A History Of Norwegian Black Metal

11. In the Woods ‘Isles of Men’ 1993
	1.The Wings Of My Dreamland 2.Tell De DÃ¸de 3.In The Woods 4.Creations Of An Ancient Shape 5.Wotan's Return A band more noted for their avant-garde female assisted arty music, and yet there is no denying the Black Metal roots on this demo. A close affiliation with the following album, Heart of Ages, it is the shrieking vocals that set this demo and the following album apart. The thick guitar sound is there, all the experimental quirkiness is there, and yet, this demo engages more Black Metal aesthetics than any future recordings. The keyboards, and soft sweeping winds of the intro propel the music into the decisive Pagan Black Metal so
predominant on the, Heart of Ages album. With songs carved around clean and shrieking vocals, imbued with an almost Viking metal sub-core, and emanating a very rich individuality that allowed the band to manoeuvre their way through the darkened hordes with considerable ease. In The Woods, evolved far from this riveting demo’s musical ethos, so much so, the wonderful moments resting here would forever leave the bands compositional directive.

12. Thorns ‘Tronderton’ 1992
1.Aerie Descent 2.Funeral Marches to the Grave The demo takes its name from the school the demo was supposedly recorded in. A swirling two track demo that was not an official release, and spread from friend to friend. Its importance and relevance however to the Norwegian Black Metal psyche is incontestable. Aerie Descends, [also found on the 2004 cd ‘Nordic Metal, Tribute to Euronymous’ [released by Necropolis Records], is in its entirety a drowsy guitar strum that drags the bleakness of its notes though malefic mires of sepulchral hollowness and begrimed hyperborean frost. Apart from the folklore of main-man Snore Ruch’s involvement as the driver in the infamous murder of Euronymous, this two track tape contained some inspired Black Metal masterpieces. First, a hazy guitar style that melts the mind with drowsy rhythms, the brooding beat followed by the drums and bass. The vocals are semi Black Metal snarls, setting a dismal aural cloak hovering above the unique guitar style. Aerie Descendent follows this unusual track, and again the writing process in this innocent era when Black Metal had yet to be truly born, is heard to be forming its body within these very tracks. To hear the songs now, the obvious Black Metal beginnings can be dissected and understood. At the time, the music was neither understood, nor completely formed. Like Burzum, Thorns were an early creative force that would inevitably help to direct the music to its natural conclusion.

13. Trelldom ‘Disappearing of the Burning Moon’ 1994
	1.Sannhet Smerte Og Dod 2.Chains of Solitude 3.Dim Soul of Never 4.Disappearing of the Burning Moon 5.Til Evighet Founded by Gaahl in 1992, this demo contained a more deathly vocal approach, to be rectified with Gaahls more direct Black Metal style on the debut album, Til Evighet. The 5 tracks here make up one of the strongest set of songs to be found on a Norwegian Black Metal Demo. This is very much the ensuing albums primordial moments with the tracks having a raw, low fi sound and covering a wide range of intensity and pace. The bass is very heavy in the mix, and again, those gravel throat vocals create that sense of embryonic Black Metal still evolving, still seeking its complete form. An interesting point is
the message from a young Gaahl scrawled on the inside cover of my demo, although in Norwegian, the scrawled Swastika is again reflective of some of the early scenes reclusive mindset. As I have mentioned on another page on this site, I have correspondence from both Shagrath and Mortis who also use this symbol as a completely natural expressive signature. Even Samoth scrawls his early notes with an Aryan brotherly critique. Such was this exclusive scenes iron ethos of national identity and naive infiltration to the world scene.

14. Hades ‘Alone Walkyng’ 1993
	1.Unholy Congregation 2.Hecate (Queen Of Hades) 3.Alone Walkyng Starting with a acoustic intro, the pondering guitar arrangements of Hades thunder forth to awaken the Nordic spirits of the hoarfrost surmounted fjords. This is one of those unique appearances on the scene where a band just electrifies the senses with fresh melodies and a deep roving passionate pagan awakening. There is a great depth to the three songs here that are driven by mid-tempo arrangements, never to reach the icy hammer snares of the
likes of Darkthrone or Burzum. The influences of Hades are firmly in the Viking era Bathory school of slow burning bombast. The acoustics of the material here are also a defining character of the bands rhythmic assault on the atmosphere, with a vocal snarl to send a warrior like menace across the music’s majestic repose. The following album, Again Shall Be, is equally resplendent with the same qualities found on this demo. Wounded Love Records, re-released this demo on CD in 1996.

15. Solefald ‘Jernlov’ 1995
	1.Motmenneske 2.Philosophical Revolt 3.Sivilisasjonen Slor - Ravnens Fall 4.When the Moon Is On the Wane A soft guitar opens this demo and slowly builds into an immediate vocal shrill, heralding the quite mad Black Metal muse of Solefald. This soft and harsh texture welded with ear splitting vocals is just part of the unique music to be found here. With synth interludes and even bagpipes softening the strident guitar arrangements, it is very apparent that this demo was one of the most experimental of all the Norwegian bands. There is a fine balance between blasting icy black metal and totally off the wall compositions that both aggravate and consume the mind with awe and confusion. The sound isn’t that bad considering the complexity of the music. If you are familiar with the debut album, The Linear Scaffold, then
this demo will serve as a timely reminder of just where the quite peculiar elements of the music originated from.

