Arkhon - I Am the Skull (self-released, 2006)

Demos are always a hard affair, since a considerable chunk of them belongs to that unlucky category of releases which, for want of a better work done behind the studio controls, are left to dwell in mediocrity even if they are of well-above average quality. Nonetheless, Arkhon are commendable at the least, for having such limitations borne with innovation and youthful fervor, so that after the convincingly forceful demo opener "Human" sets the scene, this five-track piece doesn't let down; punishing from beginning to end. Evidently, there is an improvement production-wise in comparison to their previous offering, although still not straying far from a middling caliber.Arkhon manage to pull through a fine craft of black/death, with all five tracks conspicuously orbiting around the pervading melody of Hellenic black metal with measured death/thrash excursions of a more Swedish demeanor. Tri-partite demo closer and contended highlight, "Vanity", sports abrasive riffage interluded with slower, chugging parts. Female vocals and keyboards keep the listener at a constant state of anticipation for the final discharge, which welcomingly comes blasting through with the track's third and concluding part. Swerving between relentless aggression and melancholic harmonies, the transpiring aura of "I Am the Skull", coalesced with the well thought-out lyricism, gives off a clear sense of distinctiveness, a lasting imprint so to speak, which delivers the demo's musical concept with conviction. All ill-fated hindrances aside, this may well be a promising sign of the best that is yet to come from this Cypriot outfit. 
 

Contact: http://www.arkhon.tk

 (originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 10/1/2006)

Enshadowed/Thornspawn - 6 Black Candles, 6 Rotting Hearts, 6 Sacrifices for Satan (Zyklon-B, 2007)

Well lookie what the cat dragged in... Right, if you're a fan of Thornspawn you might as well skip this part – slap this baby on your CD-player, turn up the volume and sit back while this searing split incinerates any remaining nerve cells you've got left and once again leave you with that familiar grin of stupefied satisfaction. For the few (or many?) who've never before heard of Thornspawn let me take a different approach than most: instead of cataloguing their usual merits and/or peeves, parading the ever-so hackneyed epithets such as "furious", "blasphemous" et al in the process, I’ll employ a negative ontology of sorts. First of all Thornspawn don’t give a shit. They don’t care if they sound "the same" or if they sound like "a hair dryer stuck in the maximum setting”. They don’t care if their output to date doesn’t follow the zeitgeist of their niche either - things like "trendy" and "conformity" are terms they have been estranged with for a long, long time now. Thornspawn don’t like melody. Period. Thornspawn's drummer doesn’t so much play as blast and their vocalist doesn’t so much sing as growl/shriek/scream as if his bollocks were set ablaze. Thornspawn are most certainly NOT available for children's parties. Thornspawn aren’t exactly sheep prancing gleefully amidst the flock. As a matter of fact, within this particular context they'd probably be some disease-stricken wolf that not only maims and kills any unlucky quadruped that might un-knowingly cross its way but also finds some inexplicable joy in pissing on its headless carcass. And finally Thornspawn don’t like you - yes YOU; they want you dead and they want you NOW. Now that we got this rather tongue-slightly-in-cheek prelude out of the way, let me clarify that I’m not your typical, zealous Thornspawn fan. Far from it. Although their signature album ‘Wrath of War’ - especially - has enjoyed quite a lot of spin time on my CD-player, I wouldn’t generally describe them as the ideal afternoon pastime nowadays. Nevertheless, on their side of this musical dish they effectively maintain their high-octane, abrasive style. Indeed, from a strictly compositional perspective, they haven’t changed much: lead by a raw percussive delivery, they’ve dutifully retained their old-school Possessed-cum-Tormentor-tainted edge (sans the solos…), albeit in some parts admittedly more prominent than others. However there is a distinctive shift in their textural set-up since they’ve opted for a thinner and 'treblier' guitar tone thus conferring their sound with a more razor-sharp/angular quality. Alrighty then, ‘nuff said; now unto Enshadowed...

