Black Metal History Month : Black Metal's Top 10 Influences

Some of these get mentioned all the time , so much until the point you begin to wonder if the bands are just citing them because that is what is expected of them. One of these "typical" answers to the "Who are your influences question rank lower than expected. One of the interesting side notes of this is how big of an influence death metal was on black metal, despite often hearing in interview that the second wave of black metal, you know the church burning kind, made the music they did in retaliation of death metal.  So I scoured the inner webs for the influences of ten second wave bands, so any band influenced by one of these bands I researched would be too new to count , after these second wave bands have gone on to influence black metal as we know it today .

The bands these influences are compiled from are Mayhem, Burzum, Marduk, Dark Throne, Emperor, Taake, Immortal, Ulver, Enslaved, Dissection

 and the results are...

10-Death-

Varg always said he hated the bands that wore cammo shorts, but these guys surprisingly got mentioned more than Sodom and Possessed.

9-Von-

Well Watain took their name from them, but they aren't the only one that cited this lo-fi blasting beat death metal band that is now almost black metal by association.
8 -Kreator

This is not surprising as you can here their influence vocally on the black metal rasp taken on by Taake and Enslaved.
7-Destruction

Liked them when I heard them but this german band is the one band this list whose albums I have never owned.
6-Morbid Angel

"Altars of Madness" got cited a lot. It's dark and awesome, so this makes sense.

5-Slayer

I got the idea to make this list this am , because I woke up thinking about the "Hell Awaits" album. Yes, I wake up thinking about "Hell Awaits " that's how metal I am. Enslaved also wakes up thinking abut Slayer.
4-Venom

This is the band I though more would cite, of course the obvious ones like Darkthrone did.
3-Mercyful Fate

Of Emperor can not hide this fact. Darkthrone also have them a few shout outs over the years.
2- Bathory

The first of the viking metal.  I think  it is interesting  Bathory also cites Mercyful Fate as an influence, but since more bands said Bathory than Fate, this is where it falls.
1- Celtic Frost-

This is interesting as they are one of the slower bands on this list, maybe second to Mercyful Fate. I suppose it might not be their most black metal moment below, though they are wearing make-up

the Weekly Shuffle

You know the drill, I click shuffle on the  old  ipod classic and review the first ten songs.

"Atrocity Exhibition" By -Joy Division, ...Off to a good start not one of the most popular songs put it certainly is one of my favorites , I like the tribal feel and how the guitar is just real noisy in the background. I love the lyrics to this one as well some of Ian's better work. "This is the way ... this is the way step inside..."

"Blood and Honey" by -Swans,...Generally I like their mid period stuff the best though the very hypnotic nature of this one is pretty chilling. Jarboe does what she does, and this is an overlooked goth classic. It has all theelements of darkness you would need. Where is my black Swans shirt I bgin to wonder midway through this one. Its a clear cut case of you don't haveto be metal to be heavy here.

"Eyes of the Insane" by Slayer,...Speaking of metal, this isn't one of their better albums but this song works. The drums are pretty insane and they are creating a different vibe from the normal way things have been after "Divine Intervention" though this one has more of a "Seasons in the Abyss" feel to it especially in the riff that comes in before the solos start.

"Watain" by Von,...Yes, the very song they got the name from, I don't think its the bands best work, I think will I appreciate what they do sometimes the application of it gets muddy in the cvlt production, before it was cvlt and just shitty. The dog is angry and it barks , coughing up demons is what it sounds like, the guitar is chaos.

"Departure" by Ihsahn,...This album continues to grow on me so that says something about it, I like the faint sax in the back ground and the work he does here is way more impressive than what he does in Shining. The main riff is pretty mean. If sounds like his growl is making him sick to his stomach, but it is such a good one drenched in King Diamond's influence. The  lounge jazz interlude is very Devin Townsend of him but it works for this song.

"Artic Swarm" by Immortal,...A mean album the riffs have alot of teeth and make you feel like you should be fighting frost giants from the back on a snow eagle. The drums pretty much rule the country side, the riff on this one is a little more straightforward for them but its still a powerful song. The break in the last two mintues is where the gold is hidden.

