Returning to England--the land that gave the genre its name--we encounter THUS DEFILED. Hailing from Worthing, in West Sussex, Thus Defiled is one of the key British black metal bands of the second wave, but sometimes it seems only the hardcore black metal fans know of them.
Having formed in 1992 from the ashes of extreme metal band Unholy Deification, Thus Defiled had the stated goal of creating "bestial blackened metal." Their first salvo of vile blackened metal was unleashed in the form of a 1993 demo, Blasphemous Coven.
This is Blasphemous Coven in its entirety
In this first phase of the band's existence, their sound was more of a death metal with black metal influences (think Crucifier or Acheron). It was evil, angry, satanic--perfect for old-school black metal fans. This demo also caught the ears of record labels and metalheads the world over. Thus Defiled was soon in high demand, and even opened for extreme metal bands like Gorguts and Blasphemy! Their second demo--Enchanted by the Dark One--was yet more brutal old-school black/death. It was also released in 1993. Thus Defiled were off to a strong start.
Their sound continued to evolve, and after some compilation appearances in 1994, they put out their first full-length studio album in 1995 (Through the Impure Veil of Dawn). It was a more recognizable black metal sound. The guitar tone was still close to old-school death metal, as were the vocals, but the song structures were more in the vein of what we call black metal. Check out "Under Blackening Horizons," below:
With the release of 1997's Wings of the Nightstorm, Thus Defiled really had established themselves as one of British black metal's elite. On their second album, their style evolved to an even stronger black metal sound. They still had a guitar tone that drew on old-school death metal, but the riffing and song structures were aggressive black metal.
The late '90s and early 2000s were good times for Thus Defiled, but the band had their struggles as well. While their success led to touring opportunities with such bands as Cradle of Filth, Dissection, and Moonspell, they (like so many extreme metal bands) had trouble maintaining a stable roster. With the recruiting of second guitarist Paul F. in 1998, things stabilized a bit.
"Rapture of Twilight Burning" comes from their 1997 album
With a more stable line-up, the band continued to evolve their black metal sound. In the 2000s, Thus Defiled's output has been a consistent series of good, quality black metal. They have shown the world that the UK can compete when it comes to extreme metal.
From the A Darker Beauty EP, this is "Ebony Thorns Embrace"
Select Discography:
Blasphemous Coven (demo) (1993)
Enchanted by the Dark One (demo) (1993)
Through the Impure Veil of Dawn (full-length) (1995)
Staying in the British Isles, we return to the land that gave the world black metal--England. Hailing from Ipswich in the county of Suffolk, the now-legendary band CRADLE OF FILTH formed in 1990 as death metal band Burial. They might be controversial now because of their commerical success--a phenomenon that has attracted accusations of "selling out" from hardcore black metal fans--but their impact on the genre and on the British scene simply cannot be denied. Founders Daniel Davey (a/k/a "Dani Filth") and Paul Ryan were enamored of extreme metal and wanted to create their own. These Brits were obsessed with everything from thrash to crust to grindcore to old-school black and death metal, citing their fascination with bands like Slayer, Napalm Death, Discharge, and Celtic Frost as early musical inspiration.
However, it was the late 80s/early 90s death metal boom that truly inspired these lads. Albums like Deicide's self-titled, Entombed's Left Hand Path, and Cannibal Corpse's Eaten Back to Life really spurred on some creative efforts from the British bastards of Burial (who had changed their name to Cradle of Filth by 1991 because of a well-established band going by their original moniker). Having recruited some friends to round out the band, Cradle of Filth's early sound was a raw death/thrash -influenced sound with an occultic edge (courtesy of some well-placed synths). Demos like Invoking the Unclean and Orgiastic Pleasures Foul (both released in 1992) showcased this sound.
In its entirety, this is the 1992 demo Invoking the Unclean
Describing their sound as "almost aristocratic" and steeped in English artistic traditions, Cradle's demos made real waves in the metal underground. As a result, they began to make connections with extreme bands all over the world. The vast tape trading network of the extreme metal underground allowed then to make contacts with bands such as Root, Mortuary Drape, Blasphemy, Necromantia, and, of course, the burgeoning Norwegian scene in the form of Darkthrone and Mayhem.
"Unbridled at Dusk" is from the 1993 demo Total Fucking Darkness
Cradle of Filth's sound evolved as their network of contacts grew. Their split release with Malediction and 1993 demo Total Fucking Darkness were well-received among the extreme metal elite, and showed this evolution. Still firmly rooted in death metal, the band's gradual transformation into something different had begun. While still not black metal, the atmospheric use of synths and the gothic approach to their songs showed that they were creating something truly unique. And it caught the attention of record labels, resulting in a deal with Tombstone Records. In fact, they had actually signed with Tombstone and recorded material for a full-length album--to be titled Goetia--even before the release of '93's Darkness.
