History
Barathrum was founded at Kuopio, Finland under a name of Darkfeast, which was changed into Barathrum the year after.
Barathrum recorded several demos during the years 1991-1993. After the demos, Barathrum signed to an underground German record label called Nazgul’s Eyrie Productions which released low budget studio albums "Hailstorm" (1995), "Eerie (1995)" and "Infernal" (1997) before the label went hiatus and left Barathrum as an unsigned artist.
The band signed to Spinefarm Records record label in 1998 and released five albums, ”Legions Of Perkele” (1998), "Saatana" (1999), ”Okkult" (2000), "Venomous" (2002) and ”Anno Aspera: 2003 Years After Bastard’s Birth” making Barathrum one of the most prominent bands in Finnish black metal scene. [2]
After the years of hiatus, the band was signed to Finnish underground record label Saturnal Records and released their ninth full-length album "Fanatiko (2017)" in April 28th 2017. [3]
Moonsorrow is a Finnish pagan metal band formed in Helsinki in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal". They have distanced themselves from other folk metal bands, emphasising that their music is pagan and spiritual and is challenging for its listeners, rather than happy or danceable. The band members have varying levels of pagan belief but they draw on pagan spirituality for lyrics and inspiration.
Impaled Nazarene is a Finnish extreme metal band that started as black metal but have incorporated elements of grindcore, thrash metal and death metal, and have grown more towards hardcore punk.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Darkwoods My Betrothed are a Finnish black metal band from Kitee.
Absu was an American black/thrash metal band from Dallas, Texas. Their demos and first album leaned towards death metal, but later adapted to the thrash/black sound the group would become recognized for. Their lyrical themes are esoteric, including themes of Celtic, Sumerian and Mesopotamian myths and legends, alchemy, numerology, magick, and sorcery.
Nazxul are an Australian black metal band which formed in 1993. They issued two studio albums, Totem and Iconoclast. In March 2021, their most recent studio album titled Irkalla was released with the lineup being Adrian Henderson on guitar, Lachlan Mitchell on keyboards and guitar, John McLaughlin on drums and Dalibor Backovic on vocals and bass guitar.
Sabbat is a Japanese black metal band formed in the early 1980s. On some releases, they showcase a more thrash- and heavy metal-influenced sound.
Týr is a Faroese folk metal band. They have been characterised as one of "the islands' two most successful metal bands". Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around Viking lore, mythology, and history, taking their name from Týr, the god of war in Norse religion.
Stian Tomt Thoresen, known professionally as Shagrath, is a Norwegian musician who is the vocalist, founding member and multi-instrumentalist of the band Dimmu Borgir.
Arthemesia was a Finnish black metal band active between 1994 and 2010. The band derives their name from Artemisia absinthium, Latin for wormwood, thought to have many spiritual qualities. Their music mainly concerns a projection of the band's philosophy, namely glorification of the occult and Satanism, but also nature and Shamanism.
Ancient Rites is a Belgian black metal band formed in 1988. Initially, the lineup consisted of guitar players Johan and Phillip, drummer Stefan, and Gunther Theys on bass and vocals. In 1990 the Dark Ritual demo was released in the underground scene, getting worldwide attention just as black metal was gaining importance in the metal scene. Soon after the release of this demo Phillip died in a car crash and not long after, Stefan committed suicide. However painful this episode was to the band, they decided to continue and Stefan's position was taken by his drum roadie Walter van Cortenberg.
Mütiilation was a French black metal project, traditionally known as a group, but later slimmed to a solo act that consisted solely of founder William "Meyhna'ch" Roussel who maintained activity under the name until its closing in 2017. Mütiilation has released six full-length albums and appeared on several EPs and compilations.
Gates of Ishtar is a Swedish melodic death metal band.
Baptism is a black metal band from Finland. The band was formed in 1998 by vocalist/guitarist Lord Sargofagian and drummer Demonium. The summer of that year the band released their first demo, Satanic Rituals, although very few copies were released. Following a two-year hiatus the band released their second demo, Sons of Ruin & Terror, in 2000. Similar to the last demo the release was limited. After the addition of bassist Slaughterer the band released their first full-length album, The Beherial Midnight, on June 12, 2002. The band release three more albums in 2004; a split CD with Uncreation's Dawn, and the EPs Wisdom & Hate and Black Ceremony. Slaughterer and Demonium left the band following the release of Wisdom & Hate, leaving Lord Sargofagian as the only official member. The band has continued with various session musicians, and have released four more full-length albums.
Grand Belial's Key (GBK) is a black metal band founded in Oakton, Virginia, in 1992 by guitarist Gelal Necrosodomy and vocalist Lord Vlad Luciferian. Lord Vlad Luciferian was later ejected from the group due to internal differences. To date the band has released four full-length albums.
Crematory is a German gothic metal band formed in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg in 1991.
Thyrane is a black metal band from Kemi, Finland. They were signed to Spikefarm Records for the majority of their releases and disbanded in 2006, but reformed again in 2015 with a partially different line-up.
Enthroned is a Belgian black metal band formed in Charleroi. It is one of the premier acts of the Belgian black metal scene.
Buzzoven is an American heavy metal band from Salisbury, North Carolina, formed in 1990. The band was known for being one of the founders of the sludge genre along with NOLA's Eyehategod and Acid Bath, and also for their out-of-control and violent live shows. The band in its early days toured heavily around the United States and built up a cult following leading up to the release of their debut album, To a Frown (1993), which caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, who released the band's second album Sore (1994). The band was dropped by Roadrunner, and from then on have gone through several periods of being split-up and reformed, with the only constant member having been Kirk Fisher. In 2018, the band toured the Southern US as one of the opening acts for Eyehategod.
Infernal was an influential Swedish black metal band based in Stockholm.