"Gather For the Attack on the Pearly Gates" by Darkthrone,...Really I think due to the muddy production on this one and the very straight forward blasty manner on this one it's more than likely my least favorite song on the "Total Death" album, it doesn't suck but it's not their better moments , the ambiance of the drone they acheived on earlier stuff is kinda lost here, this is a precursor to the transistion they are about to make.

"I Took a Trip on  a Gemini Spaceship" by David Bowie, ... the Heathen album took sometime to grow on me, it didn't as a whole really grab me when it came out , I think I wanted something with the same impact of  " Earthling" but Bowie of course goes where he wants to go . The drums on this just aren't as interesting and its somewhat middle of the road nineties rock.

"Heaven in her Arms" by Converge,...This one is equal parts angular and powerful in a way most bands only reach for. The guitar tone on the "Jane Doe" album is crushing. The riff that surfaces in the last minute and fifteen seconds is not just one of the most crushing riffs to appear on one of this bands album but to appear on any metal album period .

"Anthem" by Rush...Without a doubt a classic, influenced many metal bands and no one is every going to deny the musical genius of these guys, sure there are hipster scumbags who won't want to fess up to it but there is no doubt about it and this way during the time period where they came the closest to being an actual metal band.


 

Von : " Dark Gods-Seven Billion Slaves

Their " Satanic Blood" is an iconic and ground breaking album that influenced the genre, I think their new album ,might be better. From the first seconds of its opening I can tell the production is a vast improvement, this might sound like a catch 22 as the so called ...necro sound creates a certain ambiance with its rustic charm. I think that feel isn't forsaken with this album but a murky balance is reached.

This album is also darker and more sinister than Satanic Blood. Venien has perfected his craft the results were more than I had hoped for. This is the first of what if memory serves me correctly and thanks to the drugs I did in high school alone I might not be, will be a trilogy. There is going to be deluxe packaging with all the art Venien himself has done for the album and lyrics sheets to lay out the story.

There is almost more of a death metal feel here at times, though the blasting that occurs will be Cvlt enough for even listeners of the rawest black metal. The opener "They Have Come" is a eerie entrance it feels more like the intro of " Anicent Flesh of the Dark Goda". This is one of the albums most effective songs in how it sit faster tremolo picked guitar against a slower almost doom like tempo. From the get go "Hands of Black Death" has a more melodic sensibility , though it strikes me as being closer to death metal once it takes off.

The full on blasty of the mcnasty does flare up until the song "Dark Goda" it has that Sabbath tritons feel to it despite been on warp speed ahead, but like the first song there are the two different tempos layered atop one another.Even with the steps taken to push this project forward creatively from where they were back in 92 with Satanic Blood, I don't think this is going to be for every one, fans of black metal includes. I do think their is a black metal audience who wants less theatrics and more of the rawness , not just in production but intent like these guys are dishing out here. I sens there is something genuine going on here as the chords are left to hang on "Monster" have an airy evil to them. The sonic crescendo following is chaotic bliss and there is ain't of groove in the closing seconds.

Devil Whores must only jack hammer fuck from the get go as that's how the song starts out. The drumming is an improvement over the similar execution on Satanic Blood. "Iaminhuman" carries a similar place with the vocal at sub bass frequencies, they are more like vibrational frequencies , maybe this is the point and to be taken like the chant of Om. At the midway point the pace relents for a second . On the closer the vocals take on more of a chant. I really like the transition at the. Knute and a half mark on this one. The slower chug is immensely heavier than almost anything else on this album.

This album is dark and feel filthy, which to me is a good thing. the creepiness works for me and once again colors me a fan. Where Satanic Blood creates a drone that bled the songs into one another there is more definition leaving most songs to stand on their own. I will give this one an 8.5 , though it might grow on me and reach a nine, some of the more blasting moments mainly Devil Whore to Iaminhuman kind of run together in a blur and I think they have displayed this speed works best when set against other landscapes. This is not Behemoth mall metal here it's the real deal ns ugly for your ears to behold but a compelling listen .

Interview : Venien of Von

The forefathers of American Black Metal,whose influence had a profound impact on the second wave of black metal which came out of northern Europe and shaped what we think of as black metal today. So it was an honor to get a chance to talk with Venien the man behind Von and found out what it's like to Be one of the founding fathers of modern black metal.

