While Mütiilation may be the most well-known of the Black Legions bands, there are so many more worth noting. VLAD TEPES, from France's Brittany region, is perhaps the most noteworthy of the remaining Black Legions bands.
Formed some time around 1992, Vlad Tepes was composed of Vorlok Drakksteim and Wlad Drakksteim (no relation to each other). Taking their band name from the historic person that inspired Dracula, we can see the vampiric obsession of Les Légions Noires (LLM) continuing. Wlad was the primary song writer for Vlad Tepes, as Vorlok focused his song writing energies on side project Black Murder (see bottom of this entry). As far as inspiration goes, they've specifically mentioned Venom, Bathory's first four albums, and the early black metal of Burzum and Darkthrone. And those two Norwegian band are a good reference point for Vlad Tepes's sound: imagine Transilvanian Hunger and Filosofem in a blender, and you're pretty close.
This is the title track from their War Funeral March demo
Their first couple of demos were self-released, but the now-famous War Funeral March demo was issued by Full Moon Productions. A review of this release in a zine by FMP proprietor Thorns led to death threats from members of LLN! Most of the rest of Vlad Tepes's output was self-released demos that were never meant to see the light of day.
"Wladimir's March/Massacre Song from the Devastated Lands" is from the split with Belkètre
The major exception were two split CDs: one with Torgeist and one with Belkétre. These were actually put out by real record labels and are some of the only officially sanctioned releases by LLN members. March to the Black Holocaust--the split with Belkètre--is lauded as some of the best work by LLN.
From the split with Torgeist, here is "Warmoon Lord"
Like many of the LLN bands, Vlad Tepes kind of burnt out around 1996-7. Their drive to create black metal music had fizzled out, so they disbanded. In the 2010s, much of Vlad Tepes's discography was re-released in box set, the most complete of which is 2018's A Catharsis of Human Illness on Drakkar Productions.
Select Discography:
Rehearsal Winter '93 (demo) (1993)
War Funeral March (demo) (1994)
Return of the Unweeping (demo) (1994)
Celtic Poetry (demo) (1994)
Brouillons I (demo) (1995)
Brouillons II (demo) (1995)
Dans notre chute... (demo) (1995)
Massacre Song from the Devastated Lands (demo) (1995)
March to the Black Holocaust (split with Belkètre) (1995)
Black Legions Metal (split with Torgeist) (1996)
Morte lune (demo) (1996)
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As well-known as Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes might be, BELKÈTRE might actually lay claim to being the spiritual heart of the LLN. Hailing from Dordogne in southwest France, they are perhaps the oldest band in LLN.
Arising from the ashes of earlier French black metal band ZELDA (who themselves seem to be a continuation of an even earlier band, CHAPEL OF GHOULS), Belkètre was the result of the collaboration between two major figures in LLN, Lord Aäkon Këëtrëh and Vordb Dréagvor Uèzréèvb (notice the names spelled in their invented language, Gloatre).
Like most of the bands in LLN, Belkètre released the majority of their music in limited fashion. Their demos allegedly only were intended for a small devoted circle, yet were able to make their way to the wide world in the firm of unauthorized bootlegs.
While their split with Vlad Tepes may be their best-known work, it is the album-length demo Ambre Zuèrkl Vuorhdrévarvtre which is their true masterpiece. Unlike their earlier work--which is nasty, cold, and vicious--much of Ambre's new material has an atmospheric feel that almost sounds like a rawer Strid, or an angry Xasthur.
As with most other LLN bands, Belkètre ceased putting out material when the circle dissolved. Rumors circulated that the band members had killed themselves, and perhaps the band's bleak nihilism lent itself to that rumor. After all, Vordb did once say that "my works have no future in this world" because "creation...is purely human" and "[o]nly destruction is Satanic and eternal."
In its entirety, here are the Belkètre songs from their split with Vlad Tepes
Interestingly enough, Vordb has resurfaced in recent years with his own label (Kaleidarkness). New Bèlketre material has emerged, and old material has been re-issued.
Select Discography:
Studio Tracks (demo) (1993)
The Dark Promise (demo) (1994)
Twilight of the Black Holocaust (demo) (1994)
March to the Black Holocaust (split with Vlad Tepes) (1995)
Ambre Zuèrkl Vuorhdrévarvtre (demo) (1996)
Xèr.n O-r.iidr (demo) (1998)
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One of the lesser bands from LLN that I think is worth listening to is TORGEIST. A product of the collaboration of multiple members from other projects (Lord Aäkon Këëtrëh, Vordb Dréagvor Uèzréèvb, Lord Beleth'rim, among others in its rotating line-up), it is debated by some whether or not Torgeist was actually an LLN project. It seems to meet all the criteria: made by LLN members, only active during the years LLN was active, only releasing obscure demos except for a split CD with an LLN band, and so on.
This is the title track from their first titled demo
Torgeist's sound is fairly typical of LLN black metal: raw, nasty, unpolished. That said, I'd say that the drum sound sets them apart, and the vocals seem angrier than most other LLN bands. All in all, I think of Torgeist as one of the better executed LLN projects, and probably more accessible to the casual black metal fan.
"Flame of Hate" comes from their second titled demo
Select Discography:
Rehearsal '94 (demo) (1994)
Devoted to Satan (demo) (1994)
Time of Sabbath (demo) (1996)
Black Legions Metal (split with Vlad Tepes) (1996)
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LLN had many other bands, not all of them black metal. Several dark ambient and dungeon synth projects counted themselves as members. In terms of black metal bands worth listening to that I haven't already mentioned, I recommend BRENORITVREZORKRE (a prolific side project of Vordb Dréagvor Uèzréèvb), BLACK MURDER (a project whose music was written when Vorlok Drakksteim "wanted to kill"), and SEVISS.
Select Discography:
Black Murder, Promo '94 (demo) (1994)
---, Those Black Desires That Torment My Soul (demo) (1995)
---, Feasts (demo) (1996)
Brenoritvrezorkre, Vasagraèbe éakr vatrè brenoritvrezorkre (demo) (1995)
---, Vèrmayaprèb (demo) (1995)
---, Nèvgzérya (demo) (1995)
---, Èrvoelbtre (demo) (1995)
Seviss, Armies of Metal (demo) (1995)
---, Et pleure le bâtard..., (demo) (1996)
Next time: HADES
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