If there is an afterlife…

…I can’t wait to spin old Venom records and have a beer with Dead. Twenty-five years is a long fucking time, and I never knew you, but I still think about you a lot.

Rest in peace.

I got this image from Blogspot, and props to whoever cleaned it up enough that you can see that beginnings of that gigantic smile. 

-H

Happy Belated 20th Birthday, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas!

I remember the first time I heard Mayhem. It was probably November of 2009, and I was sitting on the floor in my room in my home town, my laptop on the floor beside me, wrapping a Christmas gift for my mom (Yes, it was early. I was living at home that year and I wasn’t home when she wasn’t very often. I had to seize the moment). I had just begun to delve deeper into black metal that wouldn’t get me made fun of, and I’d been marveling at Marduk and jamming out to Immortal on Pandora all day. And I had heard about Mayhem (I’d heard PLENTY; 21 year old me was pretty squeamish, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the whole thing), but I had a hard time imagining that they could really be all that good. After all, they were famous for dying prematurely, yes?

And then Funeral Fog came on my Pandora station. It was love at first blastbeat. I grabbed my laptop, and by the time the song was over, Amazon.com was processing my order of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.

Mayhem’s first full-length record has awed, inspired, and baffled metal fans the world over in its 20 year life span. While many aspects of the music are inexplicable (a friend of mine told me that he just couldn’t seem to figure out “what Attila was going for with those vocals” no matter how much he listens to it), huge swaths of the thing’s history are just flat out unsettling. For instance, DMDS remains, to this day, the only record on which a murderer plays alongside his victim. Not to mention the fact that the lyrics to Life Eternal are part of Dead’s suicide note (I’m still trying to decide if I find that inclusion sweet or creepy). But despite its struggles the little album that barely could has become an integral part of black metal history, and remains required listening for anyone remotely into extreme metal.

And while yes, I am sure, we would have all loved to hear Dead’s vocals on the album (or at least on a super-secret, previously unreleased version of it), I personally have always liked Attila’s vocal work on DMDS. Yes. It is weird. But who better to get to do vocals on songs written by a man who died in his “I Heart Transylvania” shirt than a brilliant Hungarian musician with an impressive track record (Tormentor was quite a big deal. That pesky Iron Curtain kept getting in the way, though)? The vocals are unconventional, yes, but they are creepy as hell, and considering the legacy that Attila was acting as a part of, creepy far outweighs traditional. Plus, his chanting on the title track is chill-inducing.

But vocals aren’t the only big deal with DMDS. We also must pay homage to the musical stylings of black metal’s godfather himself, Euronymous, whose intentionally-shitty-sounding tri-tone chord spawned an entire subgenre. De Mysteriis was dedicated to Euronymous,- who died before it was released- and rightfully so; while Deathcrush is absolutely fantastic, it doesn’t represent the second-wave that has, for the most part, become synonymous with the entire subgenre in the way that DMDS does.

And of course those drums. The thing that got me. Hellhammer is a god on the kit, and I am a firm believer in the suggestion that the album that became the defining line for black metal in the 90s would not have existed in the same form without Hellhammer’s musicianship. It certainly would have never seen the light of day without his determination to push through and get the damned thing done, despite the horrific hardships that plagued the band.

There are a million reasons why De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas deserves a birthday notice, even if it is a little bit late. That bass riff on Pagan Fears is simply one of them (I figured I’d throw a bass shoutout in there, even though I don’t have a very high opinion of Mr. Vikernes and Necrobutcher didn’t play on the album). However, perhaps it’s greatest accomplishment is its monumental status as a relic representing both the birth of a new era and the demise of an older one.

Well, that, and the fact that, despite two horrendously violent deaths, jail sentences, Iron Curtains, and enough disharmony to fuel the powder keg that was Mayhem in the late 80s and early 90s, we actually have an album like De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas to listen to.

