A History Of Norwegian Black Metal

1. Gehenna ‘Black Seared Heart’ 1993
	1.Intro 2.Two Demons Eight Spirits 3.Black Seared Heart 4.Angelwings And Ravenclaws 5.The Chariots That Carried Her To The Grave 6.Outro 7.Outro II For clarity, pure atmosphere and the complete Black Metal image, this demo tops the list through these qualities alone. The demo was recorded between the 3rd and 7th of June 1993 in Soundsuite Studios. It was released under the name `Black Seared Heart` as a tape limited to 100 copies. The songs were magnificently crafted, immersed in a medieval
mist, and the vocals of, Dolgar/ Sanrabb, were near on perfect Black Metal exhalations of hellish intent. The songs were encased in a Dark Age intro and outro, and within these atmospheric instrumentals, were slow, Bathory like compositions that embraced melody through the sublime use of keyboards. Tracks like, Angelwings and Ravenclaws, and Black Seared Heart, are wonderfully archaic, frost sparkling compositions that evoke a smooth keyboard spine clasped to sweeping guitar strums. The music sets itself free of the barbed hollowness of low-fi speed, and also veers from becoming totally wrapped in a symphonic maelstrom. Gehenna, on this demo found a bleak middle level of both strains of the genre without becoming pretentious or losing any of the basic purity of what Black metal meant to the Norwegians. Gehenna were not as virulent or as bombast as Emperor, preferring a more subtle, gloomy approach and this demo, as well as the bands first release, First Spell, are the bands most definitive Black Metal works. This demo is without question the finest of all the Norwegian demos.

2. Emperor ‘Wrath of the Tyrant’ 1992
	1.Introduction 2.Ancient Queen 3.My Empire's Doom 4.Forgotten Centuries 5.Night of the Graveless Souls 6.Moon over Kara-Shehr 7.Witches Sabbath 8.Lord of the Storms 9.Wrath of the Tyrant
Born from the ashes of Thou Shalt Suffer, the rising of Emperor materialized from the embers of a Death Metal act, as most of the very early Norwegian Black Metal bands did. In its original form, this demo emitted a ghastly Black Metal dirge, We must take away the digital re-release on CD by Wild Rags Records in 1993, and concentrate on the cassette original, that has a more clouded production being the bands self produced work. Like many re-mastered demo’s, the flavour of the original is lost, although the sound quality is greatly enhanced. Recorded on a 4 track, and completely stripped of any of the keyboard backbone, and the twin guitar work the band would be renowned for, this demo nonetheless contains a vehemently evil atmosphere and on closer inspection, exquisitely crafted songs. The distorted guitars level the senses before the most decisive Black Metal vocal delivery strikes you underfoot. Tracks like, My Empires Doom, and Forgotten Centuries, become mere outtakes when displayed with the overall Emperor Studio output, and yet here resides pure, Black Metal dynamism. I prefer airing the cassette version than the digital cd, it really is a wretched sound, truly magnificent. The Emperor demo was to feature two tracks that would emerge on the forthcoming split cd with Enslaved in 1993, Night of the Graveless Souls, and Wrath of the Tyrant, the rest being condemned to the archives. The line-up is also of interest as Mortis plays bass, Samoth Drums, and Ihsahn guitar/ vocals. This format was to shortly change when Faust, arrived on the drum stool, leaving Mortis on bass and Samoth taking up second guitar.

3. Carpathian Forest ‘Bloodlust and Perversion’ 1992
	1.Through the Black Veil of Burgo Pas 2.Bloodlust and Perversion 3.Return of the Freezing Winds 4.The Woods of Wallachia 5.Wings Over the Mountain of Sighisoara One of the earliest demos to contain a compelling Black Metal essence. The vocals are pure hatred, the music, a brooding, almost doom-like framed songs. From this downcast fabric are propelled faster moments that rely heavily on Celtic Frost for their thick aural menace. This gloom laden atmosphere is carried across all the tracks and the very morbid
mood generated by this full bodied demo is again reflective of the other acts of the time. Burzum and Mayhem possessed this primitive drone, an almost characterless musical form that teetered between the loose threads of Death Metal still attached to the music’s core, and the new, unseen Black Metal path that was forming ahead. This slow burning, atmospheric style was to be perfected on the wonderfully titled, EP, Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods, in 1995. It is true, by the time the debut album, Black Shinning Leather, appeared in 1998, the all encompassing Norwegian Black Metal shroud had all but dispersed.