Wil...First let's talk about the recording of your 1992 album "Satanic Blood" . What prompted that and what was the process like ?

Venien...It was the show we that Erik of Watain asked us to do that prompted that. Shawn ...goat quit the band again after that gig, so had to handle pretty much everything
. the process took hold in the stood, there had been a lot of bootlegs over the years but this is going to be the first official release recorded in a proper way the way it was mean to be heard.

Initially when they process of putting it back together was back in 2006 in the MySpace years. Erik from Watain touch base with us and offered us to come out for what would be a record release for them and all of a sudden things started to develop . So as sort of a dress rehearsal we recorded a seven inch to give away .

Will... How was being back on stage and playing with bands you had such an impact on?

Venien... We came on late after Watain and Goat wasn't as prepared as I though he would be , so by not handling his business the show didn't go off as planned so it was rather bittersweet.

Will...so what does the future hold for you regards to live dates are you looking to do one off shows in a festival setting or really tour?

Venien...After the reunion show we came back to Pheonix and has dates booked like the hole in the sky festival and Goat called and asked us to cancel the dates. So we had to regroup and re think the live show but now we have a few dates of this year, the ritual of the black mass and next year do a world wide tour. We have a really cool set over and hour of not only songs of satanic blood but new songs, after all we have twenty years of material.

Will...So what was it like to have made the style of music you did in a time and froma scene that was mainly into thrash and what you guys did back in the late eighties early nineties is what people think off when it comes to modern black metal? What influenced that?

Venien... In high school I was into punk rock and when I moved with my dad for his work to Honolulu freshman year , I got a job where I met Shawn/Goat and we hooked up and were jamming in the garage. At the time he was more into Classic rock like Led Zeppelin. Working in a factory one summer I met Brent/ Snake and we got him to come in and just smash on buckets to create this really raw brutal sound. It was punk meets metal and then the elements like tremolo picking came in. We were in Venom and Sodom but wanted to make something more brutal and darker , just relentless. We were the band nobody wanted to book Becuase every one was into thrash.

Will...so what was it like to find out all these big black metal bands like Dark Funeral, Watain and Taake were citing you as an inspiration ?

Venien... We never knew any thing about it , we had no idea as we had never released an album, just demos until years later We heard the material we created surfaced through tape trading in the underground and these bootlegs surfaced. It's overwhelming to think about.

Will...so is there new Von music on the horizon?

Venien... Yes, there is "Tribal blood" which comes out in April of 2013, it is part of the Dark god trilogy. The dark god album is split into three parts the first is a progression from where Satanic blood left off. The second rise of the ancients is different but with similar theme and elements and then I have a solo album which has a lot more options and types of styles.

Will...so coming back , what are your thoughts on the current metal scene of today any particular band really stand out to you ?

Venien...Recording I have been in a self induced exile and I havent had the luxury to to invest a lot of music. The guitarists I'm working with now are in their twenties and are into everything as far as extreme metal and know all the different sub genres out there and keep me up on it, cus when we started playing there wasn't all that you were basically just playing metal. There's a lot of intense stuff out there and no particular bands I like more than others though, we did some work with Coffin Worm.

Will... So now twenty years later are we going to see similar occult Themes to what was on "Satanic blood? How is music now spiritual expression for you?

Venien...I dictate my own life. I defy all. I'm a free thinker and not tied to anything. So there are themes similar to Satanic Blood. The general theme is explained in another format all tied together as a story. As you get older you gain knowledge over the years. Organized religion never appealed to me.

Will...with the landscape for people consuming music now is much different now than it was twenty years ago what plans do you have in regards to getting your music out theere to the fans?

Venien ...Von Music is just myself , doing it pretty much d.i.y style. using pirate press to manufacture. Satanic Blood is being released in a booklet form with lyric sheets and liner notes. People can see all the art work I've done that goes with each song. Rather then the jewel case format it's 12x12 vinyl gatefold style.

Will...Well that gives you more freedom and will appeal to collectors, I'm excited for new Von music and to here where you guys take it , look forward to carchingylu guy love and will of course continue to feature you guys on here as the releases roll
out next year.

