Cult Labs - EXTREME METAL

If you are a regular to this thread, there's probably not a lot of new information here!

A Beginner's Guide to Black Metal / Ultimate Guitar

"A journey into the darkest of all genres...

It's not a secret an average metal fan likes dark aesthetics, provoking lyrical content, and raw aggression in the music of his choice. Black metal delivers on all that tenfold being one of the most intense and controversial genres out there. If you ever had an inclination to check out what the fuss is all about but didn't know where to start, here's our beginner's guide to black metal that'll help figure out who started it, what true cult actually means, and whether you like this music or not.

Gateway Bands
Starting out your black metal journey can be a bit tricky considering just how many bands there are and the vast difference between them. Here's a couple of bands that are more listener-friendly but still give a rough idea about the genre.

Cradle of Filth
With an almost romantic take on the genre, British Cradle of Filth have become more popular than their Scandinavian colleagues. The more polished sound along with beautiful melodies and semi-symphonic arrangements made them a great transitional band that appeases many various tastes. If you want to ease your way into the genre, start off with 2004's "Nymphetamine", it's a far cry from the intensity of black metal even by Cradle of Filth's standards, but it will definitely get you accustomed to the kind of vocals common within the genre.

Dimmu Borgir
If Cradle of Filth plays around with orchestral elements here and there, Norwegian Dimmu Borgir dives headfirst into the symphonic theme and even performs with a full orchestra live from time to time. The more score-like sound and epic vocal melodies make this band way more accessible to those who haven't given black metal a good listen yet. Just stay away from their earlier albums in the beginning, as those are much closer to true black metal. Give "Death Cult Armageddon" a try to hear Dimmu Borgir in full force.

Satyricon
Despite being considered among the founding bands of Norwegian black metal alongside Mayhem and Burzum, only the band's first three albums represent that spirit with everything past 1996 being more heavy-metal-driven and accessible. While the rest of the Norwegian scene stayed away from anything that could even remotely pass as an effort to appeal to a general listener (hence the extreme lo-fi quality of the albums), Satyricon have chosen a different path, They were the first black metal band to lighten their sound and sign with a major label. Just listen to their hit single "K.I.N.G." and then check out "Mother North" from the earlier albums to see the difference.

The Origins of the Genre
Venom
While it is disputable who was the first black metal band, it is certain who came up with the term itself. Their 1982 classic "Black Metal" was arguably the first to put the two words together as a title for what was a raw, fast, and low-quality album of early extreme metal featuring satanic imagery and occult lyrical themes. Venom has never called themselves a black metal band, nor did any of the bands that came after, but everyone cites the trio as the main influence in the development of the genre.

Bathory
If Venom was more of a thrash band than anything else, Bathory hailing from Sweden was almost certainly had every element in place to be actually considered black metal. By the time the first black metal albums began to appear in Norway in the early '90s, Bathory led by Quorthon produced five full-length records and created a huge following in Europe that eventually gave birth to the second wave of black metal.

Hellhammer
Before there was Celtic Frost, Tom G. Warrior's band was called Hellhammer, and the brand of thrash metal they were playing was so close to black metal, people still argue what genre the band belongs to. Despite the arguments, and the fact that the band only released several demos and an EP during its existence, such classic recordings as "Satanic Rites" are considered fundamental in the formation of black metal.

True Norwegian Black Metal
At this point, "true kvlt" has become a meme, but back in the mid-'90s, the antagonism between bands that considered themselves to be true black metal and "posers" was very real. It started with producing the rawest sound possible and using satanic imagery to the max, but escalated through the years and led the young musicians to such extremities as assaulting people and burning down churches.

Mayhem
Perhaps the most infamous band of them all, Mayhem took what Bathory and Hellhammer did musically and surrounded it with so much provoking aesthetics and real-life drama, it has influenced every black metal band that came after. Among the many notorious acts in the band's history are open satanism, self-harm on-stage, arson, suicide, and eventually homicide. Just watch "Lords of Chaos" if you want a more detailed semi-accurate portrayal of the events. Musically though, Mayhem set a trend that got picked up by many other bands: the simplest, lo-fi sound, shrieking vocals that deter so many people from the genre, and the satanic themes that became the mark of true black metal.

Burzum
While not as prominent musically, Varg Vikernes and his project Burzum made a huge impact on the black metal scene after Vikernes murdered Euronymous from Mayhem (with whom he was playing at the time). Being convicted of a homicide and seven church burnings made him a star in the black metal community. No musician has ever gone to such extremities to prove he was a true black metal acolyte and for a good reason. Beyond the infamy, such Burzum's albums as "Filosofem" are actually regarded highly within the black metal scene and present some of the first examples of atmospheric ambient black metal.

Immortal
Being the butt of many memes across the internet doesn't diminish the importance of Immortal as a band. They combined the surprisingly good (relatively to the rest of the Norwegian black metal scene) recording sound with corpse painting themselves to the extreme and posing a lot. It is still unclear whether the band took themselves seriously or not, but the combination definitely worked. As far as the music goes, Immortal went further than some of their contemporaries and added some folk elements to the otherwise uncompromising onslaught of sound, a move that was later copied by many other bands.

Darkthrone
One of the oldest and most stable Norwegian black metal bands, Darkthrone is a duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. The two started the band in the late '80s and released their first album back in 1991. However, if you want to experience the black metal side of Darkthrone, you'll have to pick something from 1992 to 2004 as beyond that the band has incorporated a lot of elements of other genres into their music. At first, they played death metal, then (under the influence of Mayhem and Euronymous personally) they switched to black metal. After decades of playing the lo-fi, satanic music, they began adding elements of crust punk, heavy metal, and other genres.

Emperor
You may have heard the founder of Emperor Insahn's new material and thought to yourself that his original band played similar melodic music, but it is extremely far from the truth. Emperor were among the finest and most well-regarded true black metal bands on the scene. Their debut album "In the Nightside Eclipse" has become the milestone album for the genre, adding symphonic and melodic elements unheard in their contemporaries, all while maintaining the lo-fi aesthetics of black metal.

Modern Polish Black Metal
Behemoth
If Norway was the birthplace of black metal, Poland is now definitely its new home. Behemoth are at the forefront of modern black metal raising the quality and the level of darkness with every record. Maintaining such aspects of black metal of the old as satanic themes, razor-sharp guitar tone, and blast beats for days, the Polish musicians amplify them with the superior recording quality, complex arrangements, and visual aesthetics that make old-school bands look like kids on Halloween. With albums such as "Satanist" and "Demigod", Behemoth is a must-listen for anyone who is interested in exploring the genre.

Batushka
Another prime example of Poland giving us the next wave of great black metal bands, Batushka (or БАТЮШКА if you're into Cyrillic) puts its own spin on black metal by taking the Eastern Orthodox church aesthetics and making an "unholy" version of it. Musically Batushka is similar to Behemoth with its tight riffs, dark melodies, and melodic vocals that enforce the "church" atmosphere.

Mgla
While it is easy to confuse Mgla and Batushka due to their similar appearance and musical style, the Krakow-based band has a more aggressive, less atmospheric approach to writing. What started out as a one-man studio project, has grown into one of the most prominent bands in modern black metal. Without burdening themselves with complex theatrics, the masked musicians channel the black metal bands of old with their raw and uncompromising sound."