In this section you can download mp3 files of Sympho Black Death Metal band TVANGESTE.
Please note: all tracks are for evaluation.
World Chaos Prod. / Japan is a respective owner of all songs listed below.
Intro
Raven
(Under the Raven's Black Wings)
Birth of the Hero
Fire in our Hearts
Perkuno's Flame
Godless Freedom
Storm
Tears will wash off the Blood from my Sword
Black metal
Stylistic origins: Thrash metal, Heavy metal
Cultural origins: Europe, especially Scandinavia
Late 1980s
Typical instruments: Guitar - Bass guitar - Drums Keyboard
Mainstream popularity: Underground.
Subgenres
NSBM, Symphonic Black metal Viking Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Post-black
Fusion genres
Folk metal, Melodic black metal, Blackened thrash metal, Blackened death metal
Other topics
Blast beat - Extreme metal
Black metal started in the early 1980s with bands such as Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, and Celtic Frost. The second wave of Black metal started in the later 1980s/early 1990s, primarily in Norway, but by this time this essentially Scandinavian (mainly Norwegian) movement, had garnered criticism from mainstream media. Black metal supposedly embraced anti-Christianity, misanthropy, nihilism, as well as seldom-purported racism and nationalism. In actuality most Black metal musicians view their craft as a natural result of their inherent misanthropy and anti-establishmentarianism; the plain truth of the matter is that the majority of those involved in the scene are not outspoken with regard to either nationalism or xenophobia (these values are almost exclusive to the sub-genre of National Socialist black metal), perhaps because standard Black metal ideology is influenced by anti-idealist philosophers who often regarded racism as a form of idealism or philanthropy. More generally, most Black metal musicians are strongly anti-collectivist, critics of religion and are advocates of individualism and rational egoism, but Christian Black metal and again Nationalist Socialist Black metal are an exception to this case.
Contents
1 Characteristics
2 The First Wave
3 The Second Wave
4 History
5 Developments
5.1 National Socialist Black metal
6 See also
7 Literature
8 External links
Characteristics
Black metal can display, but is not limited to, the following characteristics:
Fast guitars with tremolo picking
Double bass, blast beat, and D-beat drumming
Standard tuned guitars (In contrast to death metal which is typically down-tuned.)
Lyrics that take the form of Satanic, Pagan, or occult themes which blaspheme Christianity.
Lyrics that celebrate the cold, darkness, forests, and other natural surroundings of northern European countries, reflecting modern black metal's origins in Scandinavia.
Increasingly lyrics are being penned with themes of war, misanthropy, and desolation, sometimes apocalyptic, whose causes are rooted in human nature and actions.
Relatively thin guitar sound or relatively thick guitar sound—usually not in the middle.
Limited production used intentionally as a statement against mainstream music and/or to reflect the mood of the music by creating a certain atmosphere. This 'underproduced' effect is often achieved by cutting out low and high frequencies, leaving just the mid frequency range. It is often said that this was due to a low budget, but this often wasn't the case. This production style is often considered an essential element of "true" black metal.
Fast, repetitive, aggressive drums, often with blast beats. At other times, the drums can take a slower role usually accompanied by a very dry and empty tone—especially for the effect of the atmosphere of the music. On occasion, some groups such as Burzum and Xasthur will dispense with drums altogether in certain song segments.
Occasional electronic keyboard use. The harpsichord, violin, organ, and choir settings are most common, which gives the music an orchestral feel or a cathedral-like setting. Some bands tend to use keyboards very frequently, whether it be as an instrument or even as the basis of their entire sound. They are generally placed under the symphonic Black metal label.
A distinct "rasped" vocal style, a very guttural rasp, which is reminiscent of a torture. This is basically standard in every black metal, though there are exceptions, such as Primordial, who are still classed Black metal without the rasp vocal. Some bands, particularly symphonic Black metal bands, incorporate clean vocals, usually of a male choir sound, though this is used for atmospheric purposes.
Cold, dark, sad, melancholy, reflective, tragic, meditative, or gloomy atmosphere.
Unconventional song structures that are devoid of verse and chorus segments, and contain extended and repetitive instrumental passages, with less use of vocals than other styles of metal.
Less focus on dynamic rhythm than death metal. Very few Black metal bands exhibit the rhythmic complexity inherent in death metal, and even if they do, they usually exhibit at least a few of the above-listed criteria if they are still generally classified as black metal.
Many Black metal musicians adopt a "neo-medieval" costume style that may include leather, spikes, bondage gear, archaic armor and weaponry, and facial corpse paint.
Many Black metal musicians choose to adopt stage names, typically patterned after occult and/or fantasy characters; however, this practice is not universal.
The First Wave
The seeds of Black metal were planted in the early 1980s, known as the "First Wave", the earliest inspiration being that of the British band Venom. Their debut full-length album, "Welcome To Hell" was released in 1981, and is a huge inspiration for the future Black metal scene (not to emerge for around a decade later), along with their 1982 follow-up, aptly titled Black metal (then a pun on the phrase Black Magic). The music was in many ways similar to the future Black metal music; the under-production, harsh music, and the vocals were relatively growly, similar to the future rasp of Black metal vocalists, though Venom took on a more NWOBHM/Thrash metal style, rather than the future sound. Venom's clothing style was also similar to that of the future Black metal bands; leather trousers, spiked wrist accessories etc. Venom's members also adopted pseudonyms, the original lineup being Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon.
