BLACK METAL!

Let me begin by saying I am obsessed with black metal.  I have been a black metal fan since I was 19, and I am now in my thirties.  I am constantly on the lookout for new bands, as well as trying to learn more about older bands that are no more.  This blog will be my year long tribute to the thirtieth anniversary of black metal.

this is Venom, by the way

The story of black metal begins with the English band VENOM.  They formed in 1978, and were interested in playing heavy metal in the vein of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, with some punk influence thrown in as well.  Unlike some of the other NWOBHM bands of the day, Venom had more overtly Satanic lyrics.  1981 saw the release of their first album, Welcome to Hell.  Welcome to Hell was atmospheric, Satanic speed metal.  It was pretty much unlike anything ever attempted before.  Imagine the dark mood and lyrics of early Black Sabbath and the raw intensity of Motorhead, and you've more or less nailed Venom's sound.  This album laid the template for all extreme metal since.  But it was Venom's second album that is of importance here....

Venom's 1982 album, Black Metal, was a continuation of the style of Welcome to Hell, but now this style had a name: black metal.  While thrash metal and death metal drew from Venom, black metal took stylistic elements and the name of their genre from Venom.  After these two albums, 1984's At War With Satan continued this proto-black metal sound.  Venom's sound after that more or less became a more generic speed metal.

This is "Witching Hour" from Venom's first album.  An excellent example of their sound.

 
This is the song that gave its name to an entire genre.

"Warhead", from Venom's 1984 single of the same name.  It's a slower track, but still has that old-school black metal vibe to it.

These songs give you a good idea of what Venom's early work sounded like, as well as how black metal sounded at its birth.  So, with 1982 giving the world the term "black metal", I am celebrating thirty years of black metal in 2012.  I will do a band a day (some bands will get more than one day) until the end of year (or November 1, which is the day Black Metal was released back in 1982).

Select Discography

Demon (demo) (1980)

Welcome to Hell (full-length) (1981)

Black Metal (full-length) (1982)

"Warhead" (single) (1983)

At War With Satan (full-length) (1984)

Possessed (full-length) (1985)

Tomorrow:  BATHORY

HAIL!  \m/