Nergal

 

For our next band, we return to the land of Hellas, home of some of the world's best black metal. NERGAL, from the city of Piraeus, stands as one of Greece's elite and a purveyor of some truly fantastic black metal.

Formed around 1989, Nergal burst on to the scene as Greek black metal was really coming into its own: Rotting Christ had completed the transition to black metal from grindcore, and Necromantia and Varathron had put out truly cult-worthy demos. Into the mix came some rather unremarkable self-released demos from Nergal in '90 and '91. By the time of their titled demos, including 1992's In the Name of Nergal and 1993's The Talisman of Kioutha, Nergal had begun to carve out a niche for themselves.

This is The Talisman of Kioutha demo

With a dark, mystical aura, and a focus on more rhythmic and melodic guitar patterns,  Nergal put their own spin on what we now call hellenic black metal. Lyrically, Nergal was obsessed with evil and the occult, and their songs were constructed with this atmosphere in mind.

In 1993 came the De Vermis Mysteriis EP, which is when the world black metal scene really started paying attention to them. Composed of only four songs (including an intro and an outro), Nergal's style really shone forth on this release: the midpaced riffing, eerily gothic synths, and bass-heavy production helped set them apart from a Greek scene that was awash with poseurs.

In its entirety, here is 1993's De Vermis Mysteriis

After a split release with fellow countrymen Funeral Urn the following year, Nergal entered the studio and composed their masterpiece: the full-length gem The Wizard of Nerath. A unique release, Nerath managed to combine a trebly, necro guitar sound that clearly owes at least a partial debt to Scandinavian black metal, with a penchant for Hellenic black metal-style rhythms and atmospheric synths. While not quite on the level of His Majesty at the Swamp or Non Serviam, Nerath does easily hold its own with For the Glory of Ur or Unspeakable Cults.

From The Wizard of Nerath, this is "My Soul, Blood Will Be Dripping"

Nergal was on track to become of Hellas's black metal elite after the release of Nerath. And yet it was over a decade before they put out its follow-up. One of the things that allegedly put a damper on their music-making activities was harassment from the Greek authorities for the promotion of evil and Satanism in their music.

Whatever the case, Nergal has put out some really thought-provoking hellenic black metal in recent years: 2017's  Νυκτα Γεματη Θαματα - Νυκτα Σπαρμενη Μαγια is a fantastic addition to the canon of cult-worthy Greek black metal albums.

Select Discography: 

Promo '90  (demo) (1990)

Demo 1991 (demo) (1991)

In the Name of Nergal (demo) (1992)

The Middle Ages Return 7" (1993)

The Talisman of Kioutha (demo) (1993)

De Vermis Mysteriis EP (1993)

Magie Cérémonielle (split with Funeral Urn) (1994)

The Wizard of Nerath (full-length album) (1995)

Next time: ARGENTUM