Though a more direct insipiration would be that of the Swedish one-man band Bathory, lead by Quorthon (real name Thomas Forsberg). Early Bathory was pure black metal, with under-production, fast tempos, sketchy playing and a rasped vocal style. Bathory seemingly performed this completely out of the blue, the debut self-titled album and the second album The Return are perfect examples. Though Bathory later evolved into a very artistic Black metal band round the late-1980s, with Black metal music scattered with acoustic parts and Norse melodies, with Norse mythology-based lyrics. At this time, such classic songs as A Fine Day To Die were recorded, a song later to be covered by the symphonic Black metal band, Emperor. Quorthon was pronounced dead on June 7, 2004.
Other big influences include the Danish band Mercyful Fate and Swiss band Celtic Frost, both of which featured heavily occult themes, a huge factor of future black metal. King Diamond, Mercyful Fate's vocalist, however, provided the first corpsepaint-esque look, which would be used by many future Black metal bands. Mercyful Fate also provided a blasphemous image, which was also a largely influential factor for future black metal.
The Second Wave
Black metal congealed in its current form (known as the second wave of black metal, which is rooted much more heavily in classical musical theory) through the influence of Norwegian bands such as Darkthrone, Enslaved, Burzum, Satyricon, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Immortal, Emperor, and Dimmu Borgir, who began with the earlier style and introduced elements from mainstream heavy metal, classical music and popularised the style to a growing underground audience. Their influence is most apparent in the Satanic or pagan imagery, anti-Christian lyrics and occult themes. Dimmu Borgir played a major role in the Symphonic Black metal sound.
Cover of "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" by MayhemAn abraded, very low fidelity recording style is common in most black metal. Modern evolution of many of the older 'genre leading' bands have had a vast change in sound, and by many - and most of the times, even the band - are no longer considered black metal. Such examples include Mayhem's career that began mostly in the death/black roots, moved to almost pure black, then towards death again in their later career. Also, Behemoth who started off as Black metal but now play a hybrid of blackened death metal. Modern offshoots of this original Black metal sound have incorporated atmospheric elements using ambient guitar and keyboard passages such as organ sounds or other miscellaneous instruments.
A distinct (but not intrinsic) feature of Black metal is the use of corpse paint, a special kind of black and white make-up which was used to make the wearer look like a decomposing corpse or plague victim. Immortal referred to their make-up as "war paint", not carrying the same connotation as corpse paint. Another distinct feature of Black metal is the use of dark, Nordic or Satanic monikers pioneered by Venom (the original line up being Cronos, Mantas & Abbadon). Examples of this include Quorthon (Bathory), Euronymous (Mayhem) and Samoth (Emperor), to name a few.
Earlier bands tended to dwell on themes of fantasy, mythology, and folklore in their songs, as well as Satanism, darkness, evil, and so on as many of their direct musical and cultural roots included these topics.
History
One of the major influences, if not very musically similar, on the first Black metal bands were the English band Venom. Although Venom cannot be credited as the sole founders or even as the first true Black metal band they were a major influence and one of the first bands in to use Satanist and very dark lyrical themes in their music. So whilst Venom's musical style had more in common with thrash metal or NWOBHM it must be shown that they had a great influence on the first Black metal bands of the late 80's/early 90's.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, one of the most prominent figures of the Norwegian scene was Oystein Aarseth, better known as Euronymous, the guitarist in Mayhem. Bands such as the previously mentioned Venom became more into the Satanic vibes of the genre. The scene was deeply anti-Christian: it had a stated goal of removing the influence of Christianity and other non-Scandinavian religions from Norwegian culture and effecting a return to the nation's Norse roots. Viking Metal, an offshoot of Black metal that began with Bathory's album Blood Fire Death, is still heavily influenced by this philosophy and theme while most modern subgenres of Black metal have substanially drifted from this mindset. One minority current with Black metal at this time, associated with NSBM, included an element of unashamed anti-Semitism. The movement was largely directed by an 'Inner Circle', made up of Aarseth and a few close friends, from the basement of Aarseth's record store, Helvete (Hell). That location also housed a recording studio, where records were made by Mayhem and a number of other bands that were signed to Aarseth's independent label, Deathlike Silence Productions. Deathlike Silence's stated goal was to release records by bands "that incarnated evil in its most pure state."
Also around this time, there was a rash of arsons directed at Christian churches in Norway—many of the buildings were hundreds of years old, and widely regarded as important historical landmarks—that Aarseth's circle claimed responsibility for inspiring, if not necessarily perpetrating. The most notable church was Norway's Fantoft stave church, which the police believed was burned by a member of Euronymous's inner circle; the man behind the one-man band Burzum, Varg Vikernes, aka "Count Grishnackh", but he was acquitted by the court. Vikernes also played bass guitar for Mayhem. Black metal enthusiasts also started to terrorize other notable "death metal" bands that were touring their country or in neighboring countries, on the basis of their lack of apparent "evilness". Many recall a strong Swedish death metal and Norwegian Black metal rivalry.