-H

Fun Facts to Know and Share (Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult Edition)

So I have been reading Dayal Patterson’s Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult when I have downtime, which unfortunately is not often enough. It’s a fantastic book for a number of reasons, which I will go into when I do a review of it, which will happen when I’ve finished it. One of it’s greatest features, however, is how many bands it covers that don’t get talked about in these huge black metal compendiums (Gehenna, Lifelover, Graveland, and Von, to name a few). While I’m only about a quarter of the way through the book, I have already learned several things that I did not know before about bands that I either have come to realize I know very little about, or that I thought I knew everything about. For instance:

1) When Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost was growing up, his mother was a diamond smuggler and would leave him for weeks at a time when he was a small child. She later had a complete breakdown, and little Tom had to live in filth and destitution in a house with over 90 cats. There was no other family around for him to go to, and everyone in the town knew about his circumstances and did nothing. This living hell created the anger that fueled Hellhammer, and is a big part of why Tom G. Warrior doesn’t like to talk about his early band (36-37).

2) Von was sort of more of a legend than a real band, as they were originally only around for about five years. They never had any real output during that time; their demo stuff was later leaked, and they had no idea they were huge celebrities in the underground. They have like three albums called Satanic Blood (113-115).

3) Beherit is from Lapland. They win the award for trvest place to live (117). Also, Nuklear Holocausto, Beherit’s vocalist, is really into Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies (121).

4) Master’s Hammer inverted an entire church on the front of their Finished demo (101)! Also, the title of their latest album, Vracejte konve na misto, was taken from a sign in a Czech graveyard and means “put watering cans back in their place.” Which means that J’s jokes about the album being about gardening are not entirely off the mark (106).

5) And last, but certainly not least, the thing that I, the fangirl who believed that she knew just about everything there is to know about Mayhem, learned is: Necrobutcher was responsible for the vocals on Pure Fucking Armageddon, not Euronymous (132). (Blown. Away. Bigger geeks than me have always thought it was Euronymous.)

***

That’s what I have for now. I’m incredibly excited to keep reading this book, and I will write a full review once I’ve done with it. In the meantime, I think it’s time to change up my blog tagline.

Ave.

-Hagalaz

Hey Dead

I didn’t forget you. I just got crazy busy and didn’t make a post in time. I’m sorry.

Keeping my reflections private this year, at least for now. Maybe I’ll spill later. Probably I will. But right now I can’t.

Suffice it to say that I haven’t forgotten you.

Hope your rest is peaceful.

-H

Happy Birthday, Dead!

Happy (would be, and slightly belated by about an hour and a half) 45th to Pelle Ohlin, one of black metal’s godfathers. In honor of this day, I’m linking to the following video, which you will probably recognize as the famous Mayhem rehearsal footage video, in glorious HD! This magically appeared on the internet, as far as I know, in the last couple of days. It is lovely.

LOOK AT THAT SMILE. LOOK AT IT. His smile makes me smile.

Happy Birthday, Dead. You had a lovely smile. May you rest in peace always.

-Hagalaz

2013: A Black Metal Year in Review

2013 was a year full of ups and downs for me, personally; this blog actually seems to be getting some attention, and I am getting to use it to help get the word out on some of my friends’ projects, which is cool. I have also been investigating the Twin Cities metal and punk scenes, which has made me lots of new friends and has ensured that I have seen a staggering amount of live music this year, particularly this summer. Burning Fist is publishing some of my reviews, which is totally amazing, and I still have other reviews on the table for other people, not to mention the ones I have yet to finish for this (Inquisition?). I have also finally melted down in pretty much the most awful anxiety-ridden puddle of despair that I’ve been in, which is impressive, considering the past couple of years, and I’m finally starting to claw my way out of that. That, mixed with taking on entirely too much this past semester because I might be an idiot, has ensured that I am way behind on updating, and that I have neglected this blog far more than I would have liked in the past year. But no more. I’m going to fix that. Next semester shall be less crazy, and I still have a pile of new albums I’d like to blather about.

Anyway, things have also been broiling in the black metal world lately. Between more run ins with the law, attention being paid to great underground bands, and the past rearing it’s head, a lot has happened in 2013. So without further ado, enough about me. Let’s talk about…

20 Year Album Anniversaries

This year contained the anniversary years of a lot of amazing albums. Some of the heaviest hitters, of course, being Immortal’s Pure Holocaust and Darkthrone’s A Blaze In the Northern Sky (the latter has been spinning in my car lately, it being Minnesota and winter and all). Next year, of course, will see the 20^th anniversary of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. May have to get myself a vinyl of that to celebrate (and by may, I mean, will, of course).

