Poccolus, Nahash, and the beginnings of Lithuanian black metal

A picture of Poccolus from the mid-90s

As influential black metal took the world by storm, bands began to emerge in the unlikeliest of places. Additionally, world events helped the process along. When the Soviet Union and Eastern European communism collapsed, black metal sprang up soon thereafter. The Baltic states illustrate my point.

Within a few years of the collapse of the USSR, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia all developed thriving scenes. Of those three nations, Lithuania's scene proved the most fruitful. The band at the head of the pack is the old-school black/thrash band NEMESIS, from the city of Kaunas. Nemesis formed in 1991.

While they never produced any official releases (only rehearsals, with only one of them ever seeing the light of day as a demo), this band is where various metal musicians cut their teeth (much like Old Funeral and Thou Shalt Suffer in the Norwegian scene). As a result, when the band broke up in early 1993, the members went on to form such bands as POCCOLUS and NAHASH.

Poccolus started as a more traditional old-school black metal band, releasing a demo in 1993. This was followed by the Kingdom of Poccolus demo in '94. By this time, the world metal scene was turning their attention to Lithuania and recognizing that brilliant black metal could come from anywhere.

"Rudens Miško Šnabždesiai" is from Poccolus's self-titled

Poccolus's only full-length studio album was their self-titled album, released in 1996. By the time of the recording and release of their self-titled, pagan and folk influences had begun to show up in their black metal The music and rhythms of Lithuanian culture had shaped their black metal.

Poccolus didn't last much beyond their one full-length album. A live split album was released in 1997, but when Poccolus began to write and record songs for a planned second album, musical differences led to a break-up.

This is "Wellone Aeternitas II" from Nahash's album of the same name

Nahash--the other band to emerge from the ashes of Nemesis--was a band that began under the influence of black metal (like Bathory and Darkthrone). While they never morphed into pagan metal, they created a black metal style that helped put Lithuania on the map.

After an appearance on the legendary compilation Dark Fire Dancing with other Lithuanian bands in '94, they put out the demo Nocticula Hecate. On this demo, you can hear that the typical stylistic elements of Scandinavian black metal are present, but with a unique twist.

Nahash performing live

After that demo, Nahash released their magnum opus: the 1996 studio album Wellone Aeternitas. A more refined black metal than the demo, the influence of the Norwegians was present. At the same time, the band was not afraid to make it their own with a somewhat progressive approach to the music. Since that album, Nahash hasn't been very prolific. 

Another band that peaked around the same time as Nahash was ANUBI. Formed in 1992 by Skro and Renofer, it was with Lord Ominous's recruitment in 1993 that things really began to take shape. Lord Ominous brought an artistic and philosophical temperament to the creative process. This shaped Anubi's music in new and different ways.

Here is Anubi's demo Mirties Metafora

Drawing on Egyptian mythology but with a focus on death and mortality, Anubi had an almost experimental edge to their black metal. Lord Ominous's artistic background and philosophical training were clearly evident in their nonconformist approach. Simply listen to 1995's Mirties Metafora, above.

Their full-length album--1997's Kai pilnaties akis užmerks mirtis--was even more out there. Odd time signatures, dissonant sounds, unique rhythms were all present on this overlooked masterpiece of an album. It may very well be the rarest gem of Lithuanian black metal. 

"Mirtis" comes from that 1997 album

Anubi was an important chapter in Lithuanian black metal, and was poised to keep pushing the boundaries of the genre, but Lord Ominous unfortunately died in a boating accident in 2002. The band didn't last long after that. 

One final band from the era of classic Lithuanian black metal is OBTEST. Forming in 1992, the band cites genres ranging from traditional heavy metal to thrash to folk to black metal as their influences. On their early demos, the sound owes a lot to the harsh iciness of Norwegian black metal. Listen below:

This is the title track from the demo "Oldness Coming"

After those early demos, Obtest's sound continued evolving. By their first full-length album (1997's Tūkstantmetis), the song structures were less true black metal and more on the pagan side of the genre. Over time they moved further and further away from black metal into a pagan metal sound that resembled traditional heavy metal.

"Vilkalokiai" is from Obtest's debut studio album

By the late 90s, black metal had taken root in Lithuania in a big way. The above-mentioned bands laid the foundation for what extreme metal is today in that part of the world.