The Black metal scene gained some unsought mass media attention in 1991 when Mayhem's frontman Dead committed suicide by a shotgun blast to his head. His note simply read "Excuse all the blood". The ammunition was supplied by Varg Vikernes.
His body was discovered by Aarseth who, instead of calling the police, ran to a nearby convenience store and bought a disposable camera which he used to photograph the corpse for a future Mayhem album cover (Dawn of the Black Hearts). Apocryphal reports also claim that he then took some pieces of Dead's splattered brains and made a stew out of them and/or members of the band took bone fragments from their friend's skull and made necklaces out of them.
The 'Inner Circle' received even more exposure in 1993, when Vikernes killed Aarseth in Aarseth's home. Vikernes claims that Aarseth plotted to torture and kill him out of jealousy (Vikernes got more attention than Aarseth), and the murder was purely out of self-defence. The circumstances surrounding the reason for the murder are not entirely clear, but have mainly been attributed to ideological differences and a power struggle between Vikernes and Aarseth. Vikernes also claimed that there was a financial dispute over the profits from Burzum's first two full-length records (Burzum and Det Som Engang Var) as well as the first Burzum EP (Aske) that were released through Aarseth's record label, Deathlike Silence Records. Some sources say that Aarseth intentionally delayed the release of Burzum's records, because Burzum was getting more attention than Mayhem. Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison and has since distanced himself from the Black metal movement and has allegedly been involved in racist movements (many claim Vikernes is a Neo-Nazi - he claims not to be as his beliefs are different, especially his admiration of Slavic people - Burzum's site is also in Russian as well as English. http://www.burzum.org/eng/library/a_burzum_story07.shtml) Vikernes has released two albums of a much more ambient and electronic kind of music, Dau?i Baldrs in 1997 and Hli?skjalf in 1999, although he implied in a recent interview that he would write material similar to his older works upon his release from prison.
By the last few years of the 1990s, the Black metal scene had lost much of the violence that seemed to be attached to it in the early days of the scene. Also, bands begun to make records with higher production-quality.
However, since the mid-1990s, an Eastern European Black metal scene has been developing. Bands from the former Communist Bloc are recording material more in keeping with the primitive nature of the early Norwegian artists. Many of these bands' lyrics glorify the pagan roots of their home countries, occasionally injecting elements of indigenous folk music into their arrangements. The Latvian band Skyforger is a prime example of this new aesthetic. The Black metal scene in Russia and Ukraine has produced many bands more in keeping with the carefully arranged sounds coming from Scandinavia, but with more appreciation for the low fidelity aesthetic of early black metal. The Czech band Trollech are a perfect example of the "old-school" Pagan Black metal band. The Ukrainian neo-Nazi Nokturnal Mortum has achieved very large recognition in the west; their earlier albums relied heavily on synthesizers, but their current work has a grimmer, more abrasive feel flavored with Slavic folk instruments. Poland's neo-Nazi band Graveland has, in recent albums, striven for a 'medieval' feel, resembling a more developed version of later 'viking' Bathory albums, but in the past made much rawer music which still held a certain intangible folk flavor. From Romania, Negura Bunget is a prime example of traditional black metal, injecting their own indigenous mix of Dacian and Latin elements creating something original, along with a Scandinavian sound. Also notable are Serbian bands The Stone and May Result.
There is also a growing number of American bands playing Black metal (sometimes called USBM bands). This movement has not taken a particularly clear form, but notable groups are Judas Iscariot, Absu, Averse Sefira and the death metal-influenced Acheron.
Bands such as Dark Funeral and extreme metal magazines such as Terrorizer believe that a third wave of influential Black metal bands is emerging[citation needed], this time from France and Sweden. These include Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Arkhon Infaustus, Anorexia Nervosa, Antaeus and Ofermod. These bands all claim to be much more interested in Satanism and/or Occultism than previous artists[citation needed] and generally play a very raw extreme style. However, just as with the earlier second wave Norwegian bands they have started to experiment, Deathspell Omega are influenced by Gregorian chant and Blut Aus Nord now incorporate elements of ambient industrial.
Developments
National Socialist black metal
Main article: National Socialist black metal
A Black metal movement that deals with Neo-Nazi ideologies, often mixed in with topics pertaining to European pagan religions, National Socialist Black metal (NSBM) is more interpreted as an ideology than a sub-genre as there is not any developed "style" to play Black metal in a National Socialist way, however NSBM bands actually often tend to have crystal clear production, something very unlike the regular bands. However, the term has stuck around not only because there are traceable movements and labels that sell NSBM exclusively, but also because it is such a hotly debated topic; giving rise to questions like whether it does or does not coincide with traditional Black metal characteristics, or whether it should even be considered a subform as most Black metal bands do not adhere to the ideology. Some Black metal bands have been wrongly labelled NSBM, as there is little to no evidence in the bands lyrics to prove their ideologies.