VON : Satanic Blood

Formed in 1987 this San Franciso band should be viewed along side the originators of Black Metal as their style bears more in common with the 2nd wave of black metal than Venom or Bathory. " Satanic Blood" is being called the official release of the album recorded in 1992 before the band broke up. Von has another album which will be their 2nd full length coming out later this month, but since this is the album I got the promo of its what i'm reviewing so there.

This came out the same year as " a blaze in the northern sky" and of course Mayhem had been at this thing for a minute, there are still as with both of those bands traces of death metal, mainly in the vocals which are more gutturally growled than harshly screamed. Heavy on the blasty mcnasty in a time when blasty mcnasty wasn't that common. In my earliest idea of black metal aside from venom, Bathory and merciful fate , I also thought of Impaled Nazerene and Acheron as black metal. Here the sonic element similar to that Darkthrone developed around this time is very present in fact the first four songs lull you into a drone, it wasn't until it slowed down into a doomed intro that I realized I had heard a third of the album.

You can't expect a band like this to be remastering anything thing, so what you hear is what you get and it's a lo fi sound that Varg and the Helvete gang would be proud of and set the standard for the cold grim sound to come. This is beyond raw and is a gaping wound of sound. the cymbals swirl in a manner than sometimes causes you to forget where they begin and the guitars ends. I normally don't like this production style aside from early Darkthrone and even though I love Burzum, i tend to really only listen to the album where it sounds like he is paying attention to what he is doing. the vocals here could have used the most love in the studio as they sound like a dog hacking up a cat. In this case that isn't a bad thing as the dog is rabid so it fits the mood.

The bass hammers on the opening track " Jesus Stain" but loses the attention of my ears a the album, carries on. Of course the separation in the drums is a mute point, the they are pounded like a machine and when the bass churns like a train off the tracks behind them it still gets the point across shitty recording be damned. The second song "devil pig" carries on at a similar speed but the fast paced tremolo picking is a more straightforward blur.

I like the chaos of a song like "release" but it only does one thing, but Von proves they are more than capable songwriters on " Veadtuck" , but the majority of the album relies on a more one dimensional rapid fire approach, the songs begin to take on a very similar feel, I get the feeling I like the one song they keep rewriting and I feel the songs require a closer examination as I feel weird when I think this came out of America in the late eighties.

The bulk of these blitzes are under two minutes. The barking takes on chant like qualities and lyrical content obscured by their delivery based on the facts that Watain holds these guys in such high regard and the church of Satan is based out of San Franciso that these guys might be legit in their attempts to bring the darkness. Though Metallica hails from their so this jump in the fire could be a farce as well, but they seem more earnest in this pursuit. The fact the blink and it's gone element to the songs add to the difficulty of differentiating some of the songs like I know their is a solo I "Vennt" but that doesn't keep "evisc" from sounding like it is an extension of that song. The riff to " Goat Christ" is such a difference it almost fall into this pattern though the vocal variation of gagging bark that sounds like its from Deicide's Amon demos, help to set it apart. " dissection inhuman starts in a similar fashion but melts into a weird ambiance almost like the intro to the song "hell awaits".

"challice of blood" starts of strong with eerie ambiance of a second guitar haunting the chapel in the background and effected vocals which sound like the voices that called to Carol Ann in "Poltergeist" and though this song doesn't stray to much forth thematic tempo it feels different enough to stand on its own. There is a solo of sorts and when I say solo in reference to this band they make Kerry King seem like Marty Freidman. The solos are only for a chaotic texture.

On the song " blood Von " the band shows more dynamics in the jarring punches and the stacatto barked section is a needed shift in delivery to offer a degree of variance. "backskin" fakes it intro like its going somewhere else for a second and en charges full speed ahead like the others. The song " Watain" is similar but lacks the higher solo like guitar that added ambiance to the previous track. It also features a vocal bark that is not as interesting as well. "lamb" does a similar rhythmic dynamic " blood Von" had a little more sonic froma production end with swirling effects accenting it. The title track bring back the motto blast now and ask questions later.

So in scoring this I'll give the album a 6 despite the fact they are a one trick pony the trick blends the albu into one drone of a song with moments where look up from what I'm doing to take notice, the production value of the time didn't due it any favors even it it did set the cvlt standard. I look forward to their new album coming out later this month an reverently plan to keep this in my iPod til it's release.