Selected discography of classic Lithuanian black metal:

Nemesis:

Black Spirituality (rehearsal demo) (1992)

Poccolus:

Demo 93 (demo) (1993)

Kingdom of Poccolus (demo) (1994)

Dark Fire Dancing (split album with Nahash, Anubi, Akys, Wejdas) (1994)

Poccolus (full-length album) (1996)

Live at Black Friday (live split album with Ha Lela and Skyforger) (1997)

Nahash:

Dark Fire Dancing (split album with Poccolus, Anubi, Akys, Wejdas) (1994)

Nocticula Hecate (demo) (1994)

Wellone Aeternitas (full-length) (1996)

Anubi:

God's Pantheon (demo) (1993)

Mastabos dvelksmas (demo) (1994)

Dark Fire Dancing (split album with Poccolus, Nahash, Akys, Wejdas) (1994)

Mirties metafora (demo) (1995)

Sutemus skambės 7" (1996)

Kai pilnaties akis užmerks mirtis (full-length) (1997)

Obtest:

Reh. Demo (demo tape) (1994)

Oldness Coming (demo) (1995)

Live at Poltergeist (video) (1995)

Prieš audrą (demo) (1995)

Tūkstantmetis (full-length) (1997)

Promo 98 (demo) (1998)

997 7" (1998)

Next time: MAYHEM RETURNS

Abigail

 

Heading back to the far east, let us talk about the Japanese black metal scene. In the tradition of great black/thrash like Sabbat, we have the ever-irreverent ABIGAIL. Taking their name from a King Diamond album and song, Tokyo's Abigail is primarily the brainchild of metal maniac Yasuyuki (who also goes by the name Barbatos).

Formed around 1991-92, Abigail originally played covers of bands like Venom, Mötorhead, and Slayer. Other than those bands, they cite as their influences older bands like Bathory, Sodom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, NME, and Bulldozer. Even on their early demos (a 1992 untitled demo and 1993's Blasphemy Night), their raw black/thrash bore the mark of those influences. Heck, two of the tracks on Blasphemy Night are covers (Sodom and Bathory).

Here is 1993's Blasphemy Night

In 1993 Abigail entered the studio to record their first official release. The result was 1994's Descending From a Blackend Sky, on Heretic Supremacist Records. A 7-inch, this EP showcases that raw, in-your-face black/thrash of their early years. Stylistically, it's got thrash metal structure, but with lo-fi second-wave black metal intensity. Check it out, below: 

And here's where things began to get interesting. In 1996, Abigail churned out their first full-length album, Intercourse & Lust, on Modern Invasion records. This began Abigail's obsession with sex. To them, part of the appeal of black metal was its transgression of so many social norms: its Satanism, its evil, its non-conformity, its lustiness. In fact, Yasuyuki has said in multiple interviews that he sometimes uses porn as inspiration. One interviewer has gone so far as to call them "the sluttiest band in black metal".

"Confound Eternal" comes from that first album

Since that first album, Abigail has been very prolific. EPs, 7-inches, live albums....Abigail has released it all. One reason for so many smaller releases and live albums is that, even by Yasuyuki's own admission, the band says yes to pretty much every offer from record labels.

2003's Forever Street Metal Bitch gives us this track, "Black Metal Thunder"

To this day, they are known for their raw, vicious black/thrash (even though they call their own music "street metal"). Fast, intense, and unapologetic, fans of well-executed black/thrash owe it to themselves to check out Abigail.

"Satanik Metal Fucking Hell" is off of 2005's Ultimate Unholy Death

2016's The Final Damnation gives us "Open the Gates of Hell"

(Very) Select Discography:

Demo (1992)

Blasphemy Night (demo) (1993)

Descending from a Blackend Sky EP (1994)

Abigail (split EP with Funeral Winds) (1995)

Intercourse & Lust (full-length)  (1996)

Confound Eternal 7" (1996)

Welcome All Hell Fuckers EP (2001)

Sexual Metal Holocaust 12" (split with Barbatos) (2002)

Forever Street Metal Bitch (full-length)  (2003)

Fucking Louder Than Hell (full-length)  (2004)

Ultimate Unholy Death (full-length) (2005)

Next time: GORGOROTH

Morbosidad

 

MORBOSIDAD, who formed in Oakland, California, despite the band members being from Mexico, is a raw and brutal band known for a style that blends elements of war metal and black/thrash. There has been some debate about when they formed, with the band insisting they didn't form until 1993, but Tomas Stench (the mastermind behind the band and the one constant in the band) realizing they had actually formed in 1991 after finding an old interview in a 'zine from that year!

