Judas Iscariot

In the annals of American black metal, few bands command the respect that Illinois's JUDAS ISCARIOT does. Emerging around 1992 just as the second wave was gaining momentum, Judas Iscariot would practically become the face of USBM during the 1990s.

Fronted by the enigmatic Akhenaten (real name Andrew Harris), the band arose from the ashes of an earlier project, Heidegger. Judas Iscariot--like Heidegger before it--was an outlet for Akhenaten's own beliefs. Instead of an ethno-nationalist ethos, Akhenaten espoused a nihilistic social Darwinism as the basis for his own national socialist ideals. The songs didn't contain lyrics that were specifically national socialist, but the Nietzsche- and Heidegger-inspired nihilism was present.

This is the Heidegger demo in its entirety

Judas Iscariot's first demo was titled Heidegger, and it was a vile, wretched, noisy attempt at primitive black metal. The songs' structures are barely discernible behind the wall of noise that is the guitar playing. It was not an auspicious beginning.

"Midnight Frost" comes from the first full-length

Shortly after the second Judas Iscariot demo saw the light of day, Akhenaten signed with Moribund Records. An underground label on the rise, Moribund has probably done more for USBM than any other label. The first fruit of this collaboration was the first Judas Iscariot full-length album, 1995's The Cold Earth Slept Below.

With a sound that owes a lot to early Burzum (especially the self-titled album) and Darkthrone's early black metal, it was clear that Judas Iscariot was still finding its sound. That said, no other USBM band had a sound quite like Judas Iscariot's.

"They Saw His Pale Visage Emerge From the Darkness" comes from 96's Thy Dying Light

Their second full-length album was released shortly thereafter, also on Moribund. 1996's Thy Dying Light showed some maturity in the song-writing, but the Darkthrone-esque sound was still present. The songs may have been of better quality, but accusations of being a clone of existing bands (Burzum, Darkthrone) were still leveled at the band.

Around this time, Akhenaten relocated to Germany. Like many American black metallers, he was not pleased with the direction of the US black metal scene and did something about it. This was also the time when he recorded Judas Iscariot's third full-length, Of Great Eternity.

From 1997's Of Great Eternity, this is "Then Mourns the Wanderer"

A more mature offering, Of Great Eternity finds Judas Iscariot finally starting to emerge from the shadow of Norwegian black metal and begin to find their own sound. The songs adhered to a classic Norwegian template, yes, but at the same time, there was something new there. And more was yet to come.

The most fruitful and prolific years of Judas Iscariot were the late 1990s and very early 2000s. With a newly recruited full band, Akhenaten put out two fantastic full-length albums in 1999: Distant in Solitary Night and Heaven in Flames.

"The Black Clouds Roll Under the Parapet of the Sky" is a classic Judas Iscariot song from 1999

"Gaze Upon Heaven in Flames" is essentially the title track from their second 1999 album

The last years of Judas Iscariot's existence were easily their best and the years that showed why they belonged among black metal's elite. Following the triumphant albums released in 1999, Judas Iscariot put out, in swift succession, several splits, a live album, and several albums of new material.

From 2002's To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding, this is "In the Valley of Death, I am Their King"

By 2002, Judas Iscariot was no more. Akhenaten had accomplished all he had set out to accomplish, and his disgust with the sell-outs in mainstream black metal dictated that he abandon the scene entirely. But Judas Iscariot had left their mark on world black metal. Any USBM band that exists today and adheres to an underground ethos owes a huge debt to Judas Iscariot.

Select Discography:

Heidegger (demo) (1992)
Demo '93 (demo) (1993)
The Cold Earth Slept Below (full-length album) (1995)

Thy Dying Light (full-length album) (1996)

Of Great Eternity (full-length album) (1997)

Distant in Solitary Night (full-length album) (1998)
Heaven in Flames (full-length album) (1999)

None Shall Escape the Wrath (split with Krieg, Macabre Omen, and Eternal Majesty) (2000)

Dethroned, Conquered, and Forgotten EP (2000)
 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (full-length album) (2002)
Moonlight Butchery EP (2002)
Midnight Frost (To Rest With Eternity) EP (2003)

Next time: FORGOTTEN WOODS