Dawn

 

Sweden's black metal scene is almost as fruitful as Norway's, full of great and classic bands. One band that doesn't get enough attention is DAWN. From the city of Linköping, Dawn is a band you need to know.

Dating back to founder Fredrik Söderberg's solo efforts at starting a band in the late 80's, Dawn didn't actually form until 1990. Drawing influence from a wide range of metal bands--including Dio, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost, Slayer, and Kreator--Dawn's early sound had more in common with melodic death metal than black metal. 

"Incantation of Unholyness" is off of one of Dawn's early demos

During these early years, the Swedish death metal scene figured prominently in Dawn's song writing. By their own admission, they made changes to their own style because of what bands like Eucharist and Entombed were doing. That said, Dawn didn't copy what was going on--for example, they didn't downtune their guitars as low as others did (and this contributed to their unique sound).

By late 1993, Dawn had recorded their debut album, Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher. They had signed a contract with Necropolis Records, who released the album in '94. According to Fredrik Söderberg, this wasn't truly black metal, but a combination of the various genres and styles that influenced the band. This included death metal, thrash metal, classic heavy metal, alternative, and classical. As a result, their sound was one that didn't fit neatly into a category. It bore the hallmarks of melodic Swedish death metal, but it also verged on melodic black metal in terms of style.

"Everflaming" is from Dawn's debut full-length album

A classic album, Dawn's debut established them as a force to be reckoned with in the world of extreme metal. But, all told, they were not 100% satisfied with Nær sólen, so they continued to grow as a band. Their stated goal was to make sure they didn't copy anyone else's sound. According to the band, they upped their rehearsal times, and took to touring more. As a result, the band evolved into a stronger, tighter outfit.

From their 1996 EP, this is "Sorrow Flew on Black Wings"

As a result, you can hear their sound progressing from their debut album, to their 1996 EP (Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh), to their second full-length album, 1997's Slaughtersun. While their sound on their debut was closer to melodic death metal (think early Dark Tranquillity meets Necrophobic), by Slaughtersun, their sound had a grander feel. Carefully placed synths and epic guitar riffs gave their second album a more black metal feel. To my mind, this is an album that should be in conversation with Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane.

From Slaughtersun, this is "The Knell and the World"

Since that album, there have been rumors about a third studio album, tentatively titled The Fourfold Furnace. While Fredrik has revealed that he's written guitar riffs for the album, and that an artist has worked on what might become its album cover, the band has not gotten around to recording this album. We'll see what the future holds.

Select Discography:

Demo 1 (1992)

Apparition (demo) (1992)

Promotional Demo (1993)

Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher (full-length)  (1994)

Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh EP (1996)

Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) (full-length) (1998)

The Eternal Years (demo compilation) (2014)

Next time: RUDRA

Necrophobic, and the line between death metal and black metal

Stockholm, Sweden's NECROPHOBIC represents an interesting conundrum in extreme metal. Having formed in 1989, they set as their goal the creation of a darker, more sinister style of death metal than existed at the time. Yet, they cited old-school black metal like Bathory as their primary influences. Furthermore, I see them on black metal playlists all the time, but they sound more death metal to me. Their guitar tone is more Sunlight Studios than Grieghallen to my ears.

This raises one of the most interesting aspects of heavy metal: the separation of bands into different genres. While some metalheads lament the drawing of lines that determine which band is or is not one particular genre or other, others go the opposite direction. I find myself in the latter category: genre distinctions are important to me. To those on the other side of this discussion,  I ask you this: you're gonna tell me that Mütiilation sounds like Iron Maiden? Or that a fan of Deeds of Flesh would love The Gathering? Distinctions are important.

So what happens when the distinctions literally collapse? When you don't know where to put the line? This post is going to explore that question.

Celtic Frost: death metal? Black metal? 

The line between death and black metal was originally fairly arbitrary. This is why some bands from the early days belong to both traditions: think Hellhammer/Celtic Frost. But why is Possessed associated with death metal more than black metal when they sound like a lot of bands that are labeled "black metal" from the same era (Necrodeath, Sarcofago)? 

Now, the lines are clearer.  No one would point to Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger and call it death metal. Similarly, no one would call the latest Dying Fetus record black metal. But there have been bands that are hard to classify, and they weren't even trying to blur any lines.  They were just making the music they wanted to make.