Regardless, it wasn't until '93 that their first demo was released. Their follow up, 1994's Santísima Muerte, was what made the extreme metal underground sit up and take notice. Featuring a sound that was heavy on the death metal side, Morbosidad's lyrics were also noteworthy for being highly blasphemous, in the vein of Profanatica.

Here is the complete 1994 demo

Just as things were starting to take off, tragedy struck. Their drummer died in a freak explosion in 1995. The band was devastated, and put things on hold. They didn't return to making music until 1999.

When they returned on the scene with new material in 2000--including their self-titled full-length album--their sound was still primitive and raw and evil.  However, they were less death metal and more like what we now know as war metal. 

From their self-titled album, this is "Bestial y Morboso"

Morbosidad is nothing else if not consistent. They wear their influences--Sarcofago, Beherit, Blasphemy, Archgoat--on their sleeve.  Each release features that insane war metal style, with ultra-blasphemous lyrics in Spanish (because, according to Tomas Stench, "it gives our music a more primitive, evil, and blasphemous sound"). Even among American war metallers, very few bands sound like Morbosidad.

From their 2004 album, this is "Sangriento Sacrificio Cristiano"

Since their re-emergence in 1999, Morbosidad has consistently released brutal black/death brilliance on album after album. Even when drummer Goat Destroyer fell out of a window and died in 2009, the band soldiered on. In fact, they actually put out albums in his honor, including a split with Manticore.

"Poseido por el Diablo" comes from 2008's Profana la cruz del Nazareno

Select Discography:

Demo '93 (demo) (1993)

Santísima Muerte (demo) (1994)

Morbosidad (full-length album) (2000)

Bajo el egendro del crucificado EP (2002)

Cójete a Dios por el culo (full-length album) (2004)

Legiones bestiales EP (2006)

Profana la cruz del nazareno (full-length album) (2008)

Next time: MARDUK

Ammit

While Latin America was a hotbed of first wave black metal activity in the 1980s, the 1990s saw that situation change. Really crucial bands were few and far between. The major exceptions,  then, are worth taking note of. Santiago, Chile's AMMIT is definitely one such band.

Ammit initially formed as a one-man band in 1991--that one man being Count Czar Yang. The demo material recorded in the early years was material that was never intended to be heard or reviewed by the black metal press (such as zines). In terms of style, the early stuff was a more atmospheric approach to an old-school black metal sound. You can clearly hear the influence of 1980s black metal and black/thrash, but there is an almost mystical aura to the music. Check out the title track to 1992 demo Return of the Wizards, below:

This is "Return of the Wizards"

For years, Ammit was an underground phenomenon. One of the primary reasons Ammit remained so entrenched in the underground was the fact that the man behind the band--Count Czar Yang--refused to do interviews (even with zines) or promotional photo shoots. As a result, the band's output through most of the 1990s was demo material.

In 1998, however, Ammit finally released their first full-fledged studio album, Steel Inferno. By the time of this release (and its follow-up, 2000's Mass Suicide), Ammit had abandoned some of more eerie, atmospheric elements present on their early demos. Instead, their style was a raw, old-school style that resembled classic bands like Hellhammer, Sarcofago, and Venom.

Steel Inferno gives us this song, "Ritualistic Crime"

Their style is one that is not for everyone. It's raw, vicious, and fast. It has a crude production style that--to many black metal fans--feels out of place now that the genre has passed its 'growing pains' phase. That being said, this is black metal, and there is always a certain ugliness inherent in it.

Ammit, now having some full-length albums under their belt, was becoming more widely known outside of the darkest corners of the underground. Count Czar Yang has even gone so far as to do interviews with zines, and he recruited additional members to the band--making it a one-man band no more. Since Mass Suicide, Ammit has put out some really spectacular work. Albums like Extreme Speed Satan (2003) and Hammer of Darkness (2006) draw on the vilest, rawest, thrashiest corners of the black metal world. While not exactly a household name, Ammit is a band that continues to carry the torch for nasty old-school black metal, and, in their own way, can be seen to be part of the aggressive South American scene that was initiated by bands like Vulcano, Sarcofago, Holocausto, and Blasfemia.

