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. – by: Quentin Kalis
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
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 naïve 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.
Source: www.chroniclesofchaos.com