Returning to Necrophobic, what are we to make of them? Where do they fall? Their current label,  Century Media, even calls them blackened death metal. Have a listen to a few songs, below: 

"Before the Dawn" is from Necrophobic's 1993 debut album

"Spawned by Evil" is off of 1997's Darkside

2002's Bloodhymns is the source of "Cult of Blood"

We see why it's so tough to figure out. A few adjustments one way and you've got a Dissection b-side. A few adjustments the other way and it resembles a classic Unleashed or Dismember song.

Two other Swedish bands--GROTESQUE and UNANIMATED--also merit being part of this discussion. Where do they fall? Grotesque eventually evolved into At the Gates, the most famous melodic death metal band of all time. But there are those that call them black metal. Unanimated suffers from the same fate.  Take a listen:

Grotesque's "Angels Blood" is from 1989/90

"Blackness of a Fallen Star" comes from Unanimated's 1993 album

We've got songs with blazing fast tremolo-picked riffs, but with a death metal guitar tone. We've got blasphemous lyrics. The overall song structures wouldn't be out of place on a melodic death metal or melodic black metal album. What do we call songs by bands such as these? Of course, an acknowledgement of this issue recognizes that some of the bands I've already explored could be questioned as well: is Dissection really black metal? Sacramentum?

From the opposite direction, the American band ACHERON enters the debate. Emerging as part of the Tampa, Florida, scene in the late 1980s, they are typically thought of as a death metal band. Yet, their blasphemous themes and dark aura feel almost blackened. Listen below, to "To Thee We Confess," off of their first full-length album:

Again, why stop there? What about Crucifier? Order from Chaos? At the end of the day, it's about drawing a line and sticking with it. On this side, we might find Dissection, but on the other side, we might see Necrophobic. Or perhaps not?

Select Discography:

Necrophobic:

Realm of Terror (demo) (1989)

Slow Asphyxiation (demo) (1990)

Unholy Prophecies (demo) (1991)

The Call EP (1992)

The Nocturnal Silence (full-length) (1993)

Spawned by Evil EP (1996)

Darkside (full-length) (1997)

The Third Antichrist (full-length) (1999)

Bloodhymns (full-length) (2002)

Grotesque: 

Ripped from the Cross (demo) (1988)

The Black Gate is Closed (demo) (1989)

In the Embrace of Evil (demo) (1989)

Rehearsal (demo) (1989)

Incantation EP (1990)

In the Embrace of Evil (compilation) (1996)

Unanimated:

Rehearsal (demo) (1990)

Fire Storm (demo) (1991)

In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead (full-length) (1993)

Ancient God of Evil (full-length) (1995)

Acheron:

Messe Noir (demo) (1988)

Live Rehearsal (demo) (1989)

Rites of the Black Mass (demo) (1991)

Rites of the Black Mass (full-length) (1992)

Lex Talionis (full-length) (1994)

Hail Victory (full-length) (1995)

Anti-God, Anti-Christ (full-length) (1996)

Next time: KAMPFAR

Treblinka

From the old school of black metal comes Täby, Sweden's TREBLINKA.  They are known primarily as being the band that evolved into Tiamat after slaving away in the underground for a few years.  Formed in 1987, Treblinka played a pretty straightforward old-school black metal (unlike the atmospheric blackened gothic metal of Tiamat).  Their first demo, 1988's Crawling in Vomits, testifies to this fact.

"Earwigs in Your Veins" is from their first demo

Their second demo was 1989's Sign of the Pentagram.  It continued the old-school black metal style of the first demo.  In the same year, Treblinka put out their first proper studio release as well.  Entitled Severe Abominations, this EP would be the last actual release before the band changed names to Tiamat the next year.

 "Necrophagious Shadows" is from the Sign of the Pentagram demo

Before (sort of) disbanding and re-forming as Tiamat, Treblinka did manage to record the material for a full-length album.  This is what would go on to become Tiamat's first studio release, 1990's Sumerian Cry.

The title track off of the Severe Abominations EP

On Sumerian Cry, Tiamat/Treblinka began to show the influence of the emerging Swedish death metal scene.  Tiamat didn't continue in this style very long before starting to expand their sound.  They began moving away from black/death metal entirely, and after a few years were a doom/gothic-influenced band that was straddling the line between rock and metal.  To be honest, I haven't heard anything of theirs since 1997's A Deeper Kind of Slumber, and that was boring to me.  But as a little 'post-script' to this entry, here is a Tiamat song off of Sumerian Cry:

Select Discography:

Crawling in Vomits (demo) (1988)

The Sign of the Pentagram (demo) (1989)

Severe Abominations EP (1989)

Next time:  SAMAEL