"Las garras del mal" is from Hammer of Darkness

Here's a sample from 2009's Armageddon Cobra 

Select Discography: 

Return of the Wizards (demo) (1992)

Promotional Tape (demo) (1995)

The Demoniac Defloration (demo) (1996)

Steel Inferno (full-length album) (1998)

Mass Suicide (full-length album) (2000)

Extreme Speed Satan (full-length album) (2003)

Hammer of Darkness (full-length) (2006)

Armageddon Cobra (full-length album)  (2009)

Next time:  WINGED

Bestial Warlust

Australia is home to some legendary black metal bands of renown. Extreme bands like Hobbs Angel of Death and Slaughter Lord paved the way for the modern death and black metal scenes, and Sadistik Exekution and Anatomy laid the foundation for black metal bands to come. One group that rose through the ranks at roughly the same time as those bands was Melbourne's BESTIAL WARLUST.

Initially forming as Corpse Molestation in 1990, these Aussie madmen put their own unique spin on the tradition of adopting metal stage names. Instead of demon names or evil-sounding names, they took a more tongue-in-cheek approach and chose names like "K.K. Warslut" and "Marcus Hellcunt".

Check out their 1992 demo, Descension of a Darker Deity

In their few years as Corpse Molestation, they only ever released a handful of demos. Their sound can best be described as a brutal black metal with heavy death metal influences. It wouldn't be a stretch to compare it to say, Blasphemy or even Beherit.

But after achieving some moderate underground success, they decided to change their name. They felt they would get pigeon-holed as some kind of necrophilia-obsessed gore metal band, à la Cannibal Corpse, if they stuck with their original  name.

From 1994's Vengeance War 'til Death, this is "Storming Vengeance"

As the newly-renamed Bestial Warlust, they signed a multi-album deal with Modern Invasion Records. The result was two of the most important black metal albums in the history of the Australian scene.

"Barbaric Horde" comes from their second--and final--studio album, Blood & Valour

Listening to Sadistik Exekution's oeuvre and Bestial Warlust's two studio albums, one can hear the beginnings of what can be characterized as an 'Australian style' of black metal: chaotic thrash-style riffing; raw speed; ghastly, screamed vocals. This style is still evident today in some of Bestial Warlust's successor bands, like Deströyer 666 and Gospel of the Horns.

Select Discography:

as Corpse Molestation:

Rehearsal (demo) (1991)

Descension of a Darker Deity (demo) (1992)

Promo '93 (demo) (1993)

as Bestial Warlust:

Vengeance War 'Til Death (full-length)  (1994)

Blood & Valour (full-length)  (1995)

Next time: SACRAMENTUM

Nifelheim

Vocalist Hellbutcher of Nifelheim

One of the great things about black metal is its diversity of styles. The average metalhead thinks of classic Norwegian 1990s bands like Mayhem or Burzum when they hear the term "black metal," but any true fan of the genre will tell you it is so much more. One of the longest-running styles is black/thrash--whether old-school or more recent. The 1980s was filled with great bands like Sabbat, Vulcano, Bulldozer, and Necrodeath, as well as a host of obscure bands. And the subgenre is as vibrant as ever these days, with bands like Witchmaster, Bewitched, and old stalwarts like Desaster and Aura Noir running strong. One band that emerged at the end of the first wave of black metal and continues to carry the flag for old-school black/thrash is Sweden's NIFELHEIM.

Nifelheim was formed in 1990 in the town of Dals Långed (which is in the region near Gothenburg) by twin brothers Tyrant (bass) and Hellbutcher (vocals). They were joined by Demon on guitars and drums. Inspired by their obsessive love of Iron Maiden and other classic heavy metal bands, the founding twin brothers were only around 15 at the time. They have since admitted that they were in no hurry to put out demos or proper albums when they initially formed.

This is Nifelheim's 1993 demo Unholy Death

In 1993, after prodding from other members of the Swedish scene (including Dissection's Jon Nodtveidt), they released the demo Unholy Death. This demo encapsulates Nifelheim's sound perfectly. They have not radically changed it in the years since the early 1990s: it's a very old-school leaning, riff-oriented black/thrash that has a classic feel to it.

The release of this demo had helped turn Nifelheim's underground reputation into a reality. The circulation of this demo further solidified the band's standing in the then-burgeoning Swedish scene. However, at a time when more traditional black metal dominated, Nifelheim's black/thrash was a standout in the pack.