Now this certainly is a blast from the past. I remember when I first came across their demo ‘Cremation Odes’ some 8 years ago. For the more romantically inclined black metal aficionados, their black metal at the time was a riveting conflation of Norwegian aggression and Swedish melodicism. Gradually afterwards the inevitable happened: the death metal virus struck and it slowly and steadily metastasized, eventually by their album “Intensity”, taking hold of just about everything, from rhythm section to guitar work at the expense of their erstwhile engaging emotiveness. Surprisingly enough though, on this very split where I’d expect them to just sit back, bite their nails and watch with perverse admiration while Thornspawn mercilessly plow through yet another helpless virgin, Enshadowed pound forth with relentless percussion and string-propelled thrust. They even manage to steal the center-stage more than a few times with a boisterous combination of militant dynamics and dissonant, straight-up riffage which is quite reminiscent of Arkhon Infaustus and even Antaeus from their later catalogue. As a matter of fact, the abovementioned signifies a deviation of their stylistic axis towards a more Gallo-Swedish tangent – which progressively perhaps is the best step they could’ve made.

I could’ve easily ended the review here but oddly enough there is still something nagging me at the back of my mind that my writer’s conscience (is there such a thing now? I wonder…) won’t allow me to dispense with. The fact is both bands deliver the goods with a febrile tenacity and technical conviction which, ipso facto, elevate them above a mediocre stature. But at the end of the day what we have with this aesthetical hyperbole is yet another bucket-load of the same, re-re-regurgitated ideology that ultimately smashes itself against the inevitable cul-de-sac that befalls any artistic expression, of one form or another, that has outstretched its temporal prime. Especially when it comes to Thornspawn, no matter what retro-traditionalist brand you might want to bestow upon these sort of offerings, such as “true”, ”cult” or whatever, after a couple of listens they sound monochromatic and tiring to my desensitized ears. Yeap, it’s good stuff but not really my cup of tea. Not anymore.

(originally written for Diabolical Conquest - 2008)

Arkhon - Tainted Dogma (self-released, 2004)

 

Certainly not something you see everyday! Firstly I have to say that Cyprus has never found itself popular in the black/death metal area. Mostly because of a general lack of good bands in that particular genre and the minimal presence of something atleast resembling a metal scene. Godblood's "Those Funeral Times" dark album released almost a decade ago still remains alone and unfollowed.. Nevertheless what we have here is a fine specimen of Cyprus black/death straight from the capitals pits!

Now unto the demo. For some reason when I first heard the demo two bands came to my mind: Absurd (Asgradsrei) and Varathron (pre Walpurgisnacht era). After a listen or two I realised why. Its not necessarily because of any similarity between the technical aspects (although the raw and harsh production between the demo and Absurd's pre 1997 releases bear a striking rememblance) of the two bands but more the feeling. Yes there is that tinge of creativity in the demo. There are some interesting ideas; they do need work but they are *there*. Its like a fade voice emanating throughout the demo's songs urging to be heard. There are some good moments in the demo but at times its nature seems mediocre and offhand which is probably due to a lack of experience and hinders the bands strive for an individual identity. First it starts out with a somewhat smooth guitar play before the rest of the band kicks in. The song maintains a fairly good posture throughout making it a good candidate for a standout track. Next two songs push through more or less on the same mid-tempo scales heightening in short spurts to faster rhythms. Onwards to Bloodwing rebellion, where the bands lack of experience and poor technical acquisition is again evident, the guitars are striving to follow rhythm changes, hardly any maintanance of tempo thrust (the artificial nature of the drum machine makes it sound somewhat out of sync) and the solos which at times seem completely out of place. Santes Sanctorum cranks out some catchy melodies here and there that I must admit caused the occasional nod of the head. The vocalist manages a good delivery throughout maintaining that menacing tone of aggression. Its definetely a style suited for the bands sound. Last song At the rotting gates of heaven has some interesting elements thrown in including a synth intro to transcend the moods lets say and the vocalist recitating the lyrics midway in a deep bassy voice. And finally the demo ends pretty much how it started: with a smooth guitar play fading into silence. Lyrically the band deals with mythological(?)/historical events (namely Tenth Archon) to deeply personal (Tear on the Heart, At the rotting gates of heaven). Can't say that there is any sort of ideology expressed or a general concept; more like a collection of dark prose trying to express the angst of a turmoiled psyche that most extreme black/death bands seem to center around.