LIST OF BLACK METAL BANDS
0-9
1349 (Norway)
A
Abigor (Austria)
Abomino Aetas (Norway)
Aborym (Italy)
Absu (USA)
Absurd (Germany)
Abruptum (Sweden)
Ad Hominem (France)
Aes Dana (France)
Agathodaimon (Germany)
Ajattara (Finland)
Akercocke (UK)
Akitsa (Canada)
Alastis (Switzerland)
Anaal Nathrakh (UK)
Ancient (Norway)
Ancient Rites (Belgium)
...And Oceans (Finland)
Anorexia Nervosa (France)
Antaeus (France)
Antestor (Norway)
Arckanum (Sweden)
Arkhon Infaustus (France)
Arthemesia (Finland)
Astrofaes (Ukraine)
Aura Noir (Norway)
Averse Sefira (USA)
Axis of Advance (Canada)
The Axis of Perdition (UK)
B
Baphomets Throne (Poland}
Baptism (Finland)
Barathrum (Finland)
Bathory (Sweden)
Behemoth (early albums) (Poland)
Beherit (Finland)
Behexen (Finland)
Belphegor (Austria)
Bethlehem (Germany}
Blasphemy (Canada)
Bloodaxe (Canada)
Bloodthorn (Norway)
Blut Aus Nord (France)
Borknagar (Norway)
Bulldozer (Italy)
Burzum (Norway)
C
Carpathian Forest (Norway)
Carpe Tenebrum (Australia)
Catamenia (Finland)
Celtic Frost (Switzerland) (early)
Ceremonial Embrace (Finland)
Choronzon (USA)
Clandestine Blaze (Finland)
Countess (Netherlands)
Cradle of Filth (England) (early albums only, debated)
Crebain (USA)
Crimson Moonlight (Sweden)
D
Daemonarch (Portugal)
Dark Funeral (Sweden)
Darkthrone (Norway)
Darkwoods My Betrothed (Finland)
Deathspell Omega (France)
Dekadent (Slovenia)
Demonic Resurrection (India)
Destroyer 666 (Australia)
Diabolical Masquerade (Norway)
Dimmu Borgir (Norway)
Dissection (Sweden)
Dissimulation (Lithuania)
Dodheimsgard (Norway)
Dragonlord (USA)
Drudkh (Ukraine)
E
Echoes of Silence
Eisregen (Germany)
Emperor (Norway)
Enslaved (Norway)
F
Fall Ov Serafim (Sweden)
Fleurety (Norway) (1st album only)
Funeral Fog (Canada)
G
Geasa (Ireland)
Goatwhore (USA)
God (Romania)
God Dethroned (Netherlands)
Godless (U.S.A.)
Gorelord (Norway)
Gorgoroth (Norway)
Graveland (Poland)
Graveworm (Italy)
H
Hades Almighty
Handful of Hate (Italy)
Hate Forest (Ukraine)
Hellacaust (Canada)
Horde (Australia)
Horna (Finland)
I
Ildjarn (Norway)
Immortal (Norway)
Impaled Nazarene (Finland)
Infernum (Poland)
In the Woods... (Norway) (demo and first album only)
J
Judas Iscariot (USA)
K
Keep Of Kalessin (Norway)
Khold (Norway)
Koldbrann (Norway)
Krieg (USA)
L
Leviathan (USA)
Lengsel (Norway)
Limbonic Art (Norway)
Lux Occulta (Poland)
M
Marduk (Sweden)
Master's Hammer (Czech Republic)
Mayhem (Norway)
Meads of Asphodel (UK)
Melechesh (Israel)
Mercyful Fate (Denmark)
Mezzerschmitt (Norway)
Moonblood (Germany)
Moonsorrow (Finland)
Mutiilation (France)
Mystic Circle (Germany)
Mystic Forest (France)
N
Naglfar (Sweden)
Nargaroth (Germany)
Nattefrost (Norway)
Negura Bunget (Romania)
Nifelheim (Sweden)
Noctifer (Italy)
Nokturnal Mortum (Ukraine)
O
Obtest (Lithuania)
Old Man's Child (Norway)
Oppressor (Poland)
P
Primordial (Ireland)
R
Ragnarok (Norway)
Rotting Christ (Greece)
S
Sabbat (Japan)
Sargeist (Finland)
Satyricon (Norway)
Samael (Switzerland) (early)
Satanic Warmaster (Finland)
Setherial (Sweden)
Shining (Sweden)
Sigh (Japan)
Sodom (old) (Germany)
Solefald (Norway)
Stormlord (Italy)
Summoning (Austria)
T
Taake (Norway)
Thorns (Norway)
Thus Defiled (UK)
Tormentor (Hungary)
Trollheim's Grott (Finland)
Troll (Norway)
Trollech (Czech Republic)
Tsjuder (Norway)
Thy Serpent (Finland)
Tvangeste (Prussia / Canada)
Twilight Ophera (Finland)
U
Ulver (Norway)
Urskumug (Latvia)
V
Ved Buens Ende (Norway)
Velvet Cacoon (USA)
Venom (UK)
Vesania (Poland)
Vintersorg (Sweden)
Vlad Tepes (France)
Von (USA)
Vreid (Norway)
Vuotare (USA)
W
Weakling (USA)
Winter of Apokalypse (USA)
Woods of Ypres (Canada)
X
Xasthur (USA)
Black Metal: A Brief Guide
by: Quentin Kalis
This is an article intended as a short yet informative guide for people who are generally familiar with metal but are largely unacquainted with black metal. At the end I have provided mini-reviews of what I consider to be the ten most influential and essential black metal albums.