"Possessed by Evil" is off of their self-titled album

Nifelheim was able to continue the momentum they had built with their demo and record a full-length album. Continuing to display their influences--from Sabbat and Vulcano to Bathory and Venom--1994's Nifelheim is rightfully considered a modern black/thrash masterpiece. This was a well-received album, but was overshadowed by the goings-on in the black metal mainstream (Norway's Inner Circle, for example). I think it's fair to say that Nifelheim never got the press they deserved, even when they were doing some of their best work.

Nifelheim is putting out quality work to this day, and they followed up their self-titled with releases like 1997's Devil's Force and 2000's Servants of Darkness. One of the issues that has plagued the band, however, is personnel issues. Tyrant and Hellbutcher always had trouble filling the other slots in the band because they had such high standards (one guitarist got kicked out for having a girlfriend, for example). That being said, the Gustavsson twins will always be the core of the band, and their love for the old school will probably never die.

"The Final Slaughter" is off of 1997's Devil's Force

2000's Servants of Darkness gave us this track, "Bestial Avenger"

Select Discography:

Unholy Death (demo) (1993)

Nifelheim (full-length) (1994)

Devil's Force (full-length) (1997)

Servants of Darkness (full-length) (2000)

Envoy of Lucifer (full-length) (2007)

Next Time: CRUCIFIER

Desaster

Of all of the various black metal bands that arose in Germany in the 1980s, perhaps none have been as important as DESASTER, from the Rhineland-Palatinate area. Taking their name from the Destruction song "Total Desaster," they formed in 1988. For the next two years they toiled in the underground and managed to record a few rehearsals, very few of which have seen the light of day. The goal of the band, according to founding member Infernal in a later interview, was to emulate bands who were "totally possessed by the magic metallic spirit"--bands like Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Destruction, Sodom, Mercyful Fate, and Bathory. After a live gig in 1989 (which Infernal has characterized as a "total Desaster"--pun intended), the band split up in 1990.

In 1992, Infernal recruited some fellow heavy metal maniacs and re-started Desaster. Among those in this new line-up was Okkulto, who would remain their longtime vocalist, and Odin, who is still their bassist to this day. It was in these early years that Desaster began putting out actual releases. Their Fog of Avalon (1993) and Lost in the Ages (1994) demos were very well received in the metal underground, and circulated widely.

This is the complete Fog of Avalon demo

Desaster's sound has always been about strong, quality black/thrash. From the outset, they wanted to pay homage to the old school. That much is evident on every release they've ever put out. Their sound caught the ear of many record labels, and they signed with Merciless Records. Their first release on Merciless was a split 7" with fellow Germans Ungod. After this, they put out their first full-length studio album, 1996's A Touch of Medieval Darkness.

"In a Winter Battle" comes from that first album

Desaster's sound on Medieval Darkness can definitely be characterized as a blistering, no-holds-barred black/thrash. It's a very riff-oriented style that clearly draws on Venom and Sodom. Over the next several years, with Okkulto still on vocals, they put out two more studio albums (1998's Hellfire's Dominion and 2000's Tyrants of the Netherworld), several EP's and splits, and a 10-year anniversary release.

It was in 2001 that the next big change came for Desaster. Vocalist Okkulto parted ways with the band, and they acquired vocalist Sataniac. Musically, Desaster still played the same old-school inspired black/thrash, but there was a clear difference in vocalists. Okkulto's style could be characterized as more of a black metal style: raspy, raw, and evil. Sataniac's style was more of a traditional old-school thrash metal growl.

I think the opening to "In the Ban of Satan's Sorcery" is one of their best

"Nekropolis Karthago" is trademark Desaster!

In the Sataniac era, Desaster also toured to new places they had never toured before, including all over South America. This was also a time that saw them change record labels from Merciless to Iron Pegasus, and eventually to Metal Blade as their star continued to rise. As black/thrash has made a comeback in the last few years, Desaster has still remained dedicated to the old school.