4. Enslaved ‘Yggdrasill’ 1992
	1.Heimdallr 2.Allfadr Odinn 3.Hal Valr .Niunda Heim 5.The Winter Kingdom Opus I: Resound of Gjallarhorn 6.Enslaved A band who share a kindred spirit with Emperor, having emerged together on the seminal split CD in 1993. This demo is far richer in content than the Emperor demo, airing an almost easy listening style to the arrangements. Although Enslaved, have progressed into
Viking themed to progressive post-Black Metal. Here we find a far more carefree band, hammering forwards with great keyboard sections evoking a sense of the epic. The very warm nature of the compositions made to sound upbeat through melodic guitar tempos and extravagant keyboard interceptions. This warmth is tempered by the ferocity of the percussion, and overall coarseness of the vocal delivery. The production is rough, yet stable, allowing the tracks to flow without getting lost in the tumult. That said, it is still a demo, and should not be related to any of the bands more polished studio works. The tracks on the Hordanes Land split with Emperor are likewise erratic in their nature, not lunging into any particular style, and neither forsaking the many moods entwined within this magnificent demo. There is a great sense of passion oozing from the songs, an obvious thinking mans creative muse that sheds its musical skins in frequent burst of energy. At this stage both Emperor and Enslaved sounded very similar, both bands sharing the split cd and merging well, Emperor having a more direct approach, whilst, Enslaved, managing to make lengthy compositions interesting and enjoyable.

5. Aeternus Walk My Path 1994
	1. Fire and wind 2. Sealed Destiny 3. Walk My Path Formed in 1993 by Ares, the music has evolved more into a lush Dark Metal style, but make no mistake, this demo is very much drowned in a Black metal asperity. One of the finest demos to appear from the second wave of Norwegian Black Metal hordes. Epic, rousing songs imbued with that aura of icy fury so relevant to the scenes sound. Aeternus are known for massive guitar arrangements, slow, majestic structuring, and this demo reveals the very best of what this band were about. The vocals are seeped in a deathly rasp that compliments the infectious groove the three tracks here deploy. There is a thick wall of
guitars sweeping though the simplistic arrangements, and this imbues the sound with its heavy characteristics. The style is not of the icy primitivism of Burzum, but more in tune with the second wave of acts lurking in the ensuing ranks, where Viking elements and more diverse influences were an acceptable form of the music’s evolution. It’s hard not to like the music as its melodic nature thumps its way into your head with ease. About 400 of the tapes were sold at the time. As a complete package, this demo is an equal to all the bands following releases.

6. Tsjuder ‘Ved Ferdens Ende’ 1995
	1. Intro 2. Age of Destruction 3. Fimbulvinter 4. Ved Ferdens Ende One can trace the quality Black Metal of Tsjuder to this demo. Blacker than pitch and oozing a depth of consistency throughout its Hellish duration. The vocalist is pure Fenris, the music pure Tsjuder, a kind of hybrid Darkthrone/Satyricon Black Metal leviathan. The tracks do not rely on speed, and if you are familiar with the bands studio work, then this demo will not be too hard to acclimatize to. There is a fine balance of melody and severity, of atmosphere and raw primitive chaos. It’s not hard to discover the reasons why this band was plucked from obscurity by Season of Mist. The track, Fimbulvinter is a mammoth 13 minutes long, and here resides the bands early genius. It is a track that has everything a
Black Metal song should have, and it never feels like 13 minutes, such is the fluency and easily digested nature of the arrangements. This demo again, like so many others of this genre, contains a certain flavour and is equally as enjoyable as the bands studio output. The band released 3 demo’s during 1995-1996, this is the second. The following’ Possessed’ demo is also a very vicious Black Metal aural assault, but falls short of being their finest.

7. Manes ‘Til Kogens Grav De Dode Vandrer’ 1995
	1.Ravnens Skygge 2.Min Trone Står Til Evig Tid 3.Når Ulven Lurer I Helvetes Haller 4.Til Kongens Grav De Døde Vandrer 5.Natt With one truly cult album in the form of Under Ein Blodraude Mane, released in 1999, it may come as a surprise that the pedigree of this band run s way back to the scenes very conception. The band previously released three demos, and they reach contain invigorating qualities of dark, melodic Norwegian Black Metal. The, ‘Maanens Natt’ demo, 1993, and the, ‘Ned I Stillheten’ demo, of, 1994, both revealed an early creative innocence of the early Norwegian scene. It is hard to define one as being greater than the next, as all three exude great songs drenched in a primitive, cold musical shroud, but the third demo shows a
more cohesive and stronger compositional basis to elaborate on the former, thus laying a stronger foundation for the ensuing album. The keyboards added a more mystical mood, becoming more entwined within the arrangements and evoking the characteristics of how Manes fashioned their Black Metal music. The symphonic elements increase with each demo, the keyboards are evident, but never to the extent of swallowing up the guitars. Whereas Dimmu Borgir and Limbonic Art float in their symphonic lush, the likes of Manes, Odium, and early Obtained Enslavement, maintain a certain chill and icy atmosphere. These demos are available on a cd released by Kyrck Productions, and give a new lease of life to the muggy cassette versions still decaying in the closet.