Obscure, Fantastic Black Metal is Seeping Into the States

Maryland Deathfest has just been an absolute hotbed for great black metal lately, and obscure stuff, too. This past year saw Aosoth and Antaeus playing sets on the same day (poor guys must have been exhausted. I was exhausted, and I was just watching them), along with fellow countrymen Glorior Belli and the incredible Ascension, whom I had never before heard of and stand very much corrected. Upcoming in 2014, MDF has plans to host Mgla, Enthroned, and Taake, just to name a few. Hopefully Hoest can stay out of trouble for long enough to play a set in Baltimore, and hopefully he will have pants (dear god, let him have pants. I’ve already seen more of that guy than I want to).

Black Metal Pop Culture Is At Its Height

Black metal is gaining popularity outside the underground, for better or worse (hipsters are the new core kids, I ‘spose). However, this is not always a bad thing. Vegan Black Metal Chef, for instance, is working on a cookbook, and metal cookbooks are the best. Likewise, we got a multi-part web documentary on one man black metal projects that was quite illuminating. While the fascination of those whom Nathan Explosion would refer to as “regular jackoffs” has resulted in such happenings as the short film on black metal that aired early this year that I ultimately decided I couldn’t be okay with, this interest in black metal has also resulted in such awesomeness as the brand spanking new book, Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult. My copy just arrived in my hot little hands today, and my, if it doesn’t seem like a treasure trove. Have already heard great reviews from a trusted source on the Mayhem bits, and anyone who actually sees fit to provide Funeral Mist with their deserved place in the canon has my full attention. Looking forward to devouring this thing in the time left before school starts. And speaking of Funeral Mist…

Funeral Mist is Alive

It lives! Arioch has seen fit to bless his followers with a box set that is pretty much of epic proportions. I am going to do an actual in depth review of the thing soon, but for the time being, suffice it to say that it is an extremely nice edition, and the sound is much improved, at least from the CDs that I have. Trisagion is a beautiful thing, not least of all because it is proof that Funeral Mist is still alive and kicking, at least for a while longer.

Varg Gets, Predictably, and Actually Seemingly Unfairly, Arrested. Again.

Back in July of this year, infamous murdering racist creepy DnD-picture-staging weirdo Varg Vikernes was arrested, again, along with his wife. Vikernes was stockpiling guns, apparently, and was, predictably, taken into custody because when you’re a famous, high profile criminal, and you’re stockpiling weapons, that’s what happens. From the reports that I’ve read, however, it seems to me that Vargy Varg is actually innocent of doing anything wrong this time. Nevertheless, Varg now has one more arrest on his record. Wonder what the French black metal guys think of him?

Varg Quits Black Metal. Again.

Apparently everyone’s favorite church arsonist is also throwing in the towel in terms of composing black metal, again. As anyone who’s followed Burzum for longer than twenty minutes can tell you, this is not an uncommon occurrence. He’ll probably be back. But just in case he’s not, Varg’s played himself out with this little ditty, which is, once again, quite lovely.

The Lid Finally Blows Off on Blake Judd’s Shenanigans

Blake Judd, notorious frontman of Nachtmystium, found himself having a very bad year indeed despite an apparently successful comeback last year that I actually blogged about. Silencing Machine made it onto my list of best albums for 2012, utilizing an original approach that blended black metal and industrial music, Mr. Judd got married, and everyone was so happy to hear that he was finally recovering from his legendary drug addiction. This year, Nachtmystium has been put on indefinite hiatus, rumors are circulating that Judd stole the name and project behind Hate Meditation (whose new release, Scars, is not bad at all), apparently his wife divorced him, and last I heard, he was behind bars in Cook County jail for ripping off countless people who never got the merch and stuff that he’d promised them, having tied up all of their money in… something. Projects. Drugs. Who knows. I don’t. All I know is that I met the guy last year, and he was really cheerful and nice to me and J, and I am sad to hear about all this, because it always sucks to find that people are not as nice as you thought they were.