Definition
The exact definition of "black metal" is a hotly contested subject: a quick perusal of the archives of any metal message board will reveal the extent to which even today it remains a hotly contested topic of debate. One can find entire threads dedicated to the question whether the new Satyricon and Enslaved can be considered black metal. Two main camps have emerged over the last few years:
1. One school of thought, which I will call the "Purist" view, claims that the term "black metal" refers only to underground acts (in this context a "mainstream black metal" act is one which is signed to one of the larger independents, such as Nuclear Blast or Candlelight). These underground acts tend to have a rawer and noticeably simpler style.
2. The second school of thought, which I call the "Inclusive" view, permits a wider definition which includes more mainstream acts, such as Emperor, and also bands such as Marduk, Dissection or Dimmu Borgir. These bands tend to have superior production values and are often more technical then their underground counterparts. These bands tend to be more melodic then their cruder sounding peers, and may also have a stronger focus on keyboards. Sometimes this categorisation becomes overbroad and Viking metal bands (such as Mithotyn or Einherjer) are lazily and erroneously considered as black metal. I have even heard Children of Bodom being called black metal, which is pushing the boundaries too far.
Black metal is notoriously hard to define, and vague, pretentious statements such as 'black metal is the nihilistic audio representation of all the misanthropic evil inherent in man' are unhelpful. But perhaps the following exposition, taking into account both of the viewpoints above, is the best:
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of metal characterised by snarled or shrieked vocals and raucous tremolo riffs. The bass tends to be, for all intents and purposes, non-existent. Production tends to be trebly and raw. Most bands adopt a relatively simplistic style, though some of the more mainstream acts (Emperor is a notable example) are more technical. Generally, technicality is frowned upon and soloing is infrequent and hardly ever used. A clearer, more discernible but atonal vocal style is often used, usually in conjunction with a harsher shrieking style. Keyboards are frequently adopted. Usage of folk, neoclassical and, to a lesser extent, ambient elements is frequent.
Unlike genres such as thrash or death metal, black metal has an underlying philosophy behind it, and no definition of black metal is complete without a consideration of its ideology. Lyrically, black metal bands are at the very least violently anti-Christian if not outright Satanists. It must be noted that the idea of Satanism is not cast in stone and ranges from a relatively medieval style of Satan worship through to the more intellectual strains of Anton LaVey's notorious Church of Satan. Some have adopted Asatru, the contemporary revival of the old Norse religion, as their spirituality of choice; and in recent years this has often been accompanied with a strong nationalist outlook. An overriding feature of almost all black metal is the fascination with the past: many black metal bands include anachronisms, such as the use of medieval-sounding melodies and instrumentation, posing in Middle Ages inspired clothing, or harping about a return to the ages long gone. The writings of Tolkien have exerted a great influence on black metal -- more so perhaps then the writings of Anton LaVey -- and this is reflected in the many names adopted from his mythical world (e.g. Gorgoroth, Burzum, Isengard). Although it is unclear as to how many bands have actually read "The Antichrist" by Nietzsche, his views on Christianity have found widespread acceptance.
The astute reader will have noted that I refer largely to tendencies rather than hard and fast rules. This is due to the musical diversity of black metal and the near-impossibility of constructing a definition that would incorporate albums as disparate as _Det Frysende Nordariket_ (Ildjarn), _Panzer Division Marduk_ (Marduk), _La Masquerade Infernale_ (Arcturus) and _With No Human Intervention _ (Aborym). Despite assertions to the contrary, black metal is an incredibly varied genre -- certainly more so than death metal.
The Origins of Black Metal
Although many believe that black metal started in Norway during the late Eighties / early Nineties, its true origin was much earlier. Many accept Venom as the first black metal band, and thus the band's debut album, _Welcome to Hell_, released in 1981, can be considered as the true genesis of black metal. Other notable albums from this period include Celtic Frost's _Morbid Tales_, Bathory's _Bathory_ and _Apocalyptic Raids_ by Hellhammer.
It should be noted that none of these acts were regarded as black metal in the beginning. On the eve of his sophomore effort, Bathory's Quorthon described his music as "heavy metal"; Celtic Frost have, depending on what you read, been described as being both thrash and death metal. Venom is firmly rooted in NWOBHM. Their music was described as being "black metal" well after the most influential black metal albums were released. It is a term which only became widely used with the rise of the second wave.
The second wave was constituted of Norwegian black metal, which started in the late Eighties and reached its peak between 1991 and 1994. Many of the most important albums were released in this period, including Mayhem's _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ and Darkthrone's _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_.
Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal and Mayhem are the most important and influential bands of the period. However, these bands were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the nascent Norwegian black metal scene, and contributions by bands such as Emperor, Thorns, Satyricon and Ulver, amongst many others, cannot pass by unnoticed.
Originally, the aim was to forge a return to what they considered to be the true death metal sound and was a reaction against what they perceived to be the commercialization of death metal. This 'true death metal sound' later became what is now known as black metal. Death metal bands in this period tended to perform in everyday clothes and appeared on stage in tracksuits and sneakers. This was unbearable for the likes of Euronymous, who adopted a more 'shocking' and 'anti-social' image.
The Norwegian acts spurred on the rise of black metal's third wave. The two most significant albums, both of which were instrumental in accelerating its spread and popularity, are Emperor's _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ and Cradle of Filth's _Dusk... and Her Embrace_.
Emperor was one of the original Norwegian bands, but it was their sophomore full-length that drew widespread interest and attention. _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ showcased an unprecedented degree of complexity and technicality. It was well received, and placed highly on virtually all "Best of 1997" lists.
Another noteworthy album was Cradle of Filth's seminal _Dusk... and Her Embrace_. Whether Cradle of Filth can be considered as black metal is one of the most highly debated topics, though it has subsided in recent years as Cradle of Filth have veered towards a more obvious commercial sound with each subsequent album. Whatever you may consider Cradle of Filth to be, there is no denying that impact that _DaHE_ has had on the scene, and its influence can be felt in many bands commonly considered to be black metal, such as the (early) works of Hecate Enthroned and Agathodaimon, which at times border on outright plagiarism. Even Ancient, who were part of the nascent Norwegian scene, were clearly influenced by Cradle of Filth on some of their later works.
Alongside Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth were to become one of black metal's crossover bands, gaining fans from the nu-metal / commercial (Pantera, Metallica) metal crowd as well as attention from the goth community.
Black metal was no longer confined to Scandinavia and bands started to emerge across the world, from countries as culturally diverse as Japan (Sigh), USA (Judas Iscariot) and the Czech Republic (Maniac Butcher). Scenes started to become established across the world. Perhaps the most significant scene was the "Legions Noires" or "Black Legions" of France, which gave birth to legendary bands such as the short-lived Vlad Tepes and Belketre. Although the Black Legions collectively only released a handful of ridiculously limited albums, they nevertheless had a huge impact on the development of black metal.
Some black metal bands became more experimental, and bands such as Arcturus, Sigh and later Solefald released albums that can be best described as black metal avant-garde. Bands such as Aborym and ...And Oceans borrowed from dance and EBM.
The third wave was further by its rapid increase in popularity within the underground (and by underground here I mean bands that are not signed to one of the major labels, such as EMI or Virgin) selling more albums than any other underground genre. Labels scrambled to sign black metal bands and a lot of unoriginal nonsense was released, but in the end the imitators and hangers-on either found some new ideas or disappeared. Black metal reached its apex in 1997, after which sales started to decline. Given the rapid increase in bands and its splintering into various scenes and subgenres, it is hard to select the most influential albums of this period. (As mentioned earlier, Emperor's _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ and Cradle of Filth's _Dusk... and Her Embrace_ are probably the most important albums in terms of influence from this period.)
The Future
The decline did in no way affect the progression of black metal, and only the most naive would believe that the relative loss of popularity of the genre would mean its demise. All the major labels have several black metal bands on their rosters, and many smaller labels (such as No Colours Records and Drakkar Productions) specialise almost exclusively in black metal.
A lot of would-be Nostradamuses predict that black metal with a strong electronic influence -- think Aborym or latter day Dodheimsgard -- will be the future of black metal. I've read predictions about that in respect to almost any rock and metal subgenre you could care to name -- and they have all been wrong! At best a new sub-genre will be established, but this will in no way supplant the more traditional forms. In addition, the widespread adoption of electronic elements in black metal is made unlikely by a strong and pervasive focus on the ancient past for a futuristic genre such as EBM or industrial to exert a noticeable influence on a significant number of bands. Nor are the above mentioned 'black metal avant-garde' acts such as Arcturus the future of black metal: some bands are simply too idiosyncratic for their basic style to be espoused by others.
The future of black metal is dependent on a fourth wave emerging. Most of the first wave are no longer active, and the Norwegian veterans have either broken up (Immortal, Emperor) or have changed their style to the point where it is debatable whether they can be considered black metal at all (Satyricon, Enslaved). Few notable bands have emerged from Norway since the mid-Nineties; clearly the impetus behind the fourth wave will originate elsewhere. Although various scenes have been established around the world, the one that I believe will be the force behind the impending fourth wave is the Eastern European scene. Already Poland's Graveland and the Ukraine's Nokturnal Mortum are probably the most popular acts amongst the black metal underground, and their names are familiar to many whose tastes are more mainstream.
Musically, there is a tendency towards a greater clarity in production as well as a more epic vibe with these bands, sometimes combined with a folk influence. The overt Satanic tendencies of their Norwegian counterparts have been abrogated in favour of a strong nationalistic slant, usually accompanied by a neo-Pagan spirituality.
