A History Of Norwegian Black Metal

41. Grimm ‘Nordisk Vinter’ 1993
	1. Intro/ Darkest Depths 2. The Embrace of God. 3. Born in the hands of Doom This demo featured Nattefrost and J. Nordavind from Carpathian Forest, both under the guise of Lord Nosferatu and Lord Karnstien. Also within the band were Grimm, [drums]. The demo begins with a vociferous clamour. Exorcist style heavy whispering, hellish croaking and a slow drumbeat make up the echoes of purgatory so to speak. First track
proper, The Embrace of God, is up-beat homage to Celtic Frost, a mid-tempo doom groove with a retro feel to its raw energy. The one true magnificent moment on this demo appears next. The awesome, Born in the Hands of Doom, is a near perfect rendition of what the ‘TRUE’ Norwegian Black metal sound should be. Taking its cue from, Emperors Wrath of the Tyrant, demo, the sweeping guitar strums glide effortlessly with the haunting keyboards. The arrangement of the track is also made easy to appreciate, its melodies sticking in the head and confirming this wonderful moment. This demo was re-released in 2001 on 7” vinyl, via Vinyl Maniac records. Image is of the 7” re-release

42. Cruclamentum - Luctus Infinite 1993 1. Intro 2. Luctus infinite 3. Intro 4. Memento mori 5. Intro 6. Quiritatus luctificus 7. Outro After the standard keyboard intro, the band thunder forth into a repetitive drum pattern that is relentless in its singular ear bashing for 2.25 minutes. With a resolute guitar melody trying to keep up, and a grizzled vocal style looming in the background. The track breaks into a drowsy keyboard section, evoking a doom clad atmosphere, pounding riffs lurking in the back ground, and a straining guitar reeking of Sabbath chords changes. The vocals change to clean chants, the almost tribal percussion dragging the song to a fading demise. Quite unique for its time. There is another synth washed intro, a spitting reverb of effects that introduce the second track proper, a less abrasive track, although still encompassing the pounding drum rhythm’s and thick bass sound of the former track. This is not the blatant Black Metal one associates with the scene today. At this time there were many acts who were not sure what Black Metal was, and the heavy Doom, Death and Metal influences were still very much part of the music’s evolution. This is one of those demos resigned to oblivion, and yet it does harness a unique take on the Black Metal theme. It’s almost hypnotic in a twisted way. More eccentric mind bending Black Metal than experimental.

43. Malfeitor - Pandemonium 1992 1. Intro 2. 666, hear my call 3. The smell of death 4. Outro The Mortis synth like intro that drags on for four minutes, the aptly titled, 666, Hear My Call, begins with a mid tempo plod, and a scathing vocal delivery that bleeds across the mix. This is depressive, Celtic Frost/ Bathoryesque Black Metal. 1992, was a time when Black metal was not fully realized as a genre incarnate, so here we have a perfect example of a band rooted to the still warm influences of the past, whilst also being very much a part of the awakening underground around them. The Smell of Death, is a similar, plodding mid eighties doom laden track, simmering an uneasy gloom that lurks over the tormented vocal utterances. The demo ends with a short, non descript synth outro. The band changed their name to Battle, soon after this demo, and then to the more infamous, Strid. It is odd to think that this demo is more captivating than the Strid demo that does not appear in this list.

44. Grimlock ‘The Heritage from the Past’ 1994 1. Den forseglede tid (intro) 2. Skimpel av det siste lys - the heritage from the past 3. Mörkedalen Starting with a synth intro and instantly gravelling ‘Abbath’ style vocal narration, the keyboards lead swiftly into a mid-tempo plod. The low fi atmosphere hits you like a damp mist, setting a foreboding mantle about the air. This is classic Black Metal following the glacial paths of Burzum and Darkthrone. Harsh yelping vocal utterances grate into the ears as the tempo switched into a speed mode, dragging the guitar strum into a frenzied tumult. The final track emits the same ‘Abbath’ like vocal snarl, set to a mid-tempo arrangement, halfway shuddering into an acoustic reprise. Here we find the band deploying a wonderfully tragic atmosphere across an otherwise frigid brooding musical work. This track manages to excite and stir the senses with its winding arrangements, melody and icy atmosphere during its seven minute journey. The raw essence of early Burzum can clearly be felt, and the demo is 100% Norwegian Black Metal at its purest form. This is certainly one of the most obscure, yet essential Norwegian Black Metal demos outside the collective acts who generally make up the scenes early years.

45. Tenebras Omnia Vincit ‘Hostility, Violence, Imagination’ 1995
	1.Intro 2.Darkness Triumphs 3.Pre-Dawn 4.Gome Lucifer 5.Hate Sit on the Throne of Love 6.Darkness Triumphs (' 94 version) 7.Darkness Triumphs (Fall version) 8.Outro With a brooding, keyboard intro that crawls along under a deathly haunting knell chime, simple but effective in its cold, primitivism. From this ambience explodes the ravening, Darkness Triumphs, awash in a muggy production and stifled drum sound. Once you
penetrate the demo shroud of distortion [a patience you will find a necessity in absorbing most demo recordings in this list] you will unearth a keyboard driven symphonic Black Metal band with a grisly vocal snarl. The band have certain individuality, with the vocals entering the Fleurety screeches on occasions, and the looming clean chants evoking a more sinister atmosphere. The tracks are fast, with melody woven into the guitar arrangements; still the overall effect is one of experimental Black Metal that in its most searching form touches the likes of Solefald, Fleurety, and Beyond Dawn. This is also one of those demos that has many different mood swings, intensity and velocity. From the violent vocals and guitar strums appear genuinely chilling musical moments, deep atmospheric passages, all draped in a cold keyboard haze.