16. Kvist - demo 1994
	1. Forbannet vaere jorden 2. Jeg gör pa 3. Mank, stjebnrs vanget og erotick lokkende svarte 4. Vettenetter (outro) A no-nonsense, symphonic Black Metal demo from one of the most underrated Norwegian bands. Like the following album For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike, this demo reveals much of the keyboard driven harsh melodies wrapped within the vicious vocal snarl. The songs are intricately woven, symphonic in their construction, although the thick guitars are the main driving force. If you are familiar with the stunning album, this demo will allow you to re-visit four of the tracks in a different atmosphere, an atmosphere of experimental innocence in an age lost and virtually forgotten. In some ways I prefer it to the album, as its raw unbalanced mix holds another dimension of dynamics and riveting cold melodic music.
This demo contains the finest Kvist track ever written in the form of Vettenetter, a vigorous, dare I say it catchy song that drives its melodies into the brain with ease. The album version literally shreds all before its path, but this early version still has a magnificent charm bleeding from its irresistible guitar melodies and tight drum sound. This is pure Norwegian Black Metal; you can smell the smoke emitting from the guitars and vocal rasps. Absolutely essential.

17. Windir - Sogneriket demo 1 1995
	1. Krigaren si gravferd 2. Immortality 3. Sogneriket 4. Norrün seier 5. Dans pä stemmehaugen 6. Fjell og dalar 7. Soge ii reisen 8. Soge ii framkomsten Windir's second demo, the first being the 4 track, Det Gamle Riket, released months previous. Oddly enough, this quite lengthy demo, starts with the track, Krigaren Si Gravferd, [the same track, albeit a different version ended the first demo] The sound here is clear, affording the angst vocal delivery and sharp drum work to filter
through without becoming a dissonant blur. As with all Windir releases, the tracks are balanced between almost ballad like acoustics, rabid snarls, and cleanly sung passages, slow, gentle soundscapes sweeping across cold Nordic fjords. The track Immortality, is an acoustic ballad, with clean vocals, a total opposite of intensity generated by the opener. The guitars weave their enchanting chords across soft keyboards. The Black Metal vitriol returns on the melodic title track, that threatens to burst forth a brutal cacophony and yet is tempered by the music’s warmer half, a side where the guitar leads glide across the rhythms guitars more defiant strum. Add an orchestral like synth arrangement, and one can consume a very special demo, a demo enriched by a vision that extends beyond the satanic boundaries marked with corpse paint and church embers. Windir were from the very beginning, a band doing their own take of the Black/Viking theme. There are four beautifully arranged instrumentals, namely Norrun Seier, and the equally lengthy, Soge ii reisen. Both of these tracks contain a progressive pagan/Nordic musical backbone. The sleepy Fjell og dalar, is a church organ dominated instrumental, the drowsy mood generated by its unnerving sound, with a guitar strum adding to the tracks almost seductive repose. An unusual demo, from an unusual band.

18. Incarntor ‘Nordic Holocaust’ 1992
	1.Part I 2.Part II A splendid demo that makes its appearance in the limbo of the scenes pre-media character assassination of its adherents. Thrash guitars crawl across a Venom/Celtic frost backbone, issuing an old orthodox set of tracks that remain un-named. The vocals are very early Gehenna in tone, and yet it’s the very familiar residue of Venom that makes the two tracks here instantly appealing. As I have mentioned in the top 100 list , the second track is a literal reflective arrangement to Venom's, Don’t Burn the Witch, albeit with a certain keyboard twist. A rare, virtually off the radar demo that should be sought out. The band released a track called, In Nocturnal Glory, [a promo tape released the same year], is more like Emperors ‘Wrath of the Tyrant’ in sound, with a vocalist sounding like Abbath from Immortal. Simple guitar strums, fast drums and a resonant riffs, reminds me of Ancients
early works, as well as Immortals, Diabolical Full Moon Mysticism. This is a very early example of Norwegian Black Metal still discovering its own sound.

19. Ancient ‘Eerily Howling Winds’ 1993
	1.Eerily Howling Winds 2.Call Of The Absu Deep 3.Det Glemte Riket Forgetting the scorn heaped upon this band from all quarters, one cannot deny Ancients contribution to the early Norwegian scene. The bands unique guitar dominated style, and catchy material went a long way in cementing the early scenes foundations. This 3 track demo held the same unique guitar style found on the following self financed 7” vinyl, and
debut album. The atmospheric and wind effect beginnings of Det Glemte Riket, heralds an absolute classic track of the genre. This is Ancients defining moment, a piece of Black metal history drowning in distortion and thick bass chords. The brooding mid-tempo arrangements reek of a cavernous solitude lit by the dim flickering of burning graves. The wonderful atmosphere can sit along side Emperors, Wrath of the Tyrant demo, and, Gehenna’s, Black Seared Heart, with ease. This track also appears on the 7”, and debut album. The demo has been re-released on Sleazy Rider Records

20. Keep of Kalessin ‘Skygger av Sorg’ 1995
	1.Skygger av Sorg 2.Ruiner av en Krig 3.Skygger av Sorg II This 3 track demo [you can download it from the bands official site], was originally released in a limited 500 run. Compared to the following album, Through times of War, the tracks here [unavoidably] lack the solid production and cutting guitar sound. Here we find a thinner, typical demo quality atmosphere, but unlike many other demo’s of its era, this contained a cleaner sound and a well crafted set of songs. A light keyboard spine illuminates the darkly melodies that are invigorated with raw fast drum work and haunting grim vocals. There is a fine balance of slower moments that drive the songs into a more familiar territory that this band are pretty much known for. Like most demo’s from
bands who progressed almost immediately from the icy minimalism of Black Metals root substance, with debut albums, Keep of Kalessin, leave this moment as their most grizzled awakening. A fine Black Metal demo with well fashioned songs that marks this band high up in this list.

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