Necrophobic, and the line between death metal and black metal

Stockholm, Sweden's NECROPHOBIC represents an interesting conundrum in extreme metal. Having formed in 1989, they set as their goal the creation of a darker, more sinister style of death metal than existed at the time. Yet, they cited old-school black metal like Bathory as their primary influences. Furthermore, I see them on black metal playlists all the time, but they sound more death metal to me. Their guitar tone is more Sunlight Studios than Grieghallen to my ears.

This raises one of the most interesting aspects of heavy metal: the separation of bands into different genres. While some metalheads lament the drawing of lines that determine which band is or is not one particular genre or other, others go the opposite direction. I find myself in the latter category: genre distinctions are important to me. To those on the other side of this discussion,  I ask you this: you're gonna tell me that Mütiilation sounds like Iron Maiden? Or that a fan of Deeds of Flesh would love The Gathering? Distinctions are important.

So what happens when the distinctions literally collapse? When you don't know where to put the line? This post is going to explore that question.

Celtic Frost: death metal? Black metal? 

The line between death and black metal was originally fairly arbitrary. This is why some bands from the early days belong to both traditions: think Hellhammer/Celtic Frost. But why is Possessed associated with death metal more than black metal when they sound like a lot of bands that are labeled "black metal" from the same era (Necrodeath, Sarcofago)? 

Now, the lines are clearer.  No one would point to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger and call it death metal. Similarly, no one would call the latest Dying Fetus record black metal. But there have been bands that are hard to classify, and they weren't even trying to blur any lines.  They were just making the music they wanted to make.

Returning to Necrophobic, what are we to make of them? Where do they fall? Their current label,  Century Media, even calls them blackened death metal. Have a listen to a few songs, below: 

"Before the Dawn" is from Necrophobic's 1993 debut album

"Spawned by Evil" is off of 1997's Darkside

2002's Bloodhymns is the source of "Cult of Blood"

We see why it's so tough to figure out. A few adjustments one way and you've got a Dissection b-side. A few adjustments the other way and it resembles a classic Unleashed or Dismember song.

Two other Swedish bands--GROTESQUE and UNANIMATED--also merit being part of this discussion. Where do they fall? Grotesque eventually evolved into At the Gates, the most famous melodic death metal band of all time. But there are those that call them black metal. Unanimated suffers from the same fate.  Take a listen:

Grotesque's "Angels Blood" is from 1989/90

"Blackness of a Fallen Star" comes from Unanimated's 1993 album

We've got songs with blazing fast tremolo-picked riffs, but with a death metal guitar tone. We've got blasphemous lyrics. The overall song structures wouldn't be out of place on a melodic death metal or melodic black metal album. What do we call songs by bands such as these? Of course, an acknowledgement of this issue recognizes that some of the bands I've already explored could be questioned as well: is Dissection really black metal? Sacramentum?

From the opposite direction, the American band ACHERON enters the debate. Emerging as part of the Tampa, Florida, scene in the late 1980s, they are typically thought of as a death metal band. Yet, their blasphemous themes and dark aura feel almost blackened. Listen below, to "To Thee We Confess," off of their first full-length album:

Again, why stop there? What about Crucifier? Order from Chaos? At the end of the day, it's about drawing a line and sticking with it. On this side, we might find Dissection, but on the other side, we might see Necrophobic. Or perhaps not?

Select Discography:

Necrophobic:

Realm of Terror (demo) (1989)

Slow Asphyxiation (demo) (1990)

Unholy Prophecies (demo) (1991)

The Call EP (1992)

The Nocturnal Silence (full-length) (1993)

Spawned by Evil EP (1996)

Darkside (full-length) (1997)

The Third Antichrist (full-length) (1999)

Bloodhymns (full-length) (2002)

Grotesque: 

Ripped from the Cross (demo) (1988)

The Black Gate is Closed (demo) (1989)

In the Embrace of Evil (demo) (1989)

Rehearsal (demo) (1989)

Incantation EP (1990)

In the Embrace of Evil (compilation) (1996)

Unanimated:

Rehearsal (demo) (1990)

Fire Storm (demo) (1991)

In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (full-length) (1993)

Ancient God of Evil (full-length) (1995)

Acheron:

Messe Noir (demo) (1988)

Live Rehearsal (demo) (1989)

Rites of the Black Mass (demo) (1991)

Rites of the Black Mass (full-length) (1992)

Lex Talionis (full-length) (1994)

Hail Victory (full-length) (1995)

Anti-God, Anti-Christ (full-length) (1996)

Next time: KAMPFAR

Summon

One of my favorite American black metal bands, SUMMON emerged as part of the very fruitful late 1980s Midwest extreme metal scene. Lucifer's Hammer is one band I've already mentioned from that scene (in my post on late 80s American black metal), and that band shared some members with Summon (I know vocalist/guitarist Xaphan was in both bands, for example).

Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Summon was formed by Necromodeus and Xaphan in 1991. Upon formation , their initial sound was a black metal infused with a death metal aesthetic--imagine Incantation writing old-school black metal. However, they only managed to release one demo (1992's Devourer of Souls) before putting the band on hold in order to focus on their work with up-and-coming band Masochist.

Here is the 1992 demo in full

Only Necromodeus was present in Masochist from their inception (I think Xaphan was still with Lucifer's Hammer), but Xaphan joined close to the end of that band's career. Masochist also had rising USBM star Tchort on the roster. Tchort is primarily known as the mastermind behind cult band Wind of the Black Mountains (more on that group at a later date).

"Feast of the Goat" is from Masochist's 1993 demo

Masochist played a vicious, apocalyptic-sounding black metal that owed a debt to both death and thrash metal. As an example, listen to the above song, taken from their 1993 demo Frost of the Diabolical Forest. From the years 1992-1994, the band recorded a slew of well-received demos and EPs in this style. While hard to find, much of that material was recently released by Moribund Records as the compilation album History. In 1995, Masochist came to an end. The members of the band had other projects they wanted to focus on. Necromodeus, Xaphan, and Supmur revived Summon, and Tchort wanted to put his energy into Wind of the Black Mountains--a band that was fast rising in the USBM underground.

"Fuck Your God" is the title track from Masochist's 1994 seven-inch EP

Summon--as a three-piece--quickly got down to business. They announced their return to the world of black metal by self-releasing the cassette-only album Fire Turns Everything Black in 1995 (it was re-released by Grinding Piece Records in '96). 

Here is Fire Turns Everything Black in its entirety

Much had changed in Summon's sound since their first demo. The death metal influence was still there, sure, but the production, vocals, and overall sound was more on the black-thrash end of the spectrum (this does make sense, given that the band had cited old school masters like Venom, Bathory, Destruction, and Kreator as inspiration).

Summon's 1997 album is Dark Descent of Fallen Souls

And this would be the template for the future of Summon's style: furiously fast tremolo picked riffs usually laid over a thrash metal pace, with a drum sound that is reminiscent of aggressive black metal, paired with Satanic lyrics delivered in a screeched voice. Fans of traditional black-thrash, aggressive thrash metal, and well-produced black metal will definitely like what Summon has to offer.

From 2000's Baptized by Fire, this is "Visions of Apocalyptic Grace"

Over the course of several albums released in the late 90s and early 2000s, Summon perfected their style. I would argue that they peaked on 2002's And the Blood Runs Black. This album contains many Summon songs from previous albums, but absolutely honed to perfection. The crisp production complements the thrash-influenced black metal well, and it is my favorite album of theirs.

The title track fromAnd the Blood Runs Black

After 2002's Blood, they put out a good (but not brilliant) follow-up with 2005's Fallen. It was a well-executed slab of thrashing black metal, and enjoyable to listen to. But, alas, change was in the wind in the world of Summon.

"Blood Red Skies" is from 2005's Fallen

Xaphan departed the band in 2006 (he had other projects he was more passionate about pursuing, I believe) and so the band decided to go on hiatus. Things ended on good terms, so a few years later (2009, I think), Summon re-formed with the intention of being a fully functional band--new material and all. A few years after re-forming, Xaphan left the band for good after having a fallout with Necromodeus. I'm not sure of their status today.

Select Discography:

Summon: 

Devourer of Souls (demo) (1992)

Fire Turns Everything Black (demo) (1995)

Rehearsal Tape '96 (demo) (1996)

Dark Descent of Fallen Souls(full-length album) (1997)
Promo Tape (demo) (1998)

Baptized by Fire (full-length album) (2000)
No Thoughts from the Sky (full-length album) (2001)

And the Blood Runs Black (full-length album) (2002)
Fallen (full-length album) (2005)


Masochist:

The Satanic Baptism (demo) 1992

Feast of the Goat (demo) (1992)

Frost of the Diabolical Forest (demo) (1993)
Sucking the Tongue of the Ancient One (demo) (1994)
Fuck Your God 7" (1994)
Nocturnal Practices (demo) (1995)

Next time: NEBIRAS AND BIRTH OF MALAYSIAN BLACK METAL