From 2007's Satan's Soldiers Syndicate, "Razor Ritual" highlights the difference in vocal styles

And from a more recent album--2016's The Oath of an Iron Ritual--this is "Damnatio ad Bestias"

Select Discography:

The Evil Dead Will Rise Again (rehearsal) (1989)  
The Fog of Avalon (demo) (1993)
Lost in the Ages (demo) (1994)
The Hill of a Thousand Souls 7" (split with Ungod) (1995)
A Touch of Medieval Darkness (full-length) (1996)
Hellfire's Dominion (full-length) (1998)
Tyrants of the Netherworld (full-length) (2000)
Divine Blasphemies (full-length) (2002)
Angelwhore (full-length) (2005)
Satan's Soldier's Syndicate (full-length) (2007)
The Arts of Destruction (full-length) (2012)
The Oath of an Iron Ritual (full-length) (2016)

Next Time: OPHTHALAMIA

Martyrium and the Early German Black Metal Scene

One of Germany's oldest black metal bands that straddles the line between first and second wave black metal is Osnabruck's MARTYRIUM.  Formed in 1989 in what was then West Germany, Martyrium released a few demos before their one very noteworthy studio album.  After 1992's Invocation of Maat rehearsal, they put out the demos Through the Aeon and Arcanum de Via Occulta.

From the Through the Aeon demo, this is "Invocation of Maat"

The sound on their demos is very raw, but it definitely hearkens back to the old-school, with its mix of atmosphere and intensity.  Their one full-length album, 1994's L.V.X. Occulta, was a definite refinement and improvement over the demos.  Their use of synths to add atmosphere--while still structuring their songs around raging black metal riffs --is certainly one of the things that set them apart.  However, that being said, I think Martyrium's material definitely sounds dated.  They broke up in 1995 and some of their members went on to form Secrets of the Moon.

This is "A Living Ba," from 1994's L.V.X. Occulta

Select Discography:
Invocation of Maat (rehearsal) (1992)
Through the Aeon (demo) (1992)
Arcanum de via occulta (demo) (1993)
L.V.X. Occulta (full-length) (1994)

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Other than Martyrium, the 1980s saw the formation of many other black metal bands in Germany.  Groups like Desaster, Eminenz, and Falkenbach are all important enough to merit their own posts later on, but there were a handful of noteworthy German groups that made enough of a mark on the underground that they deserve a mention here.

Old-school black/thrash being one of the dominant black metal sounds coming out of 1980s West Germany should come as no surprise to anyone, given that Sodom stands at the head of the pack.  The extreme old-school black/thrash hybrid that was evident on such early releases like Witching Metal and Victims of Death influenced many fellow countrymen.  One such band was the band with one of the simplest names of all---HELL. Rumored to feature members of Destruction, Hell's style was chaotic and unrelenting black/thrash at its most raw.  They only ever put out one demo: 1985's Satanic Death.

Hell's Satanic Death demo in full

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One band that formed around the same time as Sodom (and was even from the same area of Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia) was the band with one of the coolest names ever, SEMEN OF SATAN.  Another undergound black/thrash band, Semen of Satan only ever put out one untitled demo in 1984.  Here is a sampling of their sound:

In its entirety, here is their untitled 1984 demo

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Another band known for their demos in the 1980s was Mainz's ANTICHRIST.  An old-school black metal band that had elements of speed and thrash metal in their sound, Antichrist had a real DIY ethos that reminds the listener of 1970s punk and early heavy metal.  Their most noteworthy releases were the demos Slaughter in Hell(1983)and Horror Awakes(1986).  After breaking up in 1986, they actually reformed in 2003 and have put out newer material since.

"Death Life of Eternity" is off of Slaughter in Hell

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Moving forward a few years in time, the later 1980s saw the formation of some bands that had an impact on the 1990s scene in German black metal.  From the Brandenburg state in eastern Germany, SICKNESS was a band that churned out several demos and albums in the early nineties.  Their style is a particularly aggressive black/death, as can be heard on releases like the demos Final Result (1992), Excess (1993), XXX (1993), and Endzeit (1994).  The only full-length studio they put out was 1995's Verbrannte Erde.

From the 1993 demo XXX, here is "Rites".

And off of their full-length album, this is "Lost in Thought"

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Lastly, I want to mention two additional bands that made an impact on the German scene.  DARK SHADES, hailing from Leipzig, formed in 1989 and never signed with any record labels.  Their major releases are 1993's Necromancy and 1999's Hymnen an die Dunkelheit.  Their sound is a melodic kind of black/death that uses synths for effect.  I couldn't find anything by them on Youtube except for one instrumental track that was basically a keyboard-heavy filler piece.  I'll keep looking.

