:

Blood Upon the Altar (demo) (1989)

Fallen Angel of Doom (1990)

Gods of War (1993)

Live Ritual: Friday the 13th (live album) (2001)

Next time:  EXMORTES