Eminenz

Hailing from Saxony in Germany, EMINENZ is a bit of a lesser-known black metal band, but one of historical importance. Formed in 1989, the founders of the band were veterans of the death metal scene. With vocalist Leviathan at the core, the band was rounded out by Zwerg and Butcher on guitars, Darkman on bass, and Iten on drums.

Eminenz's biggest claim to fame is that they were one of the supporting bands for Mayhem's 1990 European tour. This was the tour that gave the world the Live in Leipzig album. What was especially noteworthy about Eminenz earning this supporting slot was that they had no studio albums to their credit, and hardly any demos!

From their first demo, this is "Death Fall"

In terms of their sound, Eminenz's death metal influences can clearly be heard. On the early demos especially, the riffing clearly owes a debt to old-school death/thrash. Listen to "Death Fall" (above), from the 1990 demo Slayer of My Daughter, for a clear example.

After a series of well-received demos, they put out their first full-length, Exorial, in 1994. The interesting thing about this album--and Eminenz's style in general--is they draw heavily from a death metal template, all while crafting highly atmospheric music that clearly fits in the black metal tradition. Their use of well-placed keyboards lent an eerie and occultic aura to their sound. Check out the three-minute mark of "Jesus Wept Nevermore" (from the Exorial album), below:

Eminenz's sound hasn't really changed radically since Exorial. Their music still draws heavily on death metal riffing and song structures, but contains important elements of black metal. They may have never achieved the kind of success or notoriety that fellow countrymen Desaster, Nargaroth, or Nagelfar did (to name a few), but Eminenz has earned their place in the pantheon of German black metal elites.

Off of 1996's The Heretic, this is "Demons Cross a Fiery Path"

"Infernal Majesty", from the 2007 self-titled album, is a more recent example of their sound

Select Discography:

Slayer of Your Daughter (demo) (1990)

Necronomicon Exmortis (demo) (1991)

Ghost (demo) (1992)

Exorial (full-length) (1994)

The Heretic (full-length) (1996)

Anti-Genesis (On the 8th Day I Destroy Godcreation) (full-length) (1998)

The Blackest Dimension (full-length) (2000)

Eminenz (full-length) (2007)

Next time: ARCTURUS

Mayhem: The Dead Years, 1988-1991

And now for the most famous black metal band during its most famous period.  In 1988, vocalist Dead (Per Ygnve Ohlin) joined, having previously been in the Swedish black/death band Morbid.  In the same time frame, drummer Hellhammer joined.  With this, Mayhem's 'classic' line-up was born: Euronymous on guitar, Necrobutcher on bass, Helhammer on drums, and Dead on vocals.  They were coming off of the new-found underground notoriety that 1987's Deathcrush album had brought them.

A 1988 rehearsal of "Necrolust" with Dead...

In the years 1988-1990, Mayhem was truly an underground phenomenon.  They released no albums, no officially sanctioned demos, no live albums.  Nevertheless, the bootlegs that circulated in the underground during this time period cemented their reputation as one of black metal's elite.  Live shows all over Europe also helped create the Mayhem mythos.

In 1990, two new studio tracks surfaced: 'Carnage" (one of their older classics, but with Dead on vocals) and "Freezing Moon".  These tracks have seen the light of day as not only a demo cassette entitled Studio Tracks, but also as a seven-inch entitled Freezing Moon.

The legendary "Freezing Moon", from the 1990 rehearsal

Much as Mayhem's early years peaked with the Deathcrush EP in 1987, the Dead years peaked with the Live in Leipzig album.  This was recorded in late 1990 at a performance in Leipzig, but was not released on CD until 1993.  The material released both officially and unofficially in these years can be considered some of the best that old-school Norwegian black metal has to offer.

From the Live in Leipzig album, this is my favorite track from this era, "Funeral Fog"

In my opinion, Dead was the best vocalist Mayhem ever had: more talented than Messiah, more consistent than Attila, less annoying than Maniac.  He, as is well known, killed himself in 1991.  With his suicide, Mayhem's second (and some would argue, best) phase came to an end.  The next phase will be explored at a later date....

Select Discography:

Ha-Elm Zalag (bootleg rehearsal) (1988)
War and Sodomy (Live in Zeitz) (live bootleg) (1990)
Studio Tracks (demo) (1990)
Out From the Dark (bootleg demo) (1991)
Last Breath (Last Recordings with Dead) (bootleg rehearsal) (1991)
Live in Leipzig (live album) (recorded 1990, released 1993)
Dawn of the Black Hearts (Live in Sarpsborg, 1990) (released 1995)

Next time: PROFANATICA