Norway in the 90s was so prolific that there are so many bands people often overlook or forget about. ISVIND is one such band. While they initially formed as Ice Wind in 1992, they existed with that name for a year before they changed to Isvind in '93. They only ever released one demo (The Call of the Ice Wind) as Ice Wind.
Here is their first demo in its entirety
1994 gave us the demo Herskerinnen
Setting out to create black metal "that consumes all life and extinguishes [it] forever", Isvind had a raw take on Norwegian black metal. The riffing on those early demos calls to mind Ulver or the rawer side of Darkthrone. As overlooked as they sometimes are, Isvind is a true classic Norwegian black metal band.
Shortly after the success of the 1994 demo Herskerinnen (see above), the band entered the studio to record some proper albums. This resulted in their self-titled 7-inch in 1995. A continuation of the rawness of their demos, this 7-inch was well-received by black metal fans.
From their 1996 full-length, this is "Lysningen I Skogen"
Following on the heels of the 7-inch, Isvind released their first full-length studio album, Dark Waters Stir. An album that stands up well next to the black metal works of Ulver or Darkthrone albums like Panzerfaust, Isvind established themselves as true Norwegian black metal with this release. "Lysningen I Skogen", above, is a great sample from that album.
Like many mid-tier bands in this time, Isvind did break up. They had just finished touring in support of Dark Waters when they called it a day in 1997. Luckily for black metal fans, they did re-form in the early 2000s and have put out several albums since, still in the raw Norwegian style. Hail Isvind!
The years following Dead's suicide in 1991 were tumultuous ones for MAYHEM. By this time, black metal was beginning to emerge from the underground and establish itself as a legitimate genre. However, Mayhem had some issues they needed to work through.
The first issue in these times was whether or not the band even still existed. Did Dead's suicide mean the end of Mayhem? Euronymous had begun exploiting Dead's suicide for publicity's sake, including crafting the narrative that it was the posers and trendwhores in the metal underground that drove him to take his own life. Between this and Euronymous's stated intention to use a photo of Dead's corpse as the cover to a future Mayhem release, Necrobutcher had had enough. He quit the band out of frustration.
Dead without corpsepaint
The second issue Mayhem faced was that Mayhem still had no full-length studio albums to their name. 1987's Deathcrush was technically an EP, and Live in Leipzig had not been released yet. Numerous bootlegs were circulating in the underground, and some of those eventually saw the light of day as officially sanctioned releases. What was to become of Mayhem, and would their music ever see the light of day in a proper release?
Euronymous took this time as an opportunity to champion the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene. In a series of interviews in various zines, he (and to a lesser degree, Burzum's Varg Vikernes) laid down what he thought black metal should be and what it could be. He also decided to move forward with Mayhem.
Euronymous in corpsepaint
With no bassist and no vocalist, Mayhem first recruited Occultus (of Perdition Hearse) to fill both roles. While Occultus did contribute, he soon left the band because of personality clashes with Euronymous. Then, Varg was recruited to fill the role of bassist. Some recordings of rehearsals from this time period eventually saw the light of day as the From the Darkest Past bootleg.
This was also around the time that Snorre Ruch and Attila Csihar were recruited. Snorre came on board as a second guitarist and helped write lyrics for a few songs. Attila was recruited as vocalist. At this point, Mayhem's first full-length studio album was almost complete.
This rough mix of "Funeral Fog" comes from the Life Eternal EP
The resulting album was to be titled "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", and this was a title that had been up Mayhem's sleeve since before Dead's suicide. Unfortunately, Euronymous would never see the album's release. As is widely known, he was murdered by Varg Vikernes shortly after the completion of the album's recording.
The album was released in 1994. It was hailed as a milestone in black metal, and the album itself has (for better or worse) influenced scores of young musicians to try their hand at this diabolical genre of music. I think that this album is a true masterpiece, and it marvelously captures the essence of early second-wave black metal.
The title track of the album in question
Alas, with Euronymous dead and Snorre and Varg in jail for their criminal activity, Mayhem's roster was once again decimated. Was the band gone for good? Only time would tell.....
Select discography of this era:
From the Darkest Past (1992 bootleg rehearsal of DMDS)
Returning to Norway, we encounter a band not as widely known as the elite of the second wave, but one that formed before many of them: OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT. Formed in 1989 in Stord, they started out as a three-piece. The founding members initially went by their legal names before adopting evil stage names: Thomas ("Pest"), Orjan ("Torquemada"), and Ove ("Døden").
They toiled in the underground as a three-piece for a few years before Heks joined as second guitarist and keyboardist in 1992. It was then that they started putting out demos. After their self-titled demo in '92, it was 1993's Out of the Crypts that caught the ear of metalheads worldwide.