I guess there's only one thing to say here: practise and *only* practise makes perfect. Its the bands first steps here and I see them as a growing ball of fire; whether it'll grow or fade out only time will show. 

Up the horns and support the f*cking underground!

(written for Metal Archives - 20/3/2005)

Salacious Gods - Piene (Folter Records, 2005)

 

Seven years since their first demo ("The Slumbering Silence") released back in 1998 the Dutchmen strike with "Piene" this being their third release. The aim of the band has always been to produce raw and fast black metal drawing influences from early Samael and Tiamat and also incorporating elements from early thrash acts such as Kreator. Throughout the course of their previous two albums the band has always strived to push the envelope even further in terms of aggression and rawness. Their latest work draws influences from both the Norwegian and Swedish scenes especially taking heed of the early Swedish school of black metal, namely early Bathory, early Marduk (up to "Panzer division Marduk") and even Thy Primordial. "Piene" presents us with 10 tracks of harsh and aggressive black metal almost always pacing on fast tempo rhythms but never loosing in momentum. Steakelhorn rasps your typical angst-ridden vocals wavering between screams and screeches never letting back in terms of pure aggression. Guitars are readily emphasized and move on elaborate and interesting compositions and retaining the harshness element at the same time. This deviates the band's sound away from otherwise more minimalistic approaches employed by other bands in the genre. The production is not overdone nor neglected giving all instruments their room to breath so to speak. Important thing to stress here is the excellent drumming delivered with Fjildslach hammering blissfully throughout the record, never loosing a beat whilst maintaining blasting and lower rhythms at any time. Some standpoint tracks where the band shows its teeth are "Black Bile desecration", "Striem Op De Pokkel" and "Hexencult" with the last being admittedly the reference point for their future sound. I have a feeling though that the overall output was not as convincing as the band might've intended; leaving us (well atleast myself) hoping that their best release has yet to come. 

(originally written for Tartarean Desire - 9/7/2005)

A.I.D.S. - Syndrome of the End Approaching (Serpens Caput Productions, 2006)

 

One-man bands seem to be en vogue in the US black metal scene. Here we have yet another promising such act added to the ranks of USBM, manned by one Tophetarath, perhaps more known for his work with outfits such as Lonewalker, Fog, Nokturnel and Hordes of the Lunar Eclipse. Bristling with a gritty attitude, things are quite simple with A.I.D.S. No intricate melodies, and no northern romanticisms either. All we've got is a boisterous chaos of violent black metal reminiscent of class acts such as Black Witchery and Blasphemy, although with less of the scuzz. "Necrovore" (an eye-poking nod towards the early movements of black metal primitivism) and "Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum" are prime examples of the aforementioned description.

Riffage is, as proper 'decorum' dictates, eardrum-scraping and relentless, carried on fast tempos. The 'buried' production provides even more in the way of rawness, while the tense drumming adds to the charm of the music. Slower, moodier passages sporadically also crop out, in contrast to other outfits of their ilk, where breakneck speeds are uninhibitedly propelled throughout the album lest they give a break to the unstoppable blasts.

Unfortunately though, there are parts where what Tophetarath is trying to achieve eludes me and evades the real essence of the record. However, the musical mayhem that is sported is in equal measures dirty, vulgar and hateful, and ultimately efficient in conveying the album's ominous concept. 

As a final note, the uninitiated should stay at a fair distance; this could well turn out to be one of the worst headaches of their lives. 

