This is a style of music leaning towards the dark and macabre. The real darkness would creep more into the scene in later waves, but this is where the seeds were planted. The descendants of the Vikings have awoken and they want no more of this religion that has been forced upon them!!! YAAARRGGHHYHYHYH!!!

This continues my series on the metal family tree. The original post has all of the additional posts linked at the very bottom of the post so that it is easy to find them. Alternatively you can find them using the #metaltree tag.

These posts were inspired by the poster in the Metal Evolution documentary series by Sam Dun and Banger Films. I would see that poster as I watched the great documentary series and it would flash by, and many names are listed that were never covered. The majority of the branches never are covered. I was inspired to see if I could cover them, and in the process learn about some new music, and perhaps expand upon what is there.

Sam Dun does cover some on the bands in this section in his Metal Evolution video on Extreme Metal. This will be revisited again when I actually cover that sub-genre.

Here is another documentary...
Black Metal: The Music of Satan - documentary - 1:17:05

Let Us Begin

The earliest example of this music is traced back to Venom which was covered briefly in the post on Shock Rock. It is important to know what the mental landscape of the world was at the time Venom came onto the scene.

Tipper Gore was active pushing the PMRC to label music, and to ban some music. There was a ton of Satanism and fear of satanists that lurked around every corner. Metal music was a common target at that time. It perhaps reached its peak when Geraldo Rivera did his television special on Devil Worshipers. That kind of inspired a pseudo-witch hunt, and it did result in me getting asked some weird questions by my mother, and getting written up in at least one newspaper for being Satanic even though I was nothing of the sort. Into this environment that almost trying to become a Puritan throw back strode Venom. Their lyrics at the time were even shocking to me. THAT was the point.
Secret Devil Worshiping Cults. The Geraldo Rivera Specials (1988 documentary)

Venom

Band First Released: 1981
Nationality: United Kingdoms
Venom was founded by a heavy metal / punk rock enthusiast in England by the name of Conrad Lant who went by the stage name [Cronos]. He had the idea all the way back in high school to create a band that was heavier and more "over the top" than any band that had come before it. This included according to their official story being more satanic than Black Sabbath, louder than Motörhead, pyrotechnics to rival Kiss, and with more leather and studs than Judas Priest. It was about creating a recipe for the extreme.
Welcome To Hell (1981) Full Album

Black Metal (Full Album)

Welcome to Hell (Live)

Live 1985 in London (Full Concert)

Mercyful Fate

Band First Released: 1983
Nationality: Denmark
The band Mercyful Fate was formed by the frontman/vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. King Diamond is known for his very high vocals, and very low vocals with very little in terms of in between. He jumps from high to low frequently. Mercyful Fate is where that began before he went solo. He also tends to do the makeup like Shock Rock and and Kiss/Alice Cooper, while focusing on a lot of satanic themed concepts. Focusing on such contents tends to make the shock factor of the shock rock approach even more shocking. This was ESPECIALLY true during the time period this came out.
Don't Break the Oath (1984) full album

Witches' Dance (Official Video)

The Uninvited Guest (Official Video)

Mercyful Fate & King Diamond - Sao Paulo, Brazil August 24th, 1996 - 1:00:37

Hellhammer

Band First Released: 1983
Nationality: Switzerland
They are considered one of the more influential Black Metal bands, and one of the founders of Death Metal. They were called Hellhammer until June of 1984 when they would become the band Celtic Frost which will be covered in a moment.
Apocalyptic Raids - Album

Satanic Rites (Full Album) 1983

Bathory

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: Sweden
A band calling themselves Bathory is much like the shock factor of Marilyn Manson choosing Manson as part of the name. The Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory makes Charlie Manson look like a complete amateur when it comes to body count, sadism, and just evil. The truth about her has gone on to inspire many horror movies, especially those that deal with topics such as Vampirism, and blood. So choosing such a name for a band was very calculated, much like Marilyn Manson. However, Marilyn Manson at least tapped into a modern day still living serial killer as its shock value. It was therefore, far more likely the average public would get the reference. With the name Bathory you pretty much need to be a student of history, or a horror fan and been exposed to her through that route.
Bathory Full Album

Blood Fire Death (1988) Full Album

**Bathory: Countess of Blood - Full Movie ** - nothing to do with the band other than the original inspiration for the name.

One Rode To Asa Bay

Mother Earth Father Thunder

Celtic Frost

Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: Switzerland
This band began as Hellhammer (above). This is also the only band in this particular sub-genre that I owned at least three different albums of. Their music was pretty simple, but powerful in terms of rhythm, so they were one of the few bands I could actually learn to play their songs when I was only just starting to play guitar. The chord changes were slow enough that I could do them. It is interesting that you'll hear people pronounce them as "Seltic" Frost, and I've even heard Sam Dunn do this. Let's be clear... the Boston Celtics basketball team are the only time I know it is pronounced "Seltic". To the rest of the world and history that C is a hard sound and is pronounced "Keltic".
How to Pronounce Celtic

A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh (Official Video)

Circle of the Tyrants

To Mega Therion - Full Album

Morbid Tales - Full Album - First two tracks are the first Celtic Frost I ever personally ever heard. It was on that same Speed Kills compilation that had bands like Voivod, Possessed, Exodus, and others.

Live at Wacken 2006 (full Concert) - 49:56

Jewel Throne

Mexican Radio + Lyrics in Description - This one threw me for a loop the first time I heard it. It is an unlikely cover.

Closing

Black Metal was clearly about pushing things to extreme in the dark and macabre direction. It took the ideas of Shock Rock and extended them. It embraced the concept of evil, satanism, etc. It embraced the world of horror movies, horror literature, and serial killers. Most of the bands embrace this for the press and fans the shock value gives them. They often also embrace it due to being fans of Horror Movies and Books, so that is what their songs are about. Then there are some of them in the black metal style of music that actually believe what they sing. If you want to claim metal is satanic, most of it is not. Though if there were a dark corner of the music where such a thing might be found, this would be one of those places. It should be noted that a lot of the later black metal which will be another posts can be considered more anti-christian than actual satanic. Satan is an evil entity in the Christian religion, so to be satanic you must first believe in satan. A lot of the black metal people that do embrace anti-christian (and no I am not saying atheist) sentiment actually embrace their older norse religions, and rebel against the idea that Christianity was forced upon their people. Some of the more psychotic ones do so with acts of vandalism, aggression, and actual criminal activity. Though these acts are in later movements of black metal and did NOT exist in this first wave. This first wave was purely about shock value and extremism.

Steem On!