Kim Carlsson Dyes Hypothermia Shirts With His Own Blood

Yeah. So that happened early in the year. Fascinating stuff; I decided, however, that Kim and I are just not close enough yet for me to feel comfortable owning a shirt that’s been mixed in his blood. And by that I mean that I don’t know him at all. They are one of a kind anyway. (And there aren’t any more available. Kim has, obviously, a limited amount of materials to work with).

Watain Writes A Ballad

And it’s pretty damned good, I think.

Rest in Peace, Euronymous

I didn’t do a special post in his honor like I do normally, probably because August 10^th was about the epicenter of my depressive meltdown that had been oncoming for about a year and a half. Nevertheless, we should always strive to remember our fallen brothers. Hail, Euronymous. Rest in peace.

***

And yes, actually, I’m listening through the new Horna right now, trying to scramble to hear as much new black metal as I can to draft your best of list. (Why does this track sound like Watain?)

-Hagalaz

R.I.C., Jon Nödtveidt

June 28, 1975- August 13, 2006

Reign in Chaos, brother.

Picture from Encyclopedia Metallum.

Review: Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook

For my first post of 2013, I figured I would write a review of Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook, which I got in the mail yesterday as a late Christmas present. The book was compiled by Annick “Morbid Chef” Giroux (also known as “Sat-Annick” of the Canadian doom metal band Cauchemar), who began soliciting recipes from bands all over the world in an attempt to create an international cookbook with the additional goal of proving that not all metal heads subsist on pizza and Bachelor Chow. She also attempted to include bands that were less known but none the less deserving, like Sir Lord Baltimore, who allegedly invented heavy metal but never got the props for it, and Grimorium Verum, Ecuador’s first black metal band.

With 101 recipes, this cookbook is quite the compendium. The cover claims that they are “basic” recipes too, which seems to be true- the ones that I have looked over closely seem mostly straightforward and pretty simple to make. Of course, there are some recipes for more experienced cooks in it as well; L’Impero Delle Ombre’s Focaccia Pugliese recipe, while completely awesome looking, does call for you to make your own dough. However, some of them are a simple as King Ov Hell’s Shellfish Crossfire, which is pretty much stir-fried prawns.

What 101 recipes looks like.

The recipes themselves are very nicely laid out over two pages with the name of the recipe, the band that submitted it, and which country they come from at the top of the first page. Ingredients, cook-time and portions are all listed along the left hand side with instructions in the middle of the page. Giroux also adds her own notes on most all of the recipes, with comments on how to substitute for less common ingredients as well as slight alterations that can be made to the dish. The right page contains a large, colorful photo of the finished product as well as a short bio about the band that contributed the recipe underneath, which is nice since there was a concentrated effort on Giroux’ part to make sure some lesser known bands got in the book.

Lots of yummy looking lamb dishes!

It’s also a very thorough cookbook, containing appetizers, beef, poultry, lamb, pork, vegetarian dishes, desserts, and even a few cocktails. It also contains a short list of cooking supplies at the beginning of the book that tells you what pots and pans and cooking utensils you will need (“weapons of mass nutrition”) as well as some tips from Giroux about food preparation, like how to chop hot peppers carefully or how to freeze food. The table of contents is very user friendly, and the back of the book contains an index of the bands too, in case you remembered the band but not the submission. Very accessible and helpful, then, for someone like myself who is just learning how to cook.

Table of Contents. There’s quite a bit in here, and it’s easy to navigate, unlike any of the other black metal books I own

The recipes themselves for the most part look absolutely delicious. There are a crapton of yummy-looking lamb dishes in here, some awesome looking deserts, and some great looking pastas. There is also Funerot’s Pizza Cake, which… sounds like something a thrash band would devise. Thin Lizzy submitted a delicious looking jambalaya (I absolutely LOVE Cajun food), Tankard’s Beer Pizza Crust made it in as well, and Mayhem submitted the national dish of Norway, Fårikål (Hellhammer’s recipe, thank the gods). And of course, Slayer Mag favorites Sadistik Exekution’s Black Metal Berry Pie, which looks absolutely phenomenal.