Contact: http://www.myspace.com/theensomberoom/  

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 2/8/2006)

Black Metal: Transcending the genre

“I reject the gift of life”, MkM (Antaeus)

This article aims to present a few thoughts on the ‘black metal’ mindscape from a more ideological perspective thus hopefully conferring a more cerebral understanding of the genre’s aesthetics. A brief recap of its history and chronology is also necessary to highlight a few key landmark events that shaped black metal as we know it today. 

Since the dawn of time, man has strived to express himself in a spiritual and artistic manner. But alas the human psyche is certainly not of a uniform nature. It is multipartite and comprising of many facets, which could even be interpreted as bipolar in nature. Throughout the human epoch there has always been that primal strive for survival from which musical _expression stemmed forth. From man’s joyous ecstasies of rejoicing in his well-being to the negativistic apprehension of his ultimate fate: death, all the spectrum of human emotion has burrowed itself through artistic outlet. Be it positive or negative, ALL sentiments and emotions have a place within the human soul and as such can become the creative fodder from which artistic inspiration can be ignited. Through the ages we have observed a multitude of musical artistry, from Beethoven’s compositional genius to the more ritualistic and simple ceremonial music which accompany pagan ceremonies since antiquity. When Black Metal hit the world, almost 25 years ago an astute observer could have seen it as a validation of one simple saying: “The human soul is an abyss.” 

When Venom started back in 1981, releasing the single "In League with Satan/Live Like an Angel, Die Like A Devil" they would have never guessed what their image and their music would inspire. After a year they released the now monumental "Black Metal" album from which the aforementioned metal genre would derive its name. Further North, Bathory (Quorthon, R.I.P.) put forth the musical standard of what we today call Black Metal with the release of the self-titled "Bathory" album in 1984. After that, Bathory released a further number of albums from which the "Blood Fire Death" was to be the cornerstone indeed of what we might call today Epic Black Metal. It is important to note the truly sensational Celtic Frost, a true living legend since 1984, when they released their "Apocalyptic Raids" album (as Hellhammer). Celtic Frost's "Morbid Tales", "To Mega Therion" and "Into The Pandemonium" albums are to this day considered as classics, cementing themselves as true masters in the scene. Of course this incipient underground movement couldn't have missed America, from the US scene sprouted bands such as Absu, Blasphemy, Profanatica which were true to the spirit that gave birth to their musical _expression. 

But this is not a question of technical originality (or lack thereof…); it is a matter of musical evolution. What these early bands managed to show was that Black Metal could be a means of expressing the negative aspect of the psyche in a more pure and almost exclusive manner. There was always music which drew from a more pessimistic and negative attitude but never before had a musical genre attained such a monumental apotheosis of all that is dark and macabre. The initial shock-value was indeed more than considerable. Actually its reverberations can still be heard today. Now what exactly is it that makes Black Metal, well… black? A re-visiting of the genre’s roots is in order. 

Black metal may be considered as the spiritual bastard child of death metal. When death metal reared its ugly head back in the 80’s the media initially saw it as a jumbled concoction of musical cacophony played by disgruntled testosterone-crazed teenagers, a poor offshoot of speed metal threaded with punk rock attitude. What the media failed to see at the time was that death metal had a firm rooting in social malcontent which delved deeper than superficial adolescent rebellion but as such it imposed a limit on itself, both ideologically and resourcefully in the long run. At the same time black metal was open-ended, anyone who was playing fast, incorporated satanic lyrics and had the appropriate uncompromising image could be dubbed either death or black metal or essentially extreme metal. And then suddenly came Mayhem… 