But Tombstone--like a lot of underground record companies--had more passion than business sense and their relationship with Cradle of Filth soured. The master tapes for Goetia got erased by the label in the process, leaving Cradle of Filth without a debut album. They were too big of a rising star in extreme metal to remain unsigned for long, so it wasn't long before they landed with Cacophonous Records. This resulted in the recording and release of their actual first full-length album, 1994's The Principle of Evil Made Flesh.
"The Forest Whispers My Name" is one of the best-known songs off of Principle
This album represented a big shift in sound for these Brits. The influence of death metal was still there, yes, but the overall atmosphere of the album was more eerie, more occult-driven than what they had done before--including more expansive synth sounds and haunting female vocals. By the band's own admission, Cradle of Filth had started to pay attention to the sounds coming out of Norway--they specifically cite Burzum and Darkthrone, for example, as having an impact on the kind of music they were writing at the time. Principle is a hard album to categorize, drawing on some of the rawer elements of 90s black metal, all the while maintaining the band's death metal roots and expanding the gothic nature of their sound. This era of the band's existence also saw numerous line-up changes. In 1995, while recording the follow-up to Principle, Nick Barker joined the band (their third drummer), and several long-time members (including founder Paul Ryan) left the band. Some of these members even went on to play in Hecate Enthroned, a similarly-styled gothic black metal band that has sometimes (unfavorably) been compared to Cradle of Filth.
In the process of recording their follow-up to Principle, Cradle of Filth's relationship with label Cacophonous headed south. Cradle wanted out of their record deal, and they held some of the already-recorded music for the second album hostage in order to wrangle out of their record deal. Cradle of Filth did eventually put out a second release with Cacophonous to satisfy the terms of their contract: the 1996 EP Vempire, or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein. This release saw the band's sound begin to resemble something more along the lines of the symphonic stylings that could be heard coming out of Norway at the time (think Emperor), yet still retained that raw, gothic edge Cradle was known for.
"Queen of Winter, Throned"--from Vempire--highlights the evolution in Cradle's sound
The band's actual second album--still retaining the title of Dusk...and her Embrace---was released later that same year on new label Music For Nations (the original version of Dusk would see the light of day twenty years later). The sound on this release can definitely be accurately labeled more of a symphonic black metal sound than anything they had attempted before---even the Vempire EP. The riffing is more in line with what we think of when we think 'black metal,' and even the synths are more carefully layered as a complement to the guitar instead of dominating the soundspace the way they did on Principle. Yet at the same time, those in the black metal world who had a very specific---some might even say narrow--conception of what black metal should sound like looked down on what Cradle of Filth were doing.
My favorite song off of Dusk is "Funeral in Carpathia"
The success that Dusk brought the band didn't help--at least in the eyes of the black metal purists. Touring with bands like Dissection and Dimmu Borgir would seem to cement Cradle of Filth's black metal credentials, but selling over half a million copies of an album as uncompromising as Dusk brought cries of 'sellout'. The band also managed to achieve notoriety through huge merchandise sales---including the now-infamous so-called 'vestal masturbation'/'Jesus is a Cunt' t-shirt (a shirt, by the way, that is banned in New Zealand).
The infamous t-shirt in question
The band's follow-up to Dusk was the 1998 album Cruelty and the Beast. A more mature version of the sound on Dusk, this album was a brilliant concept album that purports to tell the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, infamous Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer (and inspiration for so many black metal bands!). Boasting a treble-thin production perfectly consistent with the black metal ethos, Cruelty's use of synths to create a gothic atmosphere that outshone even Dusk and Vempire, as well as the clever use of eerie sound effects, spoken word (courtesy of famed horror actress Ingrid Pitt), and beautifully sung female vocals (courtesy of soprano Sarah Jezebel Deva), made it one of Cradle of Filth's strongest releases---to my ears.
The band's rising star did not sit well with the black metal elite of the late 1990s. Features in mainsteam music magazines (including a well-publicized article on black metal in Spin) didn't help either. More line-up changes (most notable was Nick Barker being replaced on drums by Adrian Erlandsson, of At the Gates fame) and solid releases like the 1999 EP From the Cradle to Enslave and 2000's Midian helped usher in what would be Cradle of Filth's most successful period. A controversial video for the song "From the Cradle to Enslave" (released on VHS as part of the long-form video PanDaemonAeon) also pissed off more than a few people in the musical mainstream and raised the ire of censors everywhere.
"Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" is a solid example of the sound on 1998's Cruelty and the Beast
This success caught the eye of mainstream record labels, and these blasphemous Brits soon signed with titan Sony Records. This has all but ensured that die-hard black metal fans would never give the band a chance again. And while Cradle of Filth's sound has continued to evolve well beyond the boundaries of black metal (I wouldn't call anything they've done since 2003's Damnation and a Day really black metal, per se), they're still an evil band that is by no means palatable to most folks.
