Deviser

The Greek black metal scene has been so prolific, with so many amazing bands, that it merits revisiting time and time again. Beyond the big three of Rotting Christ, Necromantia, and Varathron, so many great bands have made an impact on world black metal. I've already discussed Zemial, but DEVISER--from the island of Crete--is too important to overlook.

At the outset--and for the first few years of existence--Deviser was essentially a one-man band. Main man Matt Hnaras would recruit session musicians when the need arose to round out the band (including musicians from other Greek black metal bands, like Varathron and Asfyx). These session musicians played on early demos such as 1990's Forbidden Knowledge and Psychic Completion.

Here is the 1990 demo Forbidden Knowledge in its entirety

Deviser's early sound can best be characterized as an eerily atmospheric old-school style with a heavy thrash influence. That being said, the midpaced riffing and mellow guitar tone definitely bear a resemblance to the style that would one day become known as the "hellenic style".

By 1994, Matt Hnaras had recruited a full-time band, and Deviser began to enter a new phase. While the 1994 EP The Revelation of the Higher Mysteries was still firmly rooted in the old-school style of the demos, they began to experiment with adding synths soon thereafter. This led to a decidedly different take on hellenic black metal.

"Threnody" (from Unspeakable Cults) is one of their best-known songs

The synths helped give Deviser's black metal a sound which seemed to be a fusion of hellenic black metal and more symphonic fare. Their first full-length album---1996's Unspeakable Cults---is a landmark in that regard. Some people have gone so far to say they owe their sound to what Emperor was doing at the time (1994's In the Nightside Eclipse), but that strikes me as a lazy characterization. There's more going on here.

1998's Transmission to Chaos gave us this gem, "Transcendent Beauty"

Over the next couple albums (1998's Transmission to Chaos and 2002's Running Sore), Deviser's sound remained a version of this symphonic-infused hellenic black metal. A lot of the midpaced riffing and song structures are highly reminiscent of something you might hear off of Non Serviam or His Majesty at the Swamp. Yet, at the same time, there are passages that clearly owe a debt--in terms of tempo and aura--to Norwegian symphonic stylings.

"From the Starry Voids" is a choice track from Running Sore

 Deviser has said in interviews that they don't approach the writing of an album with any specific 'sound' or 'style' in mind. And technically, they may be right. However, there are certain things one can come to expect from Deviser, such as melodic elements, symphonic passages, and eerie gothic style.

Select Discography:

Forbidden Knowledge (demo) (1990)

Psychic Completion (demo) (1990)

Into His Unknown (demo) (1993)

The Revelation of the Higher Mysteries EP (1994)

Thy Blackest Love (demo) (1996)

Unspeakable Cults (full-length) (1996)

Transmission to Chaos (full-length) (1998)

Running Sore (full-length) (2002)

Next time: FALKENBACH

Inquisition

Forming in Cali, Colombia in 1988 as extreme thrash band Guillotina, INQUISITION has since come to be associated with the American scene. Spearheaded by the dark mastermind known as Dagon, Inquisition is now known throughout the world as a truly cult black metal band.

Before changing their name to Inquisition in 1989, Guillotina's Sodom-influenced brand of thrash was already beginning to make waves in the South American underground. Within a year of forming, for example, they had opened for legendary fellow Colombians Reencarnación.

Title track from 1990's Anxious Death

In 1990, they put out the Anxious Death EP, which showcased their early thrash sound. The influence of the German scene can clearly be heard on this release. Inquisition would labor a few more years in the underground in this vein, putting out a 1993 demo, Forever Under.

The years 1994-1996 were a time of immense transition for Inquisition. This was the time where Dagon admits he began to grow weary of the thrash scene, and he answered the call of black metal. He has said in interviews that the sound of extreme metal was what appealed to him, and that he sought more and more extremity in terms of types of sounds. This lead him to eventually arrive at the conclusion that black metal was where his creative energy belonged. By 1996, Inquisition's new black metal sound could be heard on the Incense of Rest EP and on a split with Brazilian band Profane Creation. This was also the time when Inquisition chose to re-locate to the Pacific Northwest of the United States (the land of Dagon's birth). Dagon also met and recruited musician Incubus, who has been his co-collaborator in Inquisition as well as the drummer for that band ever since.

Newly invigorated with fresh blood, Inquisition took the world by storm with their first full-length studio album, 1998's Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult. This album--along with Inquisition's sound in general--is the very definition of cult. Relying on brutally heavy riffing that clearly draws on Dagon's thrash background, demonic growled vocals that call to mind Attila's best performances with Mayhem, and occultic/Satanic lyrical themes that feel more authentic than most almost any other black metal band out there, Inquisition stands alone in a genre that spawns clones and imitators galore. Inquisition has continued to consistently release brilliant, brutal black metal in the ensuing years. You know what to expect with an Inquisition album--and you get it every time!

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"Empire of Luciferian Race" is off of Inquisition's debut album

From their 2002 album Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan, this is "Enshrouded by the Cryptic Temples of the Cult"

"Master of the Cosmological Black Cauldron" is a more recent offering (from 2013's Obscure Verse for the Multiverse)

Despite being one of underground black metal's most consistent bands, recent years have brought problems to Inquisition. It came to light in 2018 that Dagon faced charges of possession of child pornography back in 2009. Although Dagon did plead down to lesser charges, Inquisition has faced enormous backlash since then. Record labels, fans, and concert promoters have turned their back on this band. Will there be redemption? Or is Inquisition's time in the sun over? Only time will tell.