Mayhem can be regarded as the archetype of black metal anti-conformism. The quartet that comprised it back in 1986 (Manheim, Necrobutcher, Euronymous, Messiah) taken aback by Celtic Frost’s monumental records, Slayer’s unrelenting musicianship and of course Venom, set out to play as raw and extreme as possible. Cacophonous, harsh and at times inaudible, ‘Pure Fucking Armageddon’ was the fruit of this early endeavor. Actually the sound quality on their following demo ‘Voice Of A Tortured Skull‘ is so bad, there are still speculations as to whether vocals were featured on the demo or not. Nonetheless, a small group of listeners gathered around the band and a small but dedicated following was slowly taking shape. The central figure of this early ‘movement’ so to speak was Oystien Åarseth (a.k.a. Euronymous). A good number of bands (including Immortal and the then Black Death, Darkthrone’s previous moniker) influenced by his imposing figure switched camps from straight-out US-influenced Death Metal to the newly-shaped Black Metal camp. Starting with Euronymous' Black Metal Mafia, which tried to bring together bands sharing a common ideology, a strong bond was being cultivated which still encircles bands and individuals to this day, something which differentiated black metal from otherwise lowbrow genres. The power of black metal began to spurt through the ideas it conveyed. Where death metal's lyrics dealt with the idea of death (murder, torture, portrayals of hellish places) almost exclusively, black metal went more deep with its lyrical content, brushing with spiritual and esoteric matters. Unfortunately the events (i.e. church burnings, murders, vandalisms) that followed would eclipse much of the seriousness that the genre intrinsically might’ve intended. Nonetheless in 1991, with Darkthrone’s seminal ‘A Blaze In the northern sky’, black metal was at last reaping what it had sowed with the early albums of Bathory, Venom and Celtic Frost. 

Now Darkthrone deserves a line or two. ‘ABITNS’ was black metal taken to a whole new level, incorporating syncopated rhythms, tremolo riffing and consistently repeated patterns with short punk-inspired up-tempo spurts. Fenriz successfully experimented with the then musical conventions, dismantling them through deconstructive minimalism and presenting them as such in their bare essentials. At the time it was a middle-finger raised against all musical conformism. The betrayed metal fan who saw his idols being sold out into opportunistic commercialisms on the front covers of mainstream magazines had somewhere to turn to. If rock and punk were against social conformity then black and death metal at the time, were a fist against any conformity, a reaction against a reaction, a revolution against a revolution. Although Norway could be regarded as the epicenter of black metal in the early 90’s, a flurry of bands followed, each contributing its own riveting blend of black metal to the now fervent scene. Bands and individuals, each assimilating the black metal aesthetic in their own manner, sprouted all over the globe; Rotting Christ, Varathron and Necromantia hailing from Greece, Beherit and Impaled Nazarene from Finland, Tormentor from Hungary, Samael from Switzerland and across the Atlantic, Sarcophago from Brazil as well as Blasphemy from Canada and Thornspawn, Profanatica and Havohej from the US. All part of a musical scene which back then was seething with creative innovation. To this day the underground recesses of black metal that initially spawned the genre are at a constant state of unrest but alas, it would be wishful thinking to believe that any band born of ostentatious self-indulgence was or is worthy of bearing the moniker. 

After adopting the black metal aesthetic, a rather unusual teenager at the time, Varg Vikernes, decided to form his own band, the now legendary Burzum. By the age of 19 he already had 3 demos and 1 album under his belt. Although he would later estrange his black metal roots, the exemplary coldness of Burzum’s early catalogue still reverberates throughout the majority of current releases which pride themselves with the black metal label. Indeed very few bands manage to capture in such an unadulterated manner, the very quintessence of black metal. Vikernes in effect conceptualizes the BM musician – illicit activities aside – that is, a human being striving to express his alienation with his environment, an alienation which delves deeper than societal anti-conformity; it is essentially a soul in discordance with its own existence. It is ironic really that the man responsible for such a well endowed and influential musical output would later be responsible for the murder of Euronymous, the ideological purveyor of his musical forte. 