That said, their early work is clearly important for its impact on extreme metal in Great Britain, as well as the development of both the symphonic and gothic subgenres of black metal. I think even the most close-minded black metal fans would like 1994's The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh, and fans of classic symphonic black metal may even like their work up to 2000's Midian.
Select Discography:
Invoking the Unclean (demo) (1992) Orgiastic Pleasures Foul (demo) (1992)
A Pungent and Sexual Miasma (split with Malediction) (1992)
Total Fucking Darkness (demo) (1993)
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (full-length album) (1994)
Vempire, or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein EP (1996)
Dusk...and Her Embrace (full-length album) (1996)
Cruelty and the Beast (full-length album) (1998) From the Cradle to Enslave EP (1999) PanDaemonAeon (VHS) (1999)
Although it is the land in which black metal was christened, the United Kingdom is not much known for its black metal since the days of Venom. While I have talked about some major exceptions (Bal-Sagoth, Salem Orchid), I wanted to draw attention to that time period between the early days of black metal when Venom ruled the land and the era when symphonic black metal band Cradle of Filth became the face of British black metal. The bands were few and far between, but several are worth mentioning.
Hailing from Bristol, England, DEAD CHRIST formed in 1990 and left their brutal mark on the underground in swift fashion. Their style of black metal draws heavily on the brutality of death metal, with a resulting sound that reminds the listener of the nastier side of early Finnish black metal (think Archgoat or Drawing Down the Moon-era Beherit). These blasphemous Brits were around long enough to put out a handful of cult demos and one EP in the early 90s.
This is the intro and title track off of the Mortuary Mass demo
Select Discography:
Demo '91 (demo) (1991)
Mortuary Mass (demo) (1991)
Lex Talionis (demo) (1992) Satan's Hunger EP (1993)
Suffolk, England's DECEMBER MOON is probably one of the biggest names in underground British black metal history. Formed in 1992, December Moon is one of a very few early second-wave British black metal bands to actually record a proper studio album. As a result, they're one of the few black metal bands from the UK from this time period to gain wide recognition.
Unlike Dead Christ, December Moon's style is more recognizably black metal. While they utilized a more melodic style, the riffing was more in line with what other major black metal bands were doing at the time.
After a couple of demos that caught people's attention, December Moon recorded and put out a proper studio album: 1996's Source of Origin. This melodic style, replete with brilliantly orchestrated synths, can be regarded as an important moment in British black metal.
"You Can't Bless the Damned"--from Source of Origin--might be December Moon's best-known song
Beyond these two bands, the rest of the British black metal underground in the early 1990s was just that--underground. Beyond a slew of interesting demos, the impact of some of these next few bands was rather limited, but worth noting nonetheless.
WITCHCLAN, from Sussex, only managed to put out two demos in 1993 before breaking up in 1995. Their impact on the scene at the time was relatively minor, but it is important to note that they have since reformed and are as cult as ever. Check out their 2010 demo, Descend Into Darkness, below (some of the music on which had been written in their early 1990s days)
Yorkshire's XAZTUR is another underground band that wasn't around for long in the early 1990s. Their two 1993 demos--Frozen Winter and Pagan Rites--are pretty raw examples of in-your-face old-school black metal. But beyond the music, Xaztur were one of the first British black metal bands to fully immerse themselves in the aesthetic aspects of the scene, as evidenced by their infamous 'graveyard photo shoot' (see below).
Here is 1993's Frozen Winter demo in full
MEGIDDO--hailing from Cheshire--may have formed in 1988, but they didn't record any demos until an unnamed, unreleased one in 1991. After another demo in 1993 (Apocatastasis), they were able to release the 1994 7" The Blistering Glow of My Steel. Megiddo's sound is very reminiscent of some of the more vile, demonic offerings of the Norwegian scene at the time, in my opinion.
"Eldest of Lightnings" comes from Megiddo's 1994 EP
While pagan black metal that draws on Britain's Anglo-Saxon or Celtic heritage may be a relatively common thing these days (Winterfylleth and Wodensthrone come immediately to mind), it wasn't always the case. RAGNAROK--from Venom's hometown of Newcastle--is the major exception during this era. With a very Bathory-esque sound (I'm thinking of their Viking period, obviously), Ragnarok put out three excellent demos with a strong pagan vibe. They--unlike many of their British peers in this era--were able to put out a couple of proper studio albums before breaking up.