However, the rise of Slavic black metal has been accompanied with a rise in National Socialist beliefs, which, although not exclusive to Eastern European bands, does appear to be most prevalent there. This is also a possible inhibiting factor preventing its widespread adoption -- the larger, more commercially orientated labels usually refuse to sign bands that are overtly racist, and the smaller labels simply do not have the funds to promote their bands as strongly as the bigger labels. In addition, some smaller labels such as Voices of Wonder refuse to sign National Socialist black metal (NSBM) bands. Even if they had the funds, many countries have hate speech laws, which inhibits more widespread promotion.
The reasons behind the adoption of National Socialism in black metal form a complex hydra-headed affair which can become the basis of a doctoral thesis, and I cannot possibly consider all of them here. However, it is worth noting that from the earliest days of the Norwegian scene, a strong nationalist creed was present -- and is still present. In addition, the line between racism and nationalism / patriotism is an extremely thin and perilous one: if one is strongly nationalistic, whereby one is proud of belonging to his origins and of belonging to a particular social group, then it is no great leap to start seeing other groups as inferior.
The 10 Most Influential Black Metal Albums
Criteria: The following albums were chosen because of the impact that they have had on successive bands. A fair amount of personal preference has also affected the bands chosen, and in a list this short it is sometimes the only way to make a choice between two bands who are arguably equally important. For example, can it be said that Satyricon are more influential than Thorns or Ulver? I have focused exclusively on the first and second waves of black metal. The reason for this is simple: these are the bands most often cited by current black metal bands as being their biggest influence. Ratings are not given, as I wouldn't mention them unless they were worth 10 out of 10. However, they are of more than historical interest and stand in their own right as classic black metal albums that should be in every fan's collection. If you don't have them, start saving!
Venom - _Black Metal_ (Neat Records, 1982)
Although relatively tame by today's standards, they certainly weren't when they released their debut back in 1981 -- at which time they were one of the first bands to explicitly and unambiguously espouse a Satanic outlook. The genesis of black metal was Venom's seminal debut _Welcome to Hell_. Any one of their first three albums could have been chosen, as they are all classics, but the reason _Black Metal_ was chosen was largely because it has the quintessential Venom song "Countess Bathory" -- as well as being the album that provided a name for the developing genre. Venom's simplistic, raw sounding and sloppily played songs were to be the blueprint from which all others would follow in one way or another. Although they superficially don't sound like most black metal bands, virtually all of the basic audio characteristics are present; the major difference lies in the vocals, which are sung in a clear and decipherable voice, having little in common with the shrieked vocal style of almost all black metal bands. Their Satanic aspect may have been a gimmick, and it may not have been. Either way, it ushered in one of the most potent metal subgenres.
Bathory - _Bathory_ (Black Mark, 1984)
Any of Bathory's first five albums can rightly be considered a classic and have collectively had the biggest impact on the development of black metal -- selecting just one as the most influential is an exercise in futility. The best option was to simply go back to the beginning where it all started: on his short and nasty self-titled debut. Most of the songs struggle to attain the three minute mark, the music is simple and sloppily performed and the lyrics are laughable. At another time and another place, this might have been seen as juvenile and doomed to obscurity. But the sheer uncompromising violence of the music -- which was pretty much unrivalled in 1984 -- meant that this album couldn't simply be dismissed. Like many other black metal classics, the end result was greater than the sum of its parts. Later albums would show considerable growth and progression, but none would replicate the 'take no prisoners' attitude and youthful aggression of _Bathory_.
Celtic Frost - _Morbid Tales_ (Noise, 1984)
It is significant that while Celtic Frost do not fit comfortably into either death, thrash or black metal, each genre has tried to claim Celtic Frost as one of their own. Their debut album was a relatively raw and simplistic affair, unburdened by the avant-garde accoutrements that would be experimented with at a later stage. The abrasive sound was probably due more to lack of funds than design, but would nonetheless serve as a blueprint for future bands. Their signature riffs have been much copied and their influence can be felt almost everywhere, in bands as diverse as Samael and Darkthrone. Their signature song, "Circle of the Tyrants", is probably the most covered song in extreme metal, with everyone from Obituary to Mystic Circle having a go at it. Although they were never one of the more technical bands, their unique and original sound, combined with a desire to experiment, meant that they would be remembered long after their demise.
Immortal - _Pure Holocaust_ (Osmose, 1993)
Immortal got off to an unpromising and noisy start with _Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism_, barely recognisable as an Immortal release in comparison to later efforts. But its successor _Pure Holocaust_ was an entirely different beast: gone were the death metal overtones, replaced with the characteristic cold production that came to be known as the Norse sound. _Pure Holocaust_ sounds less noisy than its predecessor, but infinitely more hateful, with more angry songs. Immortal are one of the more unique black metal bands both in terms of sound and appearance, thanks largely to Abbath's unique croak and grim frostbitten appearance. If it were any other band attempting this image, it would probably be extremely cheesy; but with Immortal it somehow just seems right.