It also contains Pizza Cake.

Black Metal Berry Pie.

All and all, Hellbent for Cooking seems like a great little starter cookbook as well as a fun fan object for metalheads. I’m hoping to make something from it this weekend- I have a party to go to, and I’m thinking some of the vegetarian options or the appetizers will be really good to make. I’ll also update on here if I make anything from it, just like I did when I cooked some of Vegan Black Metal Chef’s stuff, to give you all a heads up (I still can’t find any truffle oil).

One of my favorite pictures. There’s also a lot of humor in here. Yes, my blanket has cats on it

Seriously seriously going to try to update more. Until then.

-Hagalaz

French Black Metal: A Couple of Influential Labels

For the final installment (for now) of my serial on French black metal, I thought I would address a couple of the French labels that have been very influential in the development of both the French scene and the black metal scene in general.

Season of Mist

Founded in 1996 by Michael S. Berberian, Season of Mist has become a quite famous label and distributor for black metal in particular, although they also release a lot of death metal, pagan metal, avant-garde, and all the other genres us black metal fans find ourselves listening to frequently. Although the label was started in and still has an operation in Marseilles, they also have a Philadelphia office and a partnership with EMI that helps them distribute in the U.S.

[Mayhem’s Grand Declaration of War was the first big black metal release from SOM, which initiated their taking on more black metal bands]

Perhaps the turning point for Season of Mist was their signing of Mayhem and subsequent release of Grand Declaration of War. A controversial album even among fans, this release had to have been a huge risk for the label to take (although I think the album has a lot of merit. There’s a post in there somewhere). Signing a groundbreaker like Mayhem always comes with advantages, however, and soon SOM found themselves with a slew of black metal bands on their hands.

[Like Rotting Christ. Season of Mist collects groundbreaking black metal artists like I collect Mayhem bootlegs]

According to Wikipedia, Season of Mist’s name originates from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and, yes, also the Sandman volume Seasons of Mist (in which Lucifer retires and hands Hell over to Morpheus). It is also a line in Keats’ “To Autumn.” I personally think this is really rad, as I study literature, and I think it’s very fitting for a label that largely specializes in black metal. For a genre that is so pensive and often references literary sources (ooh, I need to blog about that), a line from Shakespeare is a good fit.

[These guys were also on Season of Mist. Love this song]

Some cool stuff that Season of Mist has put out recently include Watain’s brand spanking new box set o’ vinyls, which looks amazing. They are also re-releasing In Solitude’s first album.

I have almost ordered something from their distro before, and though I completely screwed up my order (my fault, not theirs), they were very, very helpful in helping me sort out the situation.

[Sideshow Symphonies was one of theirs, too. This has been one of my frequent listens in the past couple of months]

Norma Evangelium Diaboli (Noevdia)

Norma Evangelium Diaboli, or Noevdia, is one of the greatest little labels that few have heard of. Begun on January 1 of 2005 by people who remain largely anonymous, but at least one of whom is in Deathspell Omega (yes, that Deathspell Omega), Noevdia has dedicated itself to distributing and promoting bands in the Orthodox Black Metal scene. Of course, Deathspell Omega themselves are very dedicated to their brand of metaphysical Satanism; it makes sense that a label closely affiliated with them would reflect that.

[Of course, they release DSO’s stuff]

As far as I can tell, Noevdia has yet to sign a band that is not completely awesome. Although they tend to stick with the Satanic black metal bands, they have signed the cream of the crop of that lot to their ranks over the years. Antaeus’ records were released on Noevdia, as were the works of Funeral Mist and Ofermod. Also on Noevdia is Teitanblood, who I didn’t realize I loved so much until just recently.

[How do I love thee, Funeral Mist?]

Noevdia’s website is aesthetically awesome. It’s all in pretty black and grey, and the images are really fantastic. You kind of have to do some investigating to figure stuff out as far as ordering goes, but then again, with the mastermind behind Deathspell Omega working for them, you don’t expect straightforward. It’s an old school way of doing things; you contact them by email and tell them your order, and then they calculate the price plus shipping. My experience with them this past summer was absolutely fantastic. They were very amiable and responded very quickly to my emails, and the turn-around for shipping was extremely fast.