Here is Ragnarok's 1995 demo, Beloved of the Raven God
This entry is meant to reflect the minor and lesser-known bands that kept the flag flying for British black metal when there hardly was such a thing. By the end of the 1990s, of course, things had changed. Bands like Cradle of Filth, Hecate Enthroned, Thus Defiled, Adorior and others had taken the black metal world by storm. But more on that at a later time...
And now we return to the birthplace of black metal: England. BAL-SAGOTH formed in Yorkshire in 1989 with the goal of creating "sublimely symphonic black/death metal," in the words of founding member Byron Roberts (aka "Lord Byron"). Despite conceiving of the band in 1989, Roberts had trouble finding a full and stable line-up. That is why it wasn't until 1993 that the first Bal-Sagoth material saw the light of day in the form of an untitled demo (a demo which was re-mastered and re-released in 2013). Their early sound was very aggressive, and the keyboards definitely give it an epic and eerie feel to it, but it isn't exactly symphonic black metal as we would recognize it today. There were still several stages in Bal-Sagoth's evolution yet to come.
From their 1993 demo, here is "A Shadow of Mist"
While Bal-Sagoth continued to make a name for themselves in the underground through the circulating of rehearsal tapes, the release of their first album was delayed due to music label machinations. This album, A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria, finally saw the light of day in mid-1995. It was a clear continuation of the style on the demo, but the keyboards were heavier, and one can hear the seeds of a more recognizably symphonic sound.
"The Ravening" is from that first album
Bal-Sagoth's lyrical content differed vastly from other black metal bands of the day. Frontman Lord Byron was heavily influenced by the science fiction and occult writings of such authors as H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. With the release of their second album--1996's Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule--the tradition of insanely long song titles was inaugurated. The sound change was noticeable as well: this album was a definite shift away from a more black/death sound and toward a powerfully epic, synth-driven metal that has a blackened atmosphere. Vocally, Lord Byron gradually eliminated the deathly growls (while keeping raspy black metal vocals) and incorporated gruff spoken word into Bal-Sagoth's songs.
From their 1996 album, here is "The Splendour of a
Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon
of the Hyperborean Empire" (*phew*)
Bal-Sagoth's style arguably peaked on their next two albums, 1998's Battle Magic and 1999's The Power Cosmic. The synth playing became more imaginative, utilizing sounds that resembled an actual full symphony (horns and all!). The vocals became more elaborate, with Lord Byron creating entire mythos to go with their powerful and epic blackened metal. Since The Power Cosmic, Bal-Sagoth put out two albums (2001's Atlantis Ascendant and 2006's Chthonic Chronicles). They have not released any new material since then.
From Battle Magic, here is "When Rides the
Scion of the Storms"
"The Thirteen Cryptical Prophecies of Mu" is
off of 1999's The Power Cosmic
Select Discography:
Demo 1993 (1993)
A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria (full-length album) (1995)
Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule (full-length album) (1996)
Battle Magic (full-length album) (1998) The Power Cosmic (full-length album) (1999)
Atlantis Ascendant (full-length album) (2001)
The Chthonic Chronicles (full-length album) (2006)
The British scene didn't really produce a good deal of noteworthy black metal in the 1980s after Venom. The infamous Bal-Sagoth formed in 1989 (more on them later), but they didn't put out anything that I know of until a 1993 demo. London's SALEM ORCHID, however, put out demo material in the years 1990-1991. This black/death metal band would go on to form Akercocke after breaking up in the mid-nineties, so in that respect, their material is a critical part of the UK scene.
From their untitled 1990 demo
After an untitled 1990 demo, the band put out a 1991 demo that contained "Sempiternal Suffering" and "Nirvana of Agony". These are two songs the band would become famous for. Salem Orchid's style isn't either straightforward black metal or death metal. The structures of the songs themselves do resemble old-school death metal, but the more experimental sections of the songs have an evil, black metal atmosphere to them.
The infamous "Sempiternal Suffering"
Salem Orchid's long, almost gothic-feeling songs would frequently meander through numerous motifs over their sometime more than ten-minute length. This feature of their style carried over to the later band, Akercocke. Satanism also featured prominently in their sound.
Following the 1991 demo, Salem Orchid put out two live demos in 1991 as well. The band managed to catch the attention of record label Cacophonous Records, and was on track to sign a record deal, but disputes between current and former members of the band over who owned the name of the band derailed this deal. After breaking up and re-forming a few times during the early nineties, Salem Orchid broke up for good in 1995. Before some members went on to form Akercocke, the band Church of Satan served as a stopping point for former members of Salem Orchid. Their style was a much odder black/death combo than Salem Orchid's was, very aggressive.
An example of what Church of Satan sounded like
Select Discography:
untitled 1990 demo A Fictional Experience Between Drowning Lovers (demo) (1991) Demo '91 (demo) (1991) Live (live demo) (1991) Demo '92 (demo) (1992)