The last band I want to highlight from the earlier years of the German scene is DISSECTION.  Another band from North Rhine-Westphalia, Dissection played a black/death hybrid that is actually reminiscent of some of the Swedish bands from the late 1980s and early 1990s.  They released two demos, 1990's Maniac Depression and 1992's Unrecognizable Human Form, before changing their name to Tsatthoggua in 1993.

"I Spit on Your Grave" is from their 1992 demo

Next time: BAL-SAGOTH

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

Schizo, Death SS, and Italy's early black metal underground

In 1980s Italy, it wasn't just Necrodeath and Bulldozer making waves with raw black/thrash.  The Sicilian band SCHIZO was also becoming known for blackened thrash in the old-school vein.  Formed in 1984 in the city of Catania, their style leaned a little more toward heavy thrash than did those other two giants of Italian black/thrash.  But make no mistake, it was still an old school black/thrash.

Off of the 1986 demo Total Schizophrenia

With demos such as 1985's Thrash the Unthrashable - Thrash to Kill!, 1986's Total Schizophrenia, and 1987's Main Frame Collapse, Schizo's black/thrash sound spread far and wide in the metal underground.  Then in 1989, they released the cult album Main Frame Collapse (not the same as the demo, obviously).

From 1989's Main Frame Collapse

Schizo continued releasing albums into the 1990s, but (inexplicably) never really became as widely known as Necrodeath.  They are still around to this day, putting out albums.  Their most recent, 2010's Hallucinating Cramps, is more straightforward thrash (think later Sodom or Destruction) than black/thrash.

Select Discography

Thrash the Unthrashable - Thrash to Kill!!! (demo) (1985)

Rehearsal (demo) (1986)

Total Schizophrenia (demo) (1987)

Main Frame Collapse (demo) (1987)

Main Frame Collapse (full-length album)  (1989)

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Pescara's REQUIEM started out as an occult-obsessed blackened/doom metal band before gradually becoming a progressive-sounding doom metal band.  They put out some very hard to find demos--1986's Nunc et Semper and 1987's Per Aspera--before releasing studio albums such as 1988's Ex Voto EP and 1990's Via Crucis.  By the time of those albums, the shift away from black metal was very noticeable.  The band broke up in 1995, with some members going on to form the doom metal band The Black.

This is off of the 1986 demo, Nunc et Semper

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The Hellhammer-influenced BLACK PROPHECIES formed in 1988.  Coming from the area near Genoa, their style was really raw and primitive.  Their first demo, 1988's Azathoth, was really vile-sounding with awful production--in other words, perfect visceral old-school black metal.  After that initial demo, they only put out two other demos before breaking up.

"Mass of the Undead" is from their first demo

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While Italy's scene in the 1980s had other noteworthy bands--like INFERNALIA, CENOTAPH, POSTRIBULUM, and FUNERAL ORATION--there have been a few old-school black metal bands that went on to international renown.  I will make separate entries for bands like Opera IX, Winged, and Sinoath at a later date.  But as a final note on this entry on the early Italian scene, I have to mention DEATH SS.  They're one of those bands that is definitely extreme metal, but don't really fall into one genre or another.

Death SS--from the city of Pesaro--formed in 1977.  They performed a brand of music that might properly be called occult-themed horror metal.  With their early releases (1981's Horned God of the Witches demo, 1982's "Zombie/Terror" and "Night of the Witch" singles, 1983's "Profanation" single, and the 1983 Evil Metal EP), one can hear the influence of all the heavy metal and hard rock pioneers of the seventies like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Kiss, and Alice Cooper.  Their methodical, almost doom-like music featured a raw guitar sound, and vocals that were primal yet not screeched.

The demo track "Terror" from 1981

The band members adopted stage names that were drawn from horror and the occult, such as The Death, The Vampire, The Mummy, The Zombie, and The Werewolf.  Their lyrical content was--not surprisingly--heavy on evil, Satanism, the occult, and horror movies.  Some of the members were actual Crowleyans (members of OTO), and this clearly influenced their song-writing.

"Chains of Death" is from their 1983 EP, Evil Metal

To my mind, the sound of Death SS changed somewhat with their first two proper studio albums.  On 1988's In Death of Steve Sylvester and (to a greater degree) on 1989's Black Mass, their sound became less steeped in the seventies styles of the above-mentioned bands, and began to resemble the extreme metal sounds of the 1980s, like speed and thrash metal.  In this regard, one could consider these two albums (especially Black Mass) important releases in the history of old-school black metal.  In the 1990s, Death SS shifted styles away from an old-school occult/black/speed metal to something with a heavy electronic/industrial feel to it.