46. Daemon - Ignis Fatuus 1992 1. Offering for the victor 2. Scream of a burning witch 3. Ignis fatuus 4. Intercede - for the memory of... 5. Air (outro) A plodding dark brooding demo that combines the loose menace of early Burzum with the claustrophobic gloom of Carpathian Full Moon. Here we find another band who are ignorant of the ensuing Black Metal storm, Euronymous was still alive, and the scene yet to be incarnate. This demo is primitive in its form, and casts a morbid haze across every gloom fuelled note. The lack of angst ridden speed, is counter balanced by dragging guitar rhythms and a funeral like vocal grunt. Following the bleak purgatory atmospheres of bands like Suffering, Sadness, Nightfall and Pyogenesis, all early purveyors of dark gloomy dark metal that follows a similar path to the bleak doom style of early Paradise Lost and Anathema. This often ignored side to the Norwegian Black Metal phenomenon is equally as significant as the more vitriolic and blatantly satanic bands with regards to underpinning the scenes foundations during 1990-1993.

47. Astaroth - In The Woods, 1993
	1. Creation of an ancient shape 2. And all this from which was and will never be again 3. Wotan's return Majestic, ice wrapped, cold Black Metal, having a demo era Emperor/ Burzum feel to the chaotic nature of the music. This is a great demo, airing some very Varg screechy vocals, and the bands wonderful creativity is best found on the Bathory like, second track, ‘And all this from which was and never will be again’. The track is an uplifting Viking style song, [nearly eight minutes in duration] up-beat, and draped in that classic caustic early Norwegian demo quality sound. [The sound is caustic, bedraggled and Grimm] There is a great depth to the compositions, making the tracks both interesting and very well arranged. There are moments when you could be listening to a raw, pre-production Bathory demo to Hammerheart. The final track evokes Burzum’s drum patterns, and is a lengthy instrumental,
ending what is another criminally overlooked band, and buried in time and dust [pardon the pun]

48. Det Hedenske Folk ‘True Northern’ 1995
	1. Northland Rules Supreme 2. True Northern 3. Reverse the Time of Old Featuring Abbath on session drums, and Tyr [all instruments]. This was a very Immortal sounding demo [Pure Holocaust], with blasting drum work and an icy guitar strum. Not part of the scenes early formation, rather an addition to the second wave of bands that sprung from the initial groundbreaking creativity of Mayhem and Burzum The vocals are very distinctive for the genre, and the three tracks here become more palatable in their demo forms once you realize just how awful many of the other demos of the era sounded. Here we have a very audible Norwegian Black Metal workout, and that’s
just what this band are, nothing more, nothing less. Again, early Immortal is stamped across the material, even on the slower parts where the guitar distortion bleeds across the vocals. A decent enough demo.

49. Einherjer - Aurora Borealis 1994
	1. De sorte sioers land 2. Aurora borealis 3. Witchking 4. Einherjer The Viking Metal band at this stage of their career, was very much leaning towards the Black Metal iciness that was no doubt all around them. The vocals were harsh and clear, Musically, the mid-tempo melodies were very Heavy Metal in construction, but it was the folk instruments, that lift this demo above the norm. A real, pagan zest oozes from the material and the Nordic landscape. is captured here more so than on the bands future
releases. There is an icy chill of the underground bleeding from the songs, and yet there simplicity and basic melodies keep the upbeat compositions from becoming one dimensional. The music in general is not as involved as the Enslaved, nor as flowing as Ulver, and yet both bands share a similar musical concept, Enslaved and Ulver, being the more aggressive. The track, Einherjer, is a pagan campfire song, with whispered vocals and tribal drumbeat, and this atmospheric moment is also very prevalent in the previous tracks.

50. Asmodeus Garden of Eden demo 1994
	1. Black as my heart 2. Pools of the past 3. Frozen fog of forget fullness 4. Ceremonial burial 5. Outro Having that fuzzy guitar sound and a similar balance of intensity as Darkthrones, A Blaze in the Northern Sky. There are crashing waves as effects, and keyboard intro’s, but these do not add to the actual songs. Generally, the music plods along at a mid-tempo pace. Guitar solos appear now and then, showing a leaning towards compositional melody and atmosphere. You would credit the sound as having a definite Blackened style, a raw chill, and on the track, Pools of the Past, a definitive Norwegian soul. On this track alone does
the demo stand. Typical jagged vocal rasps cut through the air like a cleaver though hardened muscle. The whole feel to this demo is one dimensional, having decent tracks, but none standing out as spectacular. A Celtic Frost like gloom encapsulates the guitar riffs, cementing the dreary credentials this demo embraces.

1 - 10 \| 11 - 20 \| 21 - 30 \| 31 - 40 \| 41 - 50