In its entirety, here is the Out of the Crypts demo
On their early nineties demos, OE was--like many Norwegian bands at the time--a raw old-school death metal band. Black metal was still in its infancy in Norway, with a mere smattering of second wave albums having been released.
Obtained Enslavement's sound, however, began to evolve. By the time of the release of their self-funded debut album--1994's Centuries of Sorrow--they had begun to take on a more blackened sound. The drum production still sounds pretty death metal to me, but otherwise, it's an aggressive black metal style. Listen below:
From their debut, here is "Dark Holiness"
Despite being basically self-released, Centuries of Sorrow caught the attention of the black metal underground. It didn't sound like the then-typical Norwegian sound. But change was in the air.
The follow-up was the brilliant Witchcraft, which took three years to release because of issues finding a reliable record label. The aggressive style of Centuries was gone in favor of a more traditional Norwegian black metal riffing. At the same time, Heks's synth playing--with the help of folk and classical instruments--added a grander, more epic feel to the songs. It's an incredible album that belongs in heavy rotation for any fan of melodic and symphonic black metal.
"From Times in Kingdoms..." is from Witchcraft
1998's Soulblight continued the sound of Witchcraft. It was a solid release of symphonic black metal that built on its predecessor. Highlighted by ice-cold riffing, Soulblight is a sorely overlooked classic of Norwegian black metal.
Soulblight gives us "The Dark Night of Souls"
These years were busy times for the members of Obtained Enslavement. In addition to releasing incredible black metal albums, their skills were in high demand elsewhere. Pest, for example, was briefly the vocalist for Gorgoroth--but OE was his main focus.
In 2000, OE released The Shepherd and the Hounds of Hell. An underwhelming release, it sounded more like typical black metal, and had a crisper, cleaner production style. It was not a bad album, but it alienated many fans. Around the time of the release of this album, Pest relocated to the USA. Shortly thereafter, the band broke up.
Select Discography:
Obtained Enslavement (demo) (1992)
Out of the Crypts (demo) (1993)
Centuries of Sorrow (full-length) (1994)
Witchcraft (full-length) (1997)
Soulblight (full-length) (1998)
The Shepherd and the Hounds of Hell (full-length) (2000)
Formed by Jørn after his time in Old Funeral, Hades was perhaps one of the most important innovators of viking metal (after Enslaved) in the '90s. Hailing from Bergen, Jørn was joined by Remi at the band's formation in late 1991/early 1992.
Picking up Janto and Nagel to round out the band, Hades put out their now-famous demo, Alone Walkyng, in 1993. Focusing on atmosphere over speed, the clear influence of Bathory's viking period can be heard. According to Jørn, they wanted to make music inspired by their ancestors. Alone Walkyng ranks as a classic demo in Norwegian black metal.
Here is the complete demo
The demo made quite a splash in the black metal world because of how different it sounded from the then-typical Norwegian sound. The band was courted by several labels, eventually signing with the just-formed Full Moon Productions. They then entered the studio to record their debut full-length album. The resulting album, ...Again Shall Be, stands out from the pack of 1994's Norwegian black metal because of its glorious mid-paced, epic songs.
"Hecate (Queen of Flames)" is from their debut
Unfortunately, Jørn's non-musical activities began to impact the band. He had been involved with Varg Vikernes in church burnings, and the authorities caught up to him in late '93. He was convicted and sent to prison in early 1995. This obviously had an impact on the band's ability to continue their music-making activities.
Luckily, he and Hades were still able to collaborate in the writing of the next album. The album was recorded in 1996, and in 1997, Dawn of a Dying Sun was released. This album was in the vein of their debut, but the song writing was stronger. ...Again Shall Be was a fantastic album of second-wave Norwegian viking metal, but Dawn was a masterpiece.
"Awakening of Kings" comes from Hades's 1997 album
A mix of ripping black metal riffs and Hammerheart-inspired song structures, Dawn of a Dying Sun belongs in the collection of any black metal fan, right next to Enslaved's 90s work and Bathory's viking metal trilogy. Listen to "Awakening of Kings", above, to hear how the album deftly combines black metal that easily holds its own with the Norwegian classics and epic viking metal passages. Truly brilliant.
Around this time, the American thrash band Hades became aware of the existence of Norway's Hades. For copyright reasons, they demanded a name change. The result was that Jørn and company became Hades Almighty. At the same time, they also began exploring new ways to expand their black metal sound. The resulting album, 1999's Millenium Nocturne, is a great progressive approach to black metal for the 21st century.