[Spanish black metal. Awesome]

Noevdia is also partnered with The Ajna Offensive, who distributes their releases in the U.S. Typically, Ajna is my first stop for Noevdia artists, and hopefully I don’t have to try to hunt them down elsewhere (although I do attest to the label’s distribution. Like I said, they were wonderful when I ordered from them this summer). Please consider buying their bands’ stuff from them or from Ajna; both are small labels run by (really nice) people who are very dedicated to the music.

[“Cut your flesh and worship Satan”- Antaeus (if I don’t come back from MDF with that t-shirt, I’ve failed somehow)]

(Also, I’m aware that Season of Mist is re-releasing some of the older Noevdia catalog. I don’t know anything about it beyond that, but I will assume nothing nefarious until it’s shown me. If there’s a political issue with me discussing both these guys in the same post, let me know and I’ll fix it]

***

I’m working on trying to compile a best of list for the year, and it’s tricky. First it means I’m trying to listen to the new black metal stuff I haven’t heard yet, sometimes running into road blocks based on availability (as much as I’d love to just immediately buy them all, I can’t afford to). And then trying to pick the bests? Yikes. It has been a very good year for black metal. That’s a lot of pressure.

Anyway, that’s coming up eventually as well as other stuff. Until next time.

-Hagalaz

Les Légions Noires: THE French Black Metal Underground

Everyone is familiar with the legendary “Black Circle” of the early Norwegian black metal scene, the alleged “cult” or “black metal mafia” that existed to terrorize Christians and set fire to churches (the keyword here being “alleged;” there’s not any evidence to prove that the Black Circle was anything other than a bunch of friends who happened to hang out in the same basement). Whether or not the Black Circle actually existed as an organized group is up for debate, but there’s little doubt that the early Norwegian second-wave sustained itself through a small group of dedicated people who eagerly supported one another’s musical endeavors. The same thing seems to have occurred in Sweden (still don’t know a damned thing about it), and also in France. And that is where we go today, to the port-town of Brest in Brittany, central command of the French “black circle” known as Les Légions Noires.

Les Légions Noires is made up of… a lot of bands, actually, but it will be easiest, I think, to address some of the heavy hitters. Like the Norwegian and Swedish scenes, this French scene was highly internalized, but LLN in particular seems to have released their music primarily for themselves and the very tiny scene to which they belonged, not necessarily wanting any outside attention. They seemingly tried to distance themselves from Norway, in fact; according to Petrifier ‘zine, Wlad Drakksteim of Vlad Tepes claimed that the “Norwegian mafia did lots of ‘bad’ things to this world. With Euronymous death MAYHEM is definitely dead and it’s better like this as it will help Black Metal to return to darkness.” He also expressed disinterest in Varg Vikernes, claiming that “WE have OUR opinions and he certainly knows them so…” This disinterestedness in the Norwegian scene led to an interesting little internal scene in France, which remained underground largely due to the dedication of its members in keeping it so. Despite the huge amount of projects in LLN, very few full length albums were ever released, the bands mostly putting out a slew of demos instead.

Though there are multitudinous projects in LLN, the four most famous ones, which I will focus on today, are Mütiilation, Vlad Tepes, Torgeist, and Belkètre.

Mütiilation

Mütiilation are easily the most well-known of the LLN bands, making their way into the album collections of black metal fans and even onto battle jackets every once in a while. They originated actually nowhere near Brest, but in Grabels, Languedoc-Roussillon near Montpellier. Mütiilation was a one man band founded by Meyhna’ch, though various session members flitted in and out over the years.

[Despite the apparent dislike of some of these bands for Mayhem, Meyhna’ch’s vocals remind me here of Attila’s droning vocals on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas]

Though Meyhna’ch was apparently expelled from LLN in 1995 due to a drug problem (according to Encyclopedia Metallum), Mütiilation was the longest lasting of the LLN bands, and their status as a not-completely-unknown band might be due to that. Mütiilation played two shows, both in 2001, and actually released six full length albums (along with hours of other recorded material). Although Mütiilation is believed everywhere I have seen to no longer exist, the band did release an EP just this year called “Black as Lead and Death” (perhaps a re-release? I don’t know. Meyhna’ch does a good job of lying low).

