Nifelheim

Vocalist Hellbutcher of Nifelheim

One of the great things about black metal is its diversity of styles. The average metalhead thinks of classic Norwegian 1990s bands like Mayhem or Burzum when they hear the term "black metal," but any true fan of the genre will tell you it is so much more. One of the longest-running styles is black/thrash--whether old-school or more recent. The 1980s was filled with great bands like Sabbat, Vulcano, Bulldozer, and Necrodeath, as well as a host of obscure bands. And the subgenre is as vibrant as ever these days, with bands like Witchmaster, Bewitched, and old stalwarts like Desaster and Aura Noir running strong. One band that emerged at the end of the first wave of black metal and continues to carry the flag for old-school black/thrash is Sweden's NIFELHEIM.

Nifelheim was formed in 1990 in the town of Dals Långed (which is in the region near Gothenburg) by twin brothers Tyrant (bass) and Hellbutcher (vocals). They were joined by Demon on guitars and drums. Inspired by their obsessive love of Iron Maiden and other classic heavy metal bands, the founding twin brothers were only around 15 at the time. They have since admitted that they were in no hurry to put out demos or proper albums when they initially formed.

This is Nifelheim's 1993 demo Unholy Death

In 1993, after prodding from other members of the Swedish scene (including Dissection's Jon Nodtveidt), they released the demo Unholy Death. This demo encapsulates Nifelheim's sound perfectly. They have not radically changed it in the years since the early 1990s: it's a very old-school leaning, riff-oriented black/thrash that has a classic feel to it.

The release of this demo had helped turn Nifelheim's underground reputation into a reality. The circulation of this demo further solidified the band's standing in the then-burgeoning Swedish scene. However, at a time when more traditional black metal dominated, Nifelheim's black/thrash was a standout in the pack.

"Possessed by Evil" is off of their self-titled album

Nifelheim was able to continue the momentum they had built with their demo and record a full-length album. Continuing to display their influences--from Sabbat and Vulcano to Bathory and Venom--1994's Nifelheim is rightfully considered a modern black/thrash masterpiece. This was a well-received album, but was overshadowed by the goings-on in the black metal mainstream (Norway's Inner Circle, for example). I think it's fair to say that Nifelheim never got the press they deserved, even when they were doing some of their best work.

Nifelheim is putting out quality work to this day, and they followed up their self-titled with releases like 1997's Devil's Force and 2000's Servants of Darkness. One of the issues that has plagued the band, however, is personnel issues. Tyrant and Hellbutcher always had trouble filling the other slots in the band because they had such high standards (one guitarist got kicked out for having a girlfriend, for example). That being said, the Gustavsson twins will always be the core of the band, and their love for the old school will probably never die.

"The Final Slaughter" is off of 1997's Devil's Force

2000's Servants of Darkness gave us this track, "Bestial Avenger"

Select Discography:

Unholy Death (demo) (1993)

Nifelheim (full-length) (1994)

Devil's Force (full-length) (1997)

Servants of Darkness (full-length) (2000)

Envoy of Lucifer (full-length) (2007)

Next Time: CRUCIFIER