"Warcry" is an awesome song from 1999's Millenium Nocturne
Since that change, the band has not been extremely prolific-- one full-length album (2001's Pulse of Decay) and an EP (2015's Pyre Era, Black!). So, we hold our breath awaiting a new release from these viking metal pioneers.
The early 90's Norwegian black metal scene is positively bursting at the seams with great bands. One band that got its start a little later than many of the classic bands is Bergen's GORGOROTH.
Citing Bathory, Venom, and Celtic Frost as influences, Gorgoroth was formed in 1992 by Goat Pervertor, Hat (Norwegian for "Hate"), and Infernus--who would be the main force driving the band over the course of the years. They debuted with the now-classic demo, A Sorcery Written in Blood. This demo would earn them a record deal and be the start of their notoriety.
Off of their '93 demo, this is "Sexual Blood Gargling"
The band's limited contact with the members of the Inner Circle allowed them to perform at a live show in Oslo in tribute to Euronymous. It also allowed them to pick up Samoth (of Emperor fame) as a session bassist when they recorded their debut album, Pentagram.
Pentagram was a solid slab of Norwegian black metal. With a sound that holds its own next to early 90s Mayhem and Burzum, Pentagram has rightfully become a classic. Highlighted by Hat's demonic screeching, the album is 30-plus minutes of blazing evil black metal. Compared to some of the advances in black metal songwriting of more recent years, however, the album might sound dated to some, but it is crucial to the founding of the classic Norwegian sound.
Pentagram gives us this classic, "Ritual"
After the release of Pentagram, Satyricon's Frost joined on drums, and Infernus took over on bass. The resulting album--1996's Antichrist--was a more varied, more atmospheric sound. With a dedication to Euronymous in the liner notes, this album pushed the classic black metal sound forward in a way comparable to Burzum's quartet of 90s albums.
The follow-up album (1997's Under the Sign of Hell) was perhaps the strongest and most well-received of Gorgoroth's so-called "classic trilogy". Featuring a more punishing production style than its predecessors, Underthe Sign is now revered as a landmark in Norwegian black metal.
"Heavens Fall" is off of Antichrist
From their 1997 album, this is "Krig"
The years immediately after the release of Under the Sign were chaotic ones for Gorgoroth. For one, they struggled to keep a stable line-up. Also, they struggled in the songwriting department as well. For example, their 1998 album Destroyer (with the Nietzschean subtitle About How to Philosophize With a Hammer) contained old songs that had never been put on record alongside newer ones. The personnel involved totaled ten individuals--including outgoing vocalist Pest and incoming vocalist Gaahl. The resulting album was a sloppily produced mess that has divided fans to this day. 2000's Incipit Satan wasn't much better, with electronic and industrial elements, and songs that didn't meet the exacting standards of many a fan. Both of these albums are considered among Gorgoroth's weakest.
Here is the title track to 2000's Incipit Satan
Over the next few years, bassist King ov Hell would emerge as the primary song writer for Gorgoroth. This resulted in two albums that were a huge improvement over Destroyer and Incipit, but still had their own unique sound. Vocalist Gaahl served prison time for assault, and this delayed release of their albums, but he was still fully committed to Gorgoroth as well.
From their 2003 album, here is "Forces of Satan Storms"
In addition to Gaahl's jail time for assault (and the resulting publicity), two other major events in these years caused Gorgoroth's infamy to grow. First off, they recorded a concert in Poland in 2004 with the intent of marketing it as a live concert DVD, but things went sour. The authorities seized the footage because they alleged it violated Poland's "religious sensibilities" law. Of course, a blasphemous black metal band performing live SHOULD violate people's "religious sensibilities"! The DVD did eventually go on sale as Black Mass Krakow.
Second, a rift developed in the band with Gaahl and King ov Hell on one side and Infernus on the other. Each side claimed to be the true Gorgoroth, with the dispute eventually going to court. The courts decided for Infernus, and he recruited new members and has continued the band to this day.
"Satan - Prometheus" is a song off of the first album of Infernus-driven/post-Gaahl Gorgoroth, 2009's Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
Select Discography:
A Sorcery Written in Blood (demo) (1993)
Pentagram (full-length) (1994)
Antichrist (full-length) (1996)
Under the Sign of Hell (full-length) (1997)
Destroyer (full-length) (1998)
Incipit Satan (full-length) (2000)
Twilight of the Idols - In Conspiracy With Satan (full-length) (2003)
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (full-length) (2006)
Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt (full-length) (2009)
Norwegian band TULUS is one of the hidden gems of the Norwegian scene. Many people might know them as the band that led to the formation of Khold, but they're an important band in their own right.