Satyricon - _Dark Medieval Times_ (Moonfog, 1993)
_Dark Medieval Times_ is a noisy affair, drawing on folk music and the Middle Ages for inspiration -- a sharp contrast to the more urbane image Satyr is currently cultivating. The use of folk elements and the 'floating' guitar sound combine to create an incredibly atmospheric album. While the insubstantial sounding guitars may be considered a flaw by some, it provides the album with a unique sound largely unduplicated by the black metal community. Indeed without this sound, _DMT_ would lose a lot of its potent ambience. Along with Ulver, Satyricon were one of the first acts to utilise folk elements and were possibly the first 'trollish' bands. Many bands, such as Wyrd and Nokturnal Mortum, have since then successfully merged folk instrumentation and melodies with black metal.
Burzum - _Hvis Lyset Tar Oss_ (Misanthropy, 1994)
While _Hvis Lyset Tar Oss_ is superficially similar to its predecessors, the stronger song writing as well as the inclusion of the amazing "Det Som Engang Var" meant that this album stands out (albeit only slightly) from his other work. This album features all the Burzum trademarks, namely droning guitars and minimalist drumming, all accompanied by Vikernes' unique wail. _HLTO_ also features the obligatory ambient track, "Tomhet", which showcases Burzum's skill in creating ethereal ambient music, present throughout and an integral part of his black metal period, although sadly much ignored.
Darkthrone – _Transylvanian Hunger_ (Peaceville, 1994)
Fenriz and company took the basic black metal outline that they had helped pioneer on the amazing _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ and stripped it of any and all frills, resulting in a sparse, hateful album. The thin production later became known as the "necro’" sound. The raspy croak that passes for vox and the stripped down guitars are the very embodiment of black metal simplicity, while the practically non-existent production resulted in the bass being totally inaudible and the drums dissolving into an undifferentiated sludge. These are far from being negatives, as _Transylvanian Hunger_ embodied the very spirit of black metal and formed the seed from which it was to grow. Much imitated, but never equalled, _TH_ stands above almost all others.
Enslaved - _Vikingligr Veldi_ (Voices of Wonder, 1994)
Unlike most of their peers, Enslaved eschewed Satanism in favour of a neo-Pagan world view, focusing heavily on Norway's Viking heritage. Many bands would advocate similar ideas, but Enslaved were probably the first to do so (barring Bathory's Viking era material). _Vikingligr Veldi_ is a delightfully lengthy and repetitive affair, utilising the same cold Norse production as Immortal's _Pure Holocaust_. But instead of playing furious black metal, a greater emphasis is placed on creating atmosphere, inducing an almost trance-like state in the listener. Like all other albums mentioned here it is a unique album, yet it feels necessary to draw attention to this fact here, as it tends to be in the shadow of most of the other bands / albums mentioned in this section.
Emperor - _In the Nightside Eclipse_ (Candlelight, 1994)
One could not imagine a more suitable name for the creative entity centred around the duo of Samoth and Ihsahn, as at the time of their premature demise they were the undisputed lords of black metal. Although it was _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ that brought them widespread acclaim, _In the Nightside Eclipse_ ensured that they already could be considered as one of black metal elite. Emperor fortunately dropped the fuzzy guitar sound of the _Emperor_ EP in favour of a more focused and infinitely more intense sound. Although the lyrics are inferior to those on _AttWaD_, they were nonetheless already superior to those produced by the vast majority of their contemporaries. While they were not the first black metal act to use keyboards, they were probably the first to adopt a more majestic and -- pun unintended -- imperial sound, and helped pave the way for the more melodic and symphonic black metal acts.
Mayhem - _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ (Deathlike Silence Productions / Century Black, 1994)
This album was the result of a mixture of chance, luck, skill and talent. Dead's suicide resulted in the recruitment of Attila (Tormentor) for session vocals, whose unique, weird vocals provided the perfect backdrop to Euronymous' furious riffs. While Euronymous' guitar style was widely influential, Attila's unorthodox vocals didn't exactly set the scene ablaze. The bass (performed by Varg Vikernes or Hellhammer, depending on which story you choose to believe) is unusually prominent and sounds particularly ominous on tracks such as "Pagan Fears" and "Life Eternal". The drumming is impeccable, provided by black metal's best drummer, Hellhammer. All of these factors combined to form one of the definitive black metal albums, one which remains a classic ten years after its first release. This album also proved to be the albatross around Mayhem's collective necks, as while it was massive progression from their primitive death metal roots, such was the import of this album that all of their subsequent work was doomed to be in its shadow, irrespective of the quality.
Concluding Thoughts
It will be interesting to see what the next few years will bring to black metal. As I mentioned earlier, I strongly believe the impetus behind black metal's fourth wave will be in Eastern Europe. This may be somewhat muted, as the National Socialist tendencies will act as a dampener on more widespread adoption. Nonetheless, Slavic black metal will come to dominate black metal in years to come. Scenes in France and Germany, as well as in many other countries, will obviously continue to develop and coalesce; however, eyes will be trained further east.
This will not result in the disappearance of any black metal subgenre -- there will be a place under the sun (moon?) for the raw shameless Bathory copycats as well as the more futuristic acts.