Captivating and amazingly inspirational to a certain group of listeners, black metal can be partly seen as the audible _expression of Nietzsche’s Dionysian restless spirituality of Man. A black metal musician can be regarded as essentially being under a spiritual spell. The music becomes an external medium for his internal perturbations to be expressed. The essential constituent of black metal has never been neither the guitar riffing, the blast beats nor the discordant tremolo pickings, it has always stemmed from the deepest recesses of the human psyche; the fundamental substratum of black metal music is sentiment and as such it can attain a considerable number of musical shades, from the raw and minimalistic to the relentless onslaught of black/thrash. With this in mind, I disregard the flamboyant exhibitionisms of bands such as Dark Funeral, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir as mere manifestations of otherwise ‘extreme’ musicianship; they do not pertain to the spiritual essence of black metal from a purist perspective that initially spawned the genre. And on the other extreme, bands which traditionally were not put under the black metal banner could be termed as black metal from the aspect that they do carry that essential substratum. Bands or individual units, which may have not necessarily made any usage of the aforementioned musical elements and have even gone as far as to abolish the traditional instruments completely from their music but however could be termed as black metal, since they do manage to convey the fundamental nature of the genre, that permeating primordial feeling of apprehension. T.O.M.B, the French Maldoror, Black Pentecost or even Haron are a few good but obscure examples that come to mind. Nevertheless this is not a vindication of any sort of sub-par outfits which use low-fidelity instrumentations to cover their compositional incompetence. 

Throughout the article’s course, I tried to portray black metal as nothing more than an audial medium resonating with mind and spirit and as such when certain BM bands are praising the ultimate destruction of mankind they are essentially extenuating the actual human torment of self-realization of an individual as a mere speck in the enormity of the cosmos. Consequently, what the BM musician in question is trying to achieve through his music is not necessarily limited to conveying his deep-rooted loathing for mankind but also to exorcise his own inner demons that manifest in his hatred. BM is definitely not of a humanly alien nature nor it is a secular and disorganized _expression; it is much more indigenous to the human nature than one might think. Ludwig Feuerbach once wrote that “music is a monologue of emotion” and correspondingly Black Metal can be ultimately interpreted as an emotional outcry, a pure musical manifestation of Man’s perennial angst. 

(originally written for Tartarean Desire - November 2005)

When Hades Strikes...

 

 

 A brief chronicle of the early Hellenic Black Metal movement

Arguably, the early '90s can be considered the most productive period for black metal, giving rise to a number of distinguished scenes around the globe. While Euronymous' Inner Circle was busy raising havoc up north, a smoldering, darkened impetus was building up near the Mediterranean shores which would eventually prove to be one of the most productive and yet perhaps the most underrated of European scenes. Maybe because it was overshadowed by the incidents in Norway, or more importantly because most of the bands themselves involved in those years have long since silenced, the early Hellenic black metal scene has remained largely ignored even by genre devotees. Nonetheless, ask any self-respecting metalhead about the aforementioned scene and he'll be quick to quote you the infamous three: Rotting Christ, Necromantia and Varathron. Of course, although history has primarily saved these three names, the scene itself has offered a considerably larger number of gems from bands which still dwell in obscurity even nowadays, more than ten years after the great boom of the early '90s. Since it is nigh impossible to decisively pin-point the exact quality that gave Hellenic black metal its uniqueness, first a small presentation of the three most influential bands is in order to provide a more generalized idea of the genre.

The most famous and almost synonymous with the genre, Rotting Christ first took form as a threesome back in 1987, then comprising Sakis on vocals and guitars, Jim on bass and Sakis' brother Themis on drums. Their first forage into the annals of extreme metal by the then sixteen year old Sakis and his fellow band-members would see them mostly fidgeting around grindcore. It wasn't until the Passage to Arcturo EP was released that the band would show its most promising direction -- a release that was good or 'bad' enough to convince the notorious Euronymous to sign them to his Deathlike Silence Productions label, a decision that never actually saw fruition. There are still fans who think that the aforementioned EP is the definitive of the RC sound and arguably the best from all subsequent RC releases. However, a more objective observer might beg to differ; their highly regarded debut, Thy Mighty Contract, was released in 1993 through Osmose Records and it was this album that launched the Christs into global attention. (It seems that 1993 was a landmark year for Hellenic black metal, since along RC's Thy Mighty Contract, both Necromantia's and Varathron's debut albums were also released.) When it first hit the media, music journalists found themselves befuddled by the unique approach the Greeksters were employing in their compositions. Consequently the 'Hellenic black metal' dub was bestowed upon them, which would also grace any release of a similar origin and audial character. A year later, the might I say o-r-g-a-s-m-i-c Non Serviam, and also unfortunately their most poorly promoted album, was released through Unisound Records. Following some legal issues with the label, the album would never enjoy the promotion that it rightfully deserved. Strangely, it seems that the band doesn't really mention it in interviews or otherwise written media, again due to the legal issues that preceded. As a consequence, the original pressing (there is at least one bootleg I'm aware of) is their most sought-after album, since at the time of its release it went by largely unnoticed. Of course, their later discography is more than considerable, but I shall restrain myself from delving into their later albums since the primal focus of this essay should be the main events that occurred in the early to mid '90s.