Formed in 1991 by Sarke and Blodstrup, Tulus are known for their unique sound. After an untitled demo in 1993, they put out the demos Samlerens kammer in '94 and Midvintermåne in '95. Even on these demos, Tulus's unique sound was evident.
Here is the complete 1994 demo, Samlerens kammer
Tulus's first full-length album, 1996's Pure Black Energy, was an album that contained mostly re-recorded versions of their demo tracks. But, as I said above, even on such early songs, Tulus's creative approach to black metal was apparent. They found ways to incorporate stringed instruments and female choir vocals in ways that set them apart even from symphonic black metal.
"Søstre av natten" is off of their first album
Another unique aspect of Tulus's black metal was that many of their songs didn't fit into the mold established by other Norwegian masters like Darkthrone or Mayhem. Instead they, by their own admission, borrowed from bands like Mötorhead. As a result, they had many guitar passages that were structured more like hard rock than traditional black metal. In this way, Tulus can be seen as the true forerunners of black'n'roll.
From their 1997 album, Mysterion, this is "Skuggeskip"
After the release of three now-classic albums in the 1990s, Sarke and Blodstrup felt like they wanted to create darker, harsher music--something that didn't fit with what Tulus was doing. They recruited a couple of new musicians, and Khold was born as, in their own words, "the reincarnation of Tulus." Tulus was put on hold while Khold was getting off the ground.
From Evil 1999, this is "Salme"
After some success as Khold, the core of the band (Sarke and Blodstrup--who had gone by 'Gard' during his time in Khold) decided they needed to express themselves musically in a more unlimited way, so they set about recording new material under the Tulus banner again. 2007's Biography Obscene was the result. And since that year, both bands have continued to churn out music. Khold is an important enough band that they will get their own post at a later date.
One of the great things about exploring any genre of metal is discovering new bands. The big names of black metal--Mayhem, Immortal, Darkthrone, Emperor, Burzum--are known by everyone. But those mid-tier bands that slave away just beneath the surface? It's exciting to watch when people discover them. KAMPFAR is a Norwegian band that the casual black metal fan knows little about. But the true black metal aficionados know them as a tried-and-true pagan black metal band.
Originating from the ashes of MOCK, who existed from 1991-1994, Kampfar was for years the brainchild of Thomas and Dolk. Dolk cut his teeth in the aforementioned Mock. Mock's sound was a classic Norwegian black metal that bears all the hallmarks of the early second wave. Check out their 1994 demo, Cold Winter, below:
After Mock dissolved in 1994, Dolk still had the yearning to create black metal. The story goes that he had a bassline written for a black metal song, but it wasn't until he met Thomas that he had a music-writing partner who was able to write the perfect guitar part to go with it. This became the song "Kampfar." Shortly thereafter, they wrote "Hymne". And this material became their first demo, and eventually, the self-titled EP.
The Kampfar EP contains both the songs "Hymne" and "Kampfar"
In these early years of Kampfar's existence, Thomas and Dolk were the only two members of the band. Dolk brought a black metal sensibility to the table that was balanced out by Thomas's more classical and folk-oriented approach to music. This is what allowed Kampfar to create their now-classic pagan/folk black metal. The incorporation of clean, chanting vocals and folk/non-traditional instruments helped make Kampfar's music a crucial stage in the development of pagan and viking black metal. An album like 1997's Mellom skoggkledde aaser easily holds its own when put next to albums like Vikingligr Veldi or Hammerheart.
From their 1997 album, this is "Valgalderkvad"
In these early years of the band, they weren't the most prolific. Dolk attributes this to his and Thomas's writing process. They were more painstaking about their approach to writing their music. As a result, in this stage--when only Thomas and Dolk were the members of the band--they only churned out two full-length albums, the above-mentioned 1997 album and 1999's Fra underverdenen.
From their 1999 album, this is "Norse"
Things changed pretty radically in the early 2000s. Ask and Jon were recruited as new members, on drums and bass respectively. Their writing process shifted in a major way, and the band became more prolific. In the 2000s, Kampfar churned out a slew of fantastic pagan black metal albums that still stand the test of time: 2006's Kvass, 2008's Heimgang, and 2011's Mare.
From 2006's Kvass, this is "Ravenheart"
"Inferno" comes from their 2008 album
"Blitzwitch" is a great track from their 2011 album
In 2010, Thomas left the band, leaving Dolk as the only original member. Kampfar has soldiered on to this day, still releasing quality albums of folk-influenced and pagan black metal. They may not be a household name like Mayhem, but they're a band that has had an impact on black metal the world over.
