Black Crucifixion

Despite never exploding into international prominence the way Norway's black metal scene did, Finland has been home to a thriving black metal scene since the very beginning. With bands like Vadertopsy, Beherit, and Archgoat dating back to the late 1980s, Finland has never lacked for black metal.  By the early nineties, of course, things had truly exploded. BLACK CRUCIFXION, hailing from the northern city of Rovaniemi, was part of that explosion.

Originally formed in 1991 under the name Horned Lord by Forn and Blacksoul, they soon changed their name to Black Crucifixion. As Forn has stated in interviews, Black Crucifixion had more of an edge to it and fit with their artistic vision better than did the name Horned Lord. Rounded out by members of Beherit, Black Crucifixion claimed not only 80's black metal pioneers  Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer, and Sarcofago as inspiration, but also the hellenic scene as well. They soon made themselves known on the extreme metal scene in Finland not only with the release of an obscure three-song demo, but by their performance at the Day of Darkness festival in the summer of 1991.

"Flowing Downwards"--from their '92 demo--is perhaps their most well-known song

By the end of 1991, they had recorded a proper demo that saw the light of day in 1992: The Fallen One of Flames. The sound showcased on this demo indicated that Black Crucifixion played by their own rules. That is, they didn't sound like either of the major styles associated with Finland--not the raw brutality associated with Archgoat, Beherit, Belial, etc., and not the in-your-face punk-influenced style of Impaled Nazarene either. Black Crucifixion's style was a gloomier, more morose one than that of their fellow countrymen. The influence of Greek black metal can easily be heard.

In 1993, the band's first real true and proper release, the Promethean Gift EP, made waves in the Finnish black metal scene. Continuing down the twisted path carved by their '92 demo, the band didn't necessarily think of themselves as part of the "black metal" movement. At various times, they have labeled their music "dark metal" or even "extreme metal". And their music, as stated above, never fit into neat categorization either. As heard on Promethean Gift, there was a melancholy--which Forn himself had attributed to the extreme environment of Lapland--at the heart of their music.

Here is the title track off of Promethean Gift

This was a crucial time in the Finnish black metal scene. Archgoat, Beherit, and even Black Crucifixion--for various reasons--went silent in the black metal scene for a number of years. Whereas Beherit disappeared into dark ambient in the mid and late 90s, and Archgoat broke up before eventually re-forming, Black Crucifixion worked on the follow-up to Promethean Gift at a glacial pace. While they started writing and recording material for a new album as early as 1995, they didn't finish it until 2005. In 2006, they then put out the full-length album Faustian Dream.

From Faustian Dream, this is "Wrath Without Hate"

The reasons BC took so long aren't nefarious or obscure. Forn has stated in interviews that they "were busy and had other things to do" and waited until "the music felt relevant again". Perhaps as a result of the passage of time, or the maturing of the band members, Faustian Dream--even moreso than the earlier releases--does not fit well into the black metal pigeonhole. It is, as stated by the band, a "darker metal".

Following the release of 2006's Faustian Dream and a live album from a 1991 concert (2009's Satanic Zeitgeist), BC has been fairly consistent. They have since released a trio of well-received albums, meant to be listened to as a trilogy, and they have been regulars on the festival circuit, introducing themselves to a new generation of listeners.

Select Discography:

Demo 1 (demo) (1991)

The Fallen One of Flames (demo) (1992)

Promethean Gift EP (1993)

Faustian Dream (full-length album) (2006)

Satanic Zeitgeist (live album) (2009)
Hope of Retaliation (full-length album) (2011)
Coronation of King Darkness (full-length album) (2013)
Lightless Violent Chaos (full-length album)  (2018)

Next time: MANIAC BUTCHER