From the outstanding album, 1989's Black Mass

Select Discography

The Horned God of the Witches (demo) (1981)

"Zombie/Terror" (single) (1982)

"Night of the Witch" (single) (1982)

"Profanation" (single) (1983)

Evil Metal EP (1983)

The Story of Death SS Vol. 2 (demo/compilation) (1987)

In Death of Steve Sylvester (full-length album)  (1988)

Black Mass  (full-length album)  (1989)

Next time: ROOT

Necrodeath

Genoa, Italy's NECRODEATH is an old-school black/thrash band that has proved highly influential.  Their initial releases in the 1980s (before breaking up and then re-forming in 1999) contain that extreme black/thrash sound that clearly draws on Venom, but is more reminiscent of Sabbat, early Sodom, and fellow countrymen Bulldozer.

They formed in 1984 under the moniker Ghostrider, and released a demo under that name before changing their name to Necrodeath the following year.  That same year, they put out their first demo as Necrodeath, entitled The Shining Pentagram.  It is a raw slab of primitive old-school black/thrash.

This is "Necro-Thrashing Death" off of their demo

In 1987, they put out what is now a classic, the album Into the Macabre.  It continues in the same vein as the demo, with strong black/thrash.  The production is obviously improved over the demo, but still maintains that raw edge that black metal needs.  Looking back on earlier posts, I'm seeing that 1987 was an amazing year for 1980s black metal: Bathory, Sarcofago, Mayhem, Poison, Holocausto, and now Necrodeath all put out important releases that year.

From that first album, here is "Necrosadist"

Their next album, 1989's Fragments of Insanity, cleaned up the production a little bit, thus giving it more of an extreme thrash feel to it than an old-school black metal sound.  That being said, it is still clearly in the black/thrash camp and holds up well next to modern bands like Aura Noir and Bewitched.  Not too long after the release of Insanity, Necrodeath broke up.

The title track from 1989's Fragments of Insanity

Luckily for metal fans everywhere, Necrodeath got back together in 1999.  They have been releasing albums ever since the re-formation, but the newer albums seem to lack some of that rawness of the early material.  It's still better than the majority of crap out there passing itself off as 'metal,' but it's got stronger and cleaner production, and black metal's edges are supposed to be dirty and unpolished.  To be honest, their style since reforming reminds me of a slightly more aggressive Sodom.

From the 1999 reunion album, Mater of All Evil

Select Discography:

as Ghostrider

The Exorcist (demo) (1984)

Mayhemic Destruction (demo) (1985)

as Necrodeath
The Shining Pentagram (demo) (1985)
Into the Macabre (full-length) (1987)
Fragments of Insanity (full-length) (1989)

Next time: MASTER'S HAMMER

Flames

FLAMES is to Greece what Kat was to Poland:  both extreme metal bands with a kind of old-school black/death/thrash style who paved the way for their current scenes (and both Greece and Poland have truly thriving black metal scenes).  Their style, like Kat's, is really strong thrash with black/death overtones.  Similarly, their lyrical content is obsessed with death, murder, and Satan.

This is "Made in Hell" off of the album of the same name

Flames formed in Athens in 1984, and released their first album in 1985--Made in Hell.  This is an album that has that great old-school thrash feel to it, with evil atmosphere slightly reminiscent of early Slayer and even Venom.  After Made in Hell, Flames put out Merciless Slaughter in 1986, an album which was more aggressive and had much better vocals.

"Beloved Dead" is from 1986's Merciless Slaughter

Flames seems to have gotten a little more aggressive, a little more evil-sounding with each release in those early years.  I honestly think 1988's Summon the Dead is more blackened sounding than the previously two albums.  Fans of modern black/thrash would probably enjoy it very much.

Title track from 1988's Summon the Dead

The primitive vocals of Flames is one of the things that really makes their songs so effectively evil-sounding.  On Summon the Dead (and 1989's follow-up, Last Prophecy) Flames makes such an effort to have really evil, vile-sounding vocals that it makes their efforts stand out.  They continued to release albums into the 1990s, and I think they're still together.

Select Discography:

Made in Hell (full-length) (1985)

Merciless Slaughter (full-length) (1986)

Summon the Dead (full-length) (1988)
Last Prophecy (full-length) (1989)

Next time: NECRODEATH