The story of BURZUM is well-documented, so I'm not sure how much detail to go into. I'll try to limit my discussion to the music and not focus on non-music shenanigans. Varg Vikernes (the mastermind behind Burzum) began a solo project called Kalashnikov around 1988, after he had only been playing the guitar for a couple years. Within a year or so, he changed the name to Uruk-Hai. There is debate about whether or not there are any known recordings from that time period. In later years (sometime in the later 1990s), some recordings emerged of Uruk-Hai material, but there is doubt about whether it's from 1988-89 or the early 90s.
After the early Uruk-Hai years, Vikernes joined the Norwegian death/black metal band Old Funeral. As I noted on my entry for early Norwegian black metal, this band also had (at various times) Abbath (of Immortal fame) and Jørn (of Hades fame). Varg has said his time in Old Funeral was highly educational, as he learned about the more technical aspects of music.
A classic promotional pic of Varg
After the demise of this band, Vikernes revived the project Uruk-Hai before soon changing its name to Burzum, which is the word for "darkness" in the Black Speech of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. He also started going by the stage name Count Grishnackh to further distance himself from his old ways. Burzum was more or less an old-school black metal project, but with the touch of that occultic edge that 1980s Mayhem had.
From the first untitled Burzum demo, this is "Lost Wisdom"
Vikernes put out two untitled demos in 1991 under the Burzum name. They included many songs which went on to become classics, such as "Lost Wisdom," "Spell of Destruction," "A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit," and "Feeble Screams From Forests Unknown." Many of these songs were instrumental, with no vocals. Nonetheless, they highlighted the emerging Norwegian sound. Bearing resemblance to what Mayhem had done up to this point, while maintaining some uniqueness, these Burzum tracks helped lay the template for many black metal bands to come.
This is from the 1992 self-titled album...
As is known, Burzum recorded all of what would become his classic nineties material in the span of about a year. Recorded in January of 1992, Burzum first released a self-titled album. This was put out on Euronymous's label Deathlike Silence Productions. In terms of black metal sound, the self-titled album was a continuation of the the sound pioneered on the demos, but at the same time an improvement. I think that Vikernes' vocals were more tortured, more insane-sounding than pretty much any other black metal vocalist up to that point in history. That first album is one of black metal's all-time greats. It's simple, yet raw and merciless in its effect.
Recorded as part of two different sessions in 1992, Burzum put out an EP entitled Aske (which is the Norwegian word for 'ashes') in early 1993. Also released through Deathlike Silence Productions, this is one of the few Burzum releases with another musician on it. Samoth (of Emperor) played bass on Aske because for a brief while, Varg entertained the idea of playing live. He did not hold on to that notion for long.
"Key to the Gates" is from Det Som Engang Var
Burzum's second full-length album was Det Som Engang Var. Recorded in April 1992, this album feels conceptually linked to the self- titled one. With music that still feels raw and primitive, DSEV is as good an introduction to Burzum as any. This album was released in 1993 through Varg's new label, Cymophane Records (which was a sublabel of white power label Resistance Records). It was pressed in a limited run (950 copies), so this resulted in many bootleg editions in circulation.
From Burzum's 1994 album, this is "Inn I Slottet Fra Droemmen"
Burzum's third album was recorded in the fall of 1992. It took a while for this album to get released because Varg's legal troubles began mounting. He signed the rights to his last two albums over to a third party who then founded Misanthropy Records. Once this dust settled, this album--titled Hvis lyset tar oss--was released by Misanthropy in April 1994. It felt like a departure from the previous two. Yes, the primitivism was still present, but we see a real transcendence being achieved on some of these tracks. In this way, it foreshadowed what was to come on Burzum's fourth full-length album.
My favorite Burzum song, "Darkness (Dunkelheit)"
Burzum's fourth full-length studio album--titled Filosofem--was recorded in early 1993. By his own admission, he was rebelling against the new developments in the black metal scene and this made its way into the recording sessions. He once called this album an "anti-black metal" album. But by rebelling against some of the emerging trends in the black metal scene, he merely set a new bar for black metal! The raw production, the hypnotic riffs, the droning ambient...all of these things took Burzum's black metal to another level entirely. Many say that Hviss lyset tar oss is in the running for greatest black metal album of all time, but I place Filosofem higher. It was released through Misanthropy Records in 1996, after Varg had begun serving his jail sentence for his crimes (church burning, Euronymous's murder).
And this is as good a place as any to pause the story of Burzum. As is widely known, he was able to put out two fully ambient albums while in prison (while in prison, he claimed to have sworn off guitar-based music forever), but that doesn't interest me. Perhaps I'll resume his story where it picks up when he was released from prison....? We'll see.