Necromantia are perhaps the most distinct of the three for their infamous idiosyncrasies: complete absence of guitars from their recordings (its place taken by an 8-string bass guitar), abstaining from live appearances, and the relatively low-profile of their members (Magus Wampyr Doaloth and Baron Blood). Their first official release, in which Baudelaire's "Les Litanies de Satan" probably enjoyed its first black metal adaptation, saw the light of day in 1993. Ritualistic atmospheres, maniacal laughter, evil-boding chants, thick and completely unusual compositions, smothered the two tracks that comprised the demo in an ominous, menacing feeling. Their following two albums, Crossing the Fiery Path and Scarlet Evil, Witching Black are yet another two landmarks added to the Hellenic black metal annals which are considerably harsher in their delivery than their scene counterparts. As of late, the ever-present Lethe, who amongst others has taken part in Naer Mataron, Septic Flesh and Horrified, has taken over drum duties.

Finally, no such article would be complete without including the Greek 'swamp lords'. Just by mentioning the monumental His Majesty at the Swamp is enough for their fans to raise an eyebrow. Varathron seem to have taken the smallest piece from the popularity pie, but that certainly doesn't minimize their merit as an outfit which helped define the Hellenic black metal sound. More 'Mediterranean' in a sense and less of an offshoot from the typical black metal framework of the time, mainly because of their conspicuous heavy metal influences, Varathron built a very solid foundation with their first few releases, which still find themselves untainted by hackneyed plagiarisms. Fronted by one very avid underground aficionado's unique vocal delivery, Stefan "Necroabyssious", the band made a name for itself in the black metal circles. Varathron's compositions were overly guitar driven, distinctively boarding with classic heavy metal at times; primarily characterized by melodic, spine-tingling riffage mostly crawling on mid-tempo rhythms whilst occasionally being bolstered by keyboards and synths which only added to the commanding, epic atmosphere of their albums. Consequently His Majesty at the Swamp and Walpurgisnacht are two of the most defining releases in the Hellenic black / heavy sub-genre. Akin to Necromantia's low-profile status, Varathron are rarely seen on stage, although they have played a number of shows.

All three so disparate in terms of musical delivery, but still under the same aesthetic umbrella, the 'unholy triad' of Hellenic black was nothing less than the musical powerhouse that spawned a number of ambitious outfits thereof. The Greek underground was then teeming with a large number of uprising groups, all carrying, through their own personal touch, that typical sound that made the genre so distinct. Following is a concise listing of some of the most highly regarded bands that sprouted from this extremely fertile scene.

Deviser: One of the older groups, they formed in 1989. Like many a 'true' Hellenic black metal release, there are keyboards aplenty on each of their albums, and they were actually one of the first bands to incorporate them in their sound. Still going strong with Running Sore, Deviser make use of violins and female vocals to enhance their music. Magnum opus? Unspeakable Acts, without a shred of a doubt. Majestic atmospheres, intricately woven with that unmistakable aura of black metal Greekness, it is truly one of the better releases that the scene had to offer.