[I love the fading in and out of stereo in this song. It’s alarming and makes my head feel funny. Just… absolutely mind-blowing stuff]

Vlad Tepes

Vlad Tepes, from whose ranks I quoted earlier, are from Brest in Brittany. They derived their name, obviously, from the 15^th century ruler of Wallachia, also known as Dracula. Despite their high status in the dark recesses of the black metal underground, Vlad Tepes actually never released any full length albums. Their entire prolific discography was relegated to splits and demos.

[About their namesake]

Comprised of Wlad Drakksteim and Worlok Drakksteim, Vlad Tepes formed in 1992. Worlok Drakksteim had another band called Black Murder, also a part of LLN. Infamous for their rather outspoken views on the black metal scene of the mid-90s and their death threats to Petrified ‘zine (please don’t kill me, guys. I like you), Vlad Tepes has become one of the most loved bands of the underground circuit primarily because of their rock-based, gritty approach to black metal.

Torgeist

Torgeist are from Martignas-sur-Jalle, Acquitaine, and got their start in 1992. The name Torgeist comes from German and means “ghost/spirit of the gate.” They released three demos and a split all in the mid-90s, and according to Encylopedia Metallum, most of their lyrics center on Satanism.

[Love that grainy sound]

Like the other LLN bands, Torgeist’s recordings are very low-fi and crackly, arguably just as they should be. Not much information is floating around out on the interwebs about Torgeist, but they do share members with Belkètre, another prominent band in LLN. Incidentally, Lord Beleth’Rim, who did vocals and guitars for Torgeist, has an active band called Vermeth, which started in 2001.

[You gotta love these old recordings]

[Vermeth, Lord Beleth’Rim’s band after Torgeist]

Belkètre

Belkètre, as I mentioned earlier, was comprised of some of the members of Torgeist. They originated in Bergerac, Acquitaine also in 1992. Before adopting the name Belkètre, they cycled through a couple of others, starting off as Chapel of Ghouls and then becoming Zelda for a while. Belkètre put out three demos and a split with Vlad Tepes, which the folks over at Encyclopedia Metallum seem to particularly love.

[This is some of the rawest, craziest sounding stuff I’ve ever heard. I kind of love it]

According to the Metal Archives, Belkètre’s lyrical themes deal mostly with despair, disgust, and hatred, and I would say that they do an excellent job of achieving those emotions in sonic form. Belkètre’s music is raw and extremely ugly, and completely and totally awesome.

[Incidentally, this is the same band. Yes. The same one]

***

So now you have a very brief introduction to some of the most famous bands in the infamous Les Légions Noires. I don’t think that any of these bands exist in any form any longer (I think the Mütiilation EP from this year is a reissue perhaps), nor do you often any longer find this kind of concentrated focus on making music that is unlistenable to most people. LLN never intended for a vast audience to get a hold of these recordings; fortunately for us, they are mostly on YouTube now. While they may not have circulated their numerous demos, splits, and compilations during their heyday in the nineties, Les Légions Noires were a profound part of the early black metal scene. Some of the stylings that characterize this music can be found in later French black metal (I feel like Deathspell Omega are definitely Belkètre fans).

Anyway, I know that this post isn’t too in depth- to be honest it’s hard to find much on these guys. They’ve hidden themselves well. Their music, however, is starting to crop up all over the internet; I know Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes have numerous fans over in the black metal subreddit, for instance. I hope that this post at least gives you a taste of some of the more famous/infamous bands of Les Légions Noires, and that you might find something you like among them. There are multiple flavors in this mix, but all with the same ethos and goals, and no French black metal post is complete without a reference to the Black Legions.

Finally winding down in the school year, so I can update this thing more often again (yay). Got one more “French black metal post;” I want to address some of the awesome record labels in France that have released some of this brilliant music I’ve been blathering about off and on for the past couple of months. Also, I will be working on a best of list for 2012- the ones I’ve seen so far are getting it all wrong (Mgla should be on everyone’s “best of.” Srsly).

Until then,

Hagalaz