This song was recorded during the Hvis lyset tar oss sessions but never made it to album
The legendary Norwegian scene of the early 1990s continues to astound us, even to this day. It is hard to imagine black metal of any shape or size without the groundbreaking work done by IMMORTAL, for example. After his stints in both Old Funeral and Amputation, Abbath went on to form Immortal with Demonaz in 1990. They were initially more death metal than black metal, as is evident on the 1991 self titled demo. It wasn't until the Immortal 7" EP (also released in 1991) that they changed their style to something more recognizably black metal.
"The Cold Winds of Funeral Frost" is off of the self-titled 7-inch
Immortal's sound clearly owed a debt to the sound of late 1980s and early 1990s Mayhem, but at the same time, it was a unique style. Elements of Bathory (think Under the Sign of the Black Mark) also being present, Immortal went on to release a full-length album in 1992. Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism is one of the best 1990s Norwegian black metal debut albums. Immortal set themselves apart from the hordes of other black metal bands because they incorporated winter-themed lyrics. Winter, cold, frost, and other climatic elements made perfect sense given Norway's harsh and unforgiving weather.
"Call of the Wintermoon" is one of Immortal's best known early songs
The big shift for Immortal in these earlier years was with the release of 1993's Pure Holocaust. This album continued some of the stylistic elements of the material from Diabolical and the self-titled 7-inch, but at the same time, Immortal began to push the black metal style forward. Blastbeats were featured prominently, and the overall speed was ratcheted up a notch unlike almost any other black metal band before this time.
This is "Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds"
When Immortal released this album on the world, it truly changed the black metal landscape forever. There had been fast black metal before (think Sarcofago, for example), but no one had put blastbeats into black metal to such a degree before. Pure Holocaust stands, in my mind, as one of the technical highlights of all Norwegian black metal--indeed, of all black metal PERIOD.
While Pure Holocaust is one of their most influential albums, I hold that Battles in the North (Immortal's 1995 follow-up) is the superior release. On Holocaust, you can hear Immortal still figuring out what to do with and where to put their blastbeats. There are numerous places where the speed and blastbeats feel like an afterthought. Battles, on the other hand, had songs that were meticulously crafted, and the speed felt necessary and intentional. With each release, the black metal world was forced to sit up and take notice as Immortal changed the game again and again. Battles in the North, to my ears, ranks as a pure masterpiece of the highest order
Here is the title track from '95's Battles in the North
With their next release (1997's Blizzard Beasts), Immortal sought to push the boundaries of the sound they had innovated. Gone were the well-structured songs of Battles. Instead, the blastbeats were used to achieve a chaotic, almost tech-death approach. This album proved divisive among fans. Some loved how over-the-top it was, but some saw it as a step backwards from Battles.
"Winter of the Ages" showcases the insanity of Blizzard Beasts
This was a transitional time for Immortal, as Demonaz had to step down from his guitar-playing duties due to severe tendonitis in his arms. He was unable to play the extremely fast black metal riffing that Immortal's music required and was now relegated to the role of writer. This was also the time frame when drummer Horgh joined the band, and remained their long-time drummer (they had had a rotating cast of drummers prior to him). But more change was on the horizon.
That change took the form of their 1999 album, At the Heart of Winter. A radical shift in their sound, this album managed to be too radical in sound for some of the old-school fans. But at the same time, many saw this as Immortal's peak. The album managed to incorporate all of the elements from previous albums, but the song structures clearly drew on Viking-era Bathory and classic heavy metal. Listen to the gorgeous soundscape that is "Withstand the Fall of Time":
This is off of 1999's At the Heart of Winter
2002's Sons of Northern Darkness gave us the masterful "Antarctica"
Immortal fully embraced this new sound on their next two albums, 2000's Damned in Black and 2002's Sons of Northern Darkness. Epic, sprawling black metal that meandered across multiple motifs, all while bringing to mind the inevitable evil of a true fimbulwinter is how I think of Immortal in this phase. Sons of Northern Darkness showed the world what black metal was capable of, in terms of artistry.
That said, this began a time of uncertainty for Immortal. They broke up not long after the release of Sons. In the following years, they would re-unite and break up several more times. This culminated in a legal battle for the rights to the name of the band, as Demonaz and Abbath had competing ideas about the future direction of Immortal. Demonaz did eventually win the legal battle, and he and Horgh are now the current core of Immortal.
Norwegian band IN THE WOODS... represents a unique chapter in the history of black metal. Their style in the late nineties was like almost no one else in the Norwegian scene, and they have unique connections to other crucial black metal bands at the same time.