Agatus: Formed in 1992 by Eskarth (The Dark One) and Archon Vorskaath. Although laconic in terms of productivity, their Dawn of Martyrdom debut album undeniably showcases Hellenic black metal at its finest. More influenced by Varathron's mid-tempo deluges, there are a lot of heavy metal influences in their slower parts, yet Agatus are a few notches more aggressive.

Zemial: Agatus' brother band, Zemial was formed one year prior to Agatus by the same aforementioned members. Their sole full-length effort The Glory of UR, which was released in 1999, is pretty much textbook Hellenic black metal, but nonetheless musically weaker than Agatus.

Fiendish Nymph: Shrouded in obscurity, this outfit borrowed heavily from Ancient Greek tradition both lyrically and even musically, making use of instruments supposedly from Greek antiquity. They switched from folk-tinged black to all out folk ritualistic ambient as Daimonia Nymphe, which is the actual Greek translation of their previous moniker. Their Sibyl of Elikona LP is indeed one interesting piece of black metal, easily identifiable by its entrancing, ritualistic atmosphere.

Kawir: Their initial line-up saw the infamous Necroabyssious as their vocalist before Archemoros jumped on the Kawir wagon. They released a split with Sigh back in 1994 (one of the rarest releases from the Greek underground) before releasing their debut To Cavirs. Like Fiendish Nymph, Kawir made extensive use of their antediluvian heritage in their attire, with their debut's lyrics being entirely in Greek. _To Cavirs_ was a pleasingly attention-grabbing album, heavily influenced by Rotting Christ's dark compositions and especially Varathron's epic feeling of their early albums with some heavy metal overtones and of course the occasional flute and female chanting. Their latest, _Arai_, sees them increasing their tempos and decreasing in melody, while switching to Archemoros' interesting (minus pleasing...) vocal delivery, although not weakening in energy by any means.

Vorphalack: Formed by the then Funeral (now Lord Alatoth and only remaining member), Rotting Soul, Than and Alex in the early '90s. Released the Under the Sight of Dragon EP soon after. Although not pertaining to an exactly lucrative career, their contribution is nonetheless considerable.

Nergal: Yet another band doomed to wallow in anonymity. Mostly mid-tempo, claustrophobic songs threaded with discordant keyboard passages made their singular Wizard of Nerath release perhaps one of the aesthetically darkest to come out from the Greek underground.

Legion of Doom: Affiliated with the infamous NSBM movement, once again ancestor worship is the order of the day. Although incorporating a more aggressive approach akin to more Northern musical forms, their origin is instantly recognizable in the melodic song structures that abound especially in For Those of the Blood and Kingdom of Endless Darkness.

Thou Art Lord: Initially comprised of Rotting Christ's Sakis "Necromayhem", Necromantia's Magus Wampyr Doaloth, Gothmog and one Lord Daemon on drums, Thou Art Lord can be regarded as an all-star assemblage. Unsurprisingly, their first two releases simply reek of Rotting Christ influenced passages, which in unison with more belligerent, pummeling thrash-isms on the rhythm section still managed to give this unusual outfit its own personal character -- although it was Eosforos that would prove to be their strongest effort from that era.

So what is the status quo of today's Hellenic black metal? With both Necromantia and Varathron (their latest album not being exactly on par with their previous releases) currently dawdling in a lengthened state of hiatus and Rotting Christ far from their incipient musical outburst, it seems that the archetypal Hellenic sound of the early '90s has finally succumbed to temporal pressures. Nonetheless, the evolutionary continuation persists; the scene itself has all but silenced, with bands such as Nocternity, Ravencult, Darkthule, Macabre Omen, Enshadowed, Order of the Ebon Hand and Naer Mataron, which although vaguely reminiscent of their predecessors, are still proving that the Greek scene is as active as ever. For the rest of us, the legacy of those early bands remains in their records; staying far from lurid pretentiousness, which the embellished Norwegian scene so fervently indulged in at the time, they managed to give black metal a fresh outlook, which perhaps was not altogether genre-defining (or generally influential for that matter) but certainly interesting and innovative. 

(originally written for Chronicles of Chaos - 31/1/2006)