Select Discography:

Anxious Death EP (1990)

Forever Under (demo) (1993)

Incense of Rest EP (1996)

Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult (full-length) (1998)

Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan (full-length) (2002)

Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer (full-length) (2004)

Nefarious Dismal Orations (full-length) (2007)

Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (full-length) (2010)

Obscure Verses for the Multiverse (full-length) (2013)

Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith (full-length) (2016)

Next time: DEVISER

Arcturus

One of black metal's more unique bands, ARCTURUS formed in 1990, predating the Norwegian explosion by a couple of years. They initially formed as an off-shoot of death metal band Mortem with the intention of creating a more atmospheric, eerie-sounding music. The initial line-up featured some of the Norwegian scene's more well-known musicians: Hellhammer (of Mayhem fame), Sverd (later of Ulver and Covenant), and Marius Vold (of Thorns). 

Their first release was the 1991 single "My Angel". The title track showcased the eerie, atmospheric vibe that Arcturus were striving for. At the time, it didn't really resemble anything else in the Norwegian scene, but it still had a strongly occultic feel to it.

This is 1991's "My Angel"

Some major line-up changes happened not too long after the release of the "My Angel" single. Marius left the band, and Sverd decided to switch over to keyboards/synths. As a result, they soon recruited Samoth (guitarist from Emperor) and Garm (from Ulver) on vocals. Newly reinvigorated with this line-up, they released the Constellation EP in 1993.

"Du Nordavind" is a classic track off of Constellation

This EP expanded on their earlier sound in a rather noteworthy way. With a cold, unforgiving  guitar sound to complement the creepy synths, Arcturus entered into new territory for black metal. Their style was strongly atmospheric in a way few bands had been.

After some additional line-up changes the following year, Arcturus set about recording their first full-length album: 1995's Aspera Hiems Symfonia. With a title that translates from Latin as "harsh winter symphony," Aspera is one of the absolute classics of Norwegian black metal.

"Wintry Grey" may very well be Arcturus's best song

Aspera Hiems Symfonia takes black metal in a different direction. By the time of its release, the Norwegian black metal boom was in full swing,  and all of the features associated with black metal were well-established: tremolo picking, lo-fi production values, screeching vocals, etc. However, Aspera didn't aspire to these stylistic norms: clean vocals, epic symphonic passages, and varied tempos abounded. It is a darkly beautiful album that transcends the label 'black metal'.

Aspera Hiems Symfonia marked an important transition for Arcturus. The seeds for a more avant-garde direction, one not bound by genre labels, had been sown. 1997's La Masquerade Infernale was a radical departure from black metal, but with an eerie, haunting atmosphere all its own. And since that album, Arcturus has continued to challenge people's ideas of what extreme metal is capable of.

"Chaos Path" is very representative of the avant-garde sound of Masquerade Infernale

Select Discography:

"My Angel" (single) (1991)

Constellation EP (1993)

Aspera Hiems Symfonia (full-length) (1995)

Next time: INQUISITION

Eminenz

Hailing from Saxony in Germany, EMINENZ is a bit of a lesser-known black metal band, but one of historical importance. Formed in 1989, the founders of the band were veterans of the death metal scene. With vocalist Leviathan at the core, the band was rounded out by Zwerg and Butcher on guitars, Darkman on bass, and Iten on drums.

Eminenz's biggest claim to fame is that they were one of the supporting bands for Mayhem's 1990 European tour. This was the tour that gave the world the Live in Leipzig album. What was especially noteworthy about Eminenz earning this supporting slot was that they had no studio albums to their credit, and hardly any demos!

From their first demo, this is "Death Fall"

In terms of their sound, Eminenz's death metal influences can clearly be heard. On the early demos especially, the riffing clearly owes a debt to old-school death/thrash. Listen to "Death Fall" (above), from the 1990 demo Slayer of My Daughter, for a clear example.

After a series of well-received demos, they put out their first full-length, Exorial, in 1994. The interesting thing about this album--and Eminenz's style in general--is they draw heavily from a death metal template, all while crafting highly atmospheric music that clearly fits in the black metal tradition. Their use of well-placed keyboards lent an eerie and occultic aura to their sound. Check out the three-minute mark of "Jesus Wept Nevermore" (from the Exorial album), below:

Eminenz's sound hasn't really changed radically since Exorial. Their music still draws heavily on death metal riffing and song structures, but contains important elements of black metal. They may have never achieved the kind of success or notoriety that fellow countrymen Desaster, Nargaroth, or Nagelfar did (to name a few), but Eminenz has earned their place in the pantheon of German black metal elites.

Off of 1996's The Heretic, this is "Demons Cross a Fiery Path"

"Infernal Majesty", from the 2007 self-titled album, is a more recent example of their sound

Select Discography:

Slayer of Your Daughter (demo) (1990)

Necronomicon Exmortis (demo) (1991)

Ghost (demo) (1992)

Exorial (full-length) (1994)

The Heretic (full-length) (1996)

Anti-Genesis (On the 8th Day I Destroy Godcreation) (full-length) (1998)

The Blackest Dimension (full-length) (2000)

Eminenz (full-length) (2007)

Next time: ARCTURUS