ITW formed from the ashes of death metal band Green Carnation in 1991 when band member Tchort went to join Emperor on bass. Green Carnation dissolved and remaining members Anders, Christian, and Christopher formed ITW--recruiting Oddvar and Jan along the way--as an outlet for their nascent black metal sound. Their first demo in 1993 was a raw piece of black metal that didn't do too much to stand out from the pack.
Here is the '93 demo in full
Shortly after the release of that demo, ITW entered the studio with the goal of releasing a second demo. This demo--1994's Isle of Men--was essentially the first demo re-recorded. The sound quality was improved, but this was still the same music: a somewhat raw, midpaced black metal.
This is the 1994 version of "Tell de døde", from the Isle of Men demo
The Isle of Men demo in 1994 proved to be a pretty well-received demo in the black metal underground. It has been reissued by several different record labels as a CD, most recently by Soulseller Records. It is pretty easy to find these days, if you're interested in acquiring a copy.
That said, ITW began pushing the boundaries of their music after the release of Isle of Men. The midpaced black metal sound on their demos eventually gave way to a melodic and progressive folk-influenced style on their first full-length album, 1995's Heart of the Ages. With a sound that reminds the listener of Isengard and older Arcturus, all wrapped up in an atmospheric package, there really was nothing like it in the Norwegian scene at the time of its release.
"...in the woods" is probably the most traditionally black metal song off of Heart of the Ages
Now calling their music 'pagan metal'--despite not having all of the hallmarks of that genre--ITW had really made their mark on the Norwegian scene, and by extension, global black metal. If they had called it a day after releasing this album, they'd still be a noteworthy chapter in the history of black metal. But in this first phase of their existence (they broke up in 2000), they put out two more albums that revolutionized extreme metal.
On 1997's Omnio, they moved away from black metal, but kept a dark, moody aura to their music. With epic, progressive passages painted over a doom-y riffing style, Omnio is a hard album to characterize. Not really like any kind of traditional black metal, fans of modern-day atmospheric and epic black metal like Saor, Aquilus, or Agalloch might find themselves at home on this album.
From 1997's Omnio, this is "Weeping Willow"
On 1999's Strange in Stereo, they moved even further away from traditional black metal. Still possessing the dark, moody atmosphere from Omnio, their music reminds the listener of old-school gothic rock bands like Bauhaus at times. Strange in Stereo is an odd album--one whose name is very apt. This is an album that further alienated hardcore black metal fans, but brought in a whole new audience of open-minded listeners.
"Closing In" is the opening track from Strange in Stereo
But all was not well in the world of ITW. The band members could not agree on the direction to take the band, and these musical differences would prove fatal to the band. In the Woods... broke up in the year 2000 (In the Woods...did get back together in the 2010s, but their music was more in the doom-death vein than it was black metal). But as fortune would have it, some of the band members had recently reconciled with Tchort, and Green Carnation was re-formed as a result. If you listen to the Green Carnation albums from the early 2000s, you can hear some similarities with what ITW was doing on Omnio and Strange. Check out "Light of Day, Day of Darkness," below, to see what I mean.
Members of Mayhem and Darkthrone in an early '90s photo
DARKTHRONE'S release of A Blaze in the Northern Sky in 1992 was an earth-shattering event in the history of black metal. The Norwegian scene hadn't put out many full-length studio albums yet, and Darkthrone's first album was basically death metal, not black metal. Darkthrone now consisted of three members since Dag Nilsen had left: Zephyrous, Nocturno Culto, and Fenriz. However, they had a renewed focus now that they were committed to black metal.
The follow-up to Blaze is the 1993 classic Under a Funeral Moon. On this album, Darkthrone (by their own admission) moved even further away from their death metal roots. They acknowledged that they had still used a death metal template for some of their songs on Blaze, but had now jettisoned that foundation. Even Fenriz himself admitted that Blaze was "a lot of death metal with some black metal parts." 1993's Under a Funeral Moon, however, was "pure black metal."
Here's "Unholy Black Metal," from Under a Funeral Moon
With Under a Funeral Moon (even more than Blaze), the classic second wave black metal template began to solidify. The primitive, blasting drums; the raw, screeched vocals; the tremolo picking riffs....all of it was present in a way that felt new and fresh. It has even been called the "blackest black metal" album that Darkthrone has ever made.