8. Dies Irae - Circle of Leth 1994
	1. Adante passione attaca - Allegrato con vivacita allegro 2. Molto presto intermezzo tranquillamente condolore - Cantus con affizone 3. Adante maestosa attaca - Molto presto forza quisi moderato grave mate presto forza 4. Allegro con mato - Molto presto largo passione allegro con vivacita lento passione 5. Finale tranquillamente - Cantus pro defunctus The intro here is one of the finest you will ever hear. Completely classically arranged, this is utterly awesome and as the rest of this demo will testify, here we discover another demo
that has been lost in the manipulative mists of time. Remember, it is the few labels who dictate what you consume, and many a demo of better quality is ignored in favour of lesser acts with more marketing value. There is a magnificent medieval pomp etched into the initial intro, which is actually a track proper, such is its mesmerizing quality. From this elegant start, leaps the most unexpected rush of sublime chaos, a Norwegian Black Metal squall of lashing guitar rhythm’s and tempestuous vocal malevolence. The orchestral arrangement is always present, lifting the forlorn melodies into the vast blustering symphonic magnificence. Similar in texture to the eccentricities of Tartaros, and kindred spirits with Obtained Enslavements ‘Witchcraft’ era, Dies Irae amass a truly awe inspiring sound. Here the flurry of angst is almost devoured at once by a church like organ and swooshing synth effects, creating an alluring flame of medieval rousing moods awash with Black Metal extravagance. When I first heard this demo I was quite aghast at its integrity and completely mature songcraft. There is an epic majesty surmounting the music here, a vast complex orchestral embodiment to the raw underbelly of grizzled vocals and hammering percussion. A lost masterpiece in every respect. This demo has been re-released on a limited 12” Vinyl on a label [Paniac Records from Belgium] I have no information about.

9. Fimbulwinter ‘Servants of Sorcery’ 1992
	1.Intro: Terrifying Call From The Dark Side 2.When The Fire Leaps From The Ash Mountain 3.Servants Of Sorcery 4.Black Metal Storm 5.Morbid Tales [Celtic Frost] 6.Fimbulwinter Sacrifice A horrid screeching intro featuring weird synth effects is dissolved into oblivion with the first
track proper, a blasting Black Metal piece hugging the likes of Burzum and Emperor for its melodic yet vicious aural assault. This is Shagraths pre-Dimmu Borgir days, and has its roots firmly imbedded in a Celtic Frost haplessness with a thirsting need to amplify the tenebrous desolate grooves into the current chaotic Black Metal awakenings in Norway 1992. The importance of this demo is sometimes forgotten, as it contains some lengthy [5-6 minute] songs, revealing, as did the surrounding acts of the day, a stretching of a simplified riff into a shivering and hostile atmosphere. Like Carpathian Forest, the sludge menace of Thrash was still very much aligned to the minds creative muse. The demo had many Thrashing atmospheres, at times sounding like, Sodom’s early works, and yet the vibrant exploratory nature of the arrangements makes this a very rugged, yet essential glimpse into the scenes early form. The coarse rendition, of Celtic Frost’s, Morbid Tales, just about sums this demo up, and confirms the crucial importance of this cult band.

10. Dim Nagel ‘Satanic Overdose’ 1995
	1.Vicious Valraven 2.Helvetes Slotten 3.Wheels of Destruction 4.Mett av Dage 5.Through Chambers of Desolation This demo embodies the very soul of Norwegian Black Metal, it manifests the early nineties era and is wholly part of its most defining sound. Alongside Strid, Incarnator and Dies Irae,
Dim Nagel are the ‘what might have beens’ the lost jewels in the incredibly talented Norwegian Black Metal scene. The sound is dire, but you can sense the bands music as a cross between Windir and Emperor. Frozen guitar strums run alongside upbeat leads, all colliding in that swirling, muggy Norwegian atmosphere made incarnate by Emperor and Darkthrone.

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