Aborym

 

While Italy's black metal scene during the years of the first wave was filled with some classic bands like Necrodeath and Bulldozer, and early second wave bands like Opera IX are important, very few bands really blew up to a level of worldwide fame. ABORYM, originally from Apulia, might be an exception.

Formed in 1992 by Malfeitor Fabban, the band's name comes from an ancient grimoire. The band struggled in their first few years. According to Fabban, there weren't a lot of places to rehearse in the city where he lived. Once Fabban recruited other band members and found some rehearsal space, the band got to work. In these early years, the band was primarily an old-school black/thrash that performed covers of other extreme bands (they specifically mention Rotting Christ and Sepultura).

"Black Deicide" comes from one of their early demos

This incarnation of the band put out two demos in the early nineties. In 1993, they released a rehearsal (Live in Studio), with a proper demo (Worshipping Damned Souls) to follow the next year. Their sound was not particularly noteworthy for early second wave black metal. See "Black Deicide", above.

Fabban soon branched out into other musical projects, putting Aborym on hold. He also moved to Rome in the hopes of being able to recruit musicians more in line with his vision. When Fabban started the band up again in 1997, he had recruited new musicians (including future black metal superstar Set Teitan). The band quickly got to work and put out the demo Antichristian Nuclear Sabbath.

From their debut studio album, this is "Wehrmacht Kali Ma"

Shortly after their third demo, Aborym entered the studio and recorded their first proper full-length album. The result was 1999's Kali Yuga Bizarre. By this point in their evolution, the band had begun to incorporate synths into their black metal. On this first album, the result was a black metal that veered between the symphonic and the industrial. Fabban cited industrial and electronic music as an influence, which was now beginning to seep into Aborym's style. Take note of how synths are used in "Wehrmacht Kali Ma," above.

The follow-up album--2001's Fire Walk With Us--ventured even more into industrial territory. By this point, industrial black metal was a well-established genre (genre stalwarts like Mysticum will be explored at a later date) and experimental incorporation of synths was something Norwegian bands like Thorns and Arcturus had made palatable to the black metal-loving masses.

The next few albums after Fire continued in this vein: the harsh electronics of industrial mixed with the rhythms and structure of black metal. And despite this experimental approach to black metal, there was never any question about Aborym's bonafides. Their roster--at various points--included such luminaries as Attila (of Mayhem and Tormentor fame), Faust (of Emperor fame), and Occultus (of Perdition Hearse and Mayhem fame).

"Love the Death as the Life" is off of Fire Walk With Us

This aggressive track is the title track from 2003's With No Human Intervention

This is my favorite track from 2006's Generator

These days, Aborym's sound isn't exactly industrial black metal. Like other bands that have evolved (in addition to the previously mentioned ones, think Samael and Dødhemsgard), Aborym is more electronic extreme metal. That said, their peak in the early 2000s is must-listen for fans of industrial black metal.

Select Discography:

Live in Studio (rehearsal demo) (1993)

Worshipping Damned Souls (demo) (1994)

Antichristian Nuclear Sabbath (demo) (1997)

Kali Yuga Bizarre (full-length) (1999)

Fire Walk With Us (full-length) (2001)

With No Human Intervention (full-length) (2003)

Generator (full-length) (2006)

Next time: THUS DEFILED

Sinoath

Ask any casual black metal fan to name an Italian black metal band, and you'd probably get a blank stare. Maybe they've heard of Opera IX or Graveworm, or perhaps a more recent band like Blasphemophager, but the old school? Not likely. And that's a shame because Italy's scene was as vibrant as so many other countries. With Necrodeath and Bulldozer at the head of the pack with their notorious black/thrash, Death SS as something of a distant ancestor, and Mortuary Drape holding their own with so many first-wave and second-wave bands, bands like SINOATH also deserve a mention.

From their first demo, here is "Black River Acheron"

Formed in 1990 in the Sicilian city of Catania and citing bands ranging from Death SS to Obituary to Black Sabbath as influences, Sinoath released their first demo--Forged in Blood--in 1991. With such a diverse mix of influences, one would expect a sound that doesn't neatly fit under a 'black metal' label. And this would be a fair assumption. Using keyboards for a very effective dark and occultic atmosphere, the riffing clearly owes a lot to 1980s death AND black metal, with fairly brutal vocals to boot.

From their second demo, here is "Sinoath"

On their second demo--1993's Still in the Grey Dying--Sinoath's sound began to solidify as a more death/thrash kind of style.  The keyboards continue to enhance the atmosphere of the music, making it have a kind of old-school occult feel to it, but make no mistake, it's still more firmly in the death/thrash camp than black metal camp.  The same can be said of their oddly titled full-length album, 1995's Research.  Shortly after the release of this album, Sinoath broke up.

About a decade later, however, Sinoath got back together with a totally new lineup (other than founding drummer Salvatore).  The result was 2007's full-length Under the Ashes.  This album has a sound that can only be described as merging the keyboard-driven evil atmosphere of their early work with an homage to old-school black/thrash.  Take a listen:

2007's Under the Ashes

Select Discography:

Forged in Blood (demo) (1991)
Still the Grey Dying (demo) (1993)
Research (full-length) (1995)
Under the Ashes (full-length) (2007)

Next time: DEMONCY

Bulldozer

 Italy's Bulldozer

The Italian black/thrash/speed metal band BULLDOZER had a very un-black metal name, but they definitely had an old-school black/thrash sound.  Their sound fit into the early and mid-1980s scene very well.  In the era of old Sodom, early Slayer, Sabbat, Voor, and other blackened thrash bands, Bulldozer stood out with their lyrical content.  Not only evil, Satanism, and darkness, but party-oriented lyrics were not uncommon (like "Whiskey Time").

From the 1985 album, Day of Wrath

Formed in 1980, these Milanese metallers put out the Fallen Angel demo in 1984 before releasing Day of Wrath on Roadrunner Records the following year.  This unleashed their sound upon a wider audience and they gained some international renown with this album and its immediate follow-ups, 1986's Final Separation and 1987's IX.

The epic "Death of Gods", from 1986's Final Separation

After 1988's Neurodelieri, Bulldozer went on hiatus (I think it was because of the death of founding member Dario Carria).  They weren't very active for much of the nineties, but recently put out an album, 2009's Unexpected Fate.  While I haven't heard it, it's gotten some pretty solid reviews.

The very atmospheric "Heaven's Jail," from the 1987 album IX

Select Discography: 

"Fallen Angel" (single) (1984)

Demo '84 (demo) (1984)

Day of Wrath (full-length album) (1985)

The Final Separation (full-length album) (1986)

IX (full-length album) (1987)

Neurodelieri (full-length album) (1988)

Alive...in Poland! (live album) (1990)

Next time:  VULCANO