Soon after its release, Darkthrone entered the studio to record its follow-up. At the time, however, things had changed in the Norwegian scene. In 1991 and 1992, things in the Norwegian black metal scene had been relatively organic and tightly knit. There were few actual black metal bands and the focus was on the music. But by 1993, the church burnings and murders associated with the Inner Circle had begun to distract people from the music. It also attracted media attention and resulted in the scene being flooded with black metal posers. This state of affairs greatly influenced Darkthrone's mindset as they recorded their next album.
"Slottet I Det Fjerne" is one of their most famous tracks from Transilvanian Hunger
Now a duo (Zephyrous left the band after a car accident), Darkthrone released album number four in early 1994. This album--Transilvanian Hunger--was another masterpiece that changed the face of black metal. Even more raw, with an aura of misanthropic darkness (which resulted from a dark, ultra lo-fi production), Hunger had blazingly fast songs that influenced a generation of black metallers. Within the span of three years, Darkthrone had revolutionized black metal.
One source of controversy was the band's messaging on the album itself. On the back cover of the album, the band labeled their music as "Norwegian Aryan Black Metal," and in the liner notes they noted that anyone who criticized their music was behaving in a "Jewish" fashion. Years later, Fenriz himself noted that this kind of language was unacceptable and even called it "disgusting."
Off of Panzerfaust, this is "Hans siste vinter"
While Darkthrone's first three black metal albums (Blaze, Funeral, Hunger) are sometimes called their 'unholy trinity' because of how influential and revolutionary they were, I like to lump in their 1995 release, Panzerfaust, as well. The structure laid down on Hunger and Funeral were present, to some degree, but the production values were notably different. The vocals had a more vile, trebly feel to them than in previous albums, giving the entire album an angry rawness that was less present on the earlier releases. All told, Panzerfaust is just as essential as Under a Funeral Moon or Transilvanian Hunger.
The more you dig into the depths that is the early 90s Norwegian black metal scene, the more you are able to appreciate the different styles that were pioneered. Case in point: depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM). While many folks think of it as a more recent phenomenon, created by perhaps Shining or Xasthur, this isn't the case. Norwegian band STRID, from the town of Askim, is credited as the inventor of the style.
Formed in 1991 as Malfeitor by band members Storm, Samhain, Lost, and Funeral, the original stated goal was to make music that was true to the nascent black metal ethos that was emerging in Norway. Their self-titled demo--recorded in the drummer's basement--was possessed of that grim, forbidding black metal atmosphere, but it wasn't groundbreakingly unique.
This is 1991's Malfeitor in full
After a second demo (Pandemonium) the following year, the band underwent some line-up and stylistic changes. As a result, they changed their name to Battle, and soon thereafter, to Strid (which is the Norwegian word for "battle"). The stylistic changes are what is worth talking about, as they led to the sound we associate with this band--and the foundations of DSBM.
This is 1993's End of Life
In 1993, Strid released their first demo--End of Life (it was recorded when they were still Battle). Consisting of one eleven minute song (the title track), End was a mid-paced black metal song with riffing that created a sorrowful aura. These melodic riffs were definitely squarely in the traditional Norwegian black style, but by putting them over a moody tempo, an entirely new atmosphere was achieved. The song "End of Life" is a testament to the beauty of darkness.
In addition to the sound and structure of End laying the foundation for one of black metal's subgenres (you can hear Xasthur, Shining, Lifelover, and pretty much any other modern DSBM band in the sound on End), the lyrical content was a shift as well. Obviously suicide and self-destruction had been a part of black metal--think of Mayhem's Dead, for example, cutting himself on stage during live performances. With Strid, though, it became the raison d'etre for their music.
"Nattevandring" comes from the Strid EP
The following year, Strid put out a self-titled EP. Only comprised of two songs--"Nattevandring" and "Det Hviskes Blant Sorte Vinder"--the EP was a melancholic continuation of the sound from End, as you can hear above. The motivation for creating such dark and morose music came from, in the words of guitarist Ravn Harjar, the desire "to isolate from society and the modern world" because they "felt a lot of anger and hate." More than simply the hatred toward Christianity that was, at bottom, the starting point for all black metal, Strid felt animus toward "everything that had contributed to bring our existence to the present situation with decay in more or less every aspect of the world and culture." It's not a big leap from this kind of feeling to self-hatred and self-destruction.
And this was all the music that Strid ever made. The band itself soldiered on for a few more years after the self-titled EP's release, but got put on indefinite hold when life imitated art: founding band member Storm killed himself in 2001. After fellow founding member Samhain died in 2014, the band officially broke up. However, there have been stirrings that Strid does have plans for the future. We shall see.
Select Discography: as Malfeitor:
Malfeitor (demo) (1991)
Pandemonium (demo) (1992)
as Strid: End of Life (demo) (1993) Strid EP (1994)
