Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The band has been through numerous lineup changes over the years; vocalist Shagrath and rhythm guitarist Silenoz are the only original members who still remain, with lead guitarist Galder being a longstanding member.
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991 Darkthrone embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene.
Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by Dan Swanö in 1989 and ended in 2003.
Samoth is a Norwegian guitarist and multi-instrumentalist in the country's black metal scene. He is well known for his distinct guitar work and drumming in the band Emperor, as well as his formation of the death metal band Zyklon. In very early Emperor releases, he was called Samot, and with the formation of Zyklon he became known as Zamoth. Samoth was the owner of the record label Nocturnal Art Productions and had a close relationship with Candlelight Records.
Beherit is a Finnish black metal band from Rovaniemi. The band was formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance, Jari Vaarala and Sodomatic Slaughter, with the purpose of performing "the most primitive, savage, hell-obsessed black metal imaginable". "Beherit" is the Syriac word for Satan. Through the uncommercial nature of their music, visuals, and live performances, the band quickly attracted a cult following. Besides the "raw" sound, the band's music is noted for its avant-garde side and emphasis on atmosphere. Beherit are now regarded as a pioneer in their genre.
Antaeus are a French black metal band.
Thorns, also known as Stigma Diabolicum, is a Norwegian black metal band that formed in 1989 and was part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. They made two highly influential demos in the early 1990s, Grymyrk and Trøndertun, but have only released one full-length album.
Ved Buens Ende is a Norwegian avant-garde metal band. Their sound is diverse with quiet instrumental jazz influenced sections and aggressive black metal blast beats and vocals. Ved Buens Ende means "By the end of the bow" referring to the mythological rainbow Bifröst.
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.
Brutality is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. The group was signed to Nuclear Blast Records in the 1990s.
Saturnus are a Danish death-doom band.
Ragnarok is a Norwegian black metal band. The band was formed in Sarpsborg, Norway in 1994 by Jerv and Jontho, after they left Thoth, their previous band. Lyrical themes include Norse Mythology, Vikings, Satanism, War, and Anti-Christianity. The band's name comes from the Old Norse word Ragnarök, the prophesied last battle between the Norse gods and the giants. They are "one of the most extreme black metal bands in Norway", making heavy use of make-up and special effects.
Chrome Division is a Norwegian heavy metal band formed in 2004 by Shagrath, the lead vocalist of symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. Its current lineup consists of Shagrath on rhythm guitar, along with Eddie Guz as the vocalist, Mr Damage on lead guitar and Tony White on drums. The band plays biker metal and has released five albums, Doomsday Rock 'n Roll in 2006, Booze, Broads and Beelzebub in 2008, 3rd Round Knockout in 2011, Infernal Rock Eternal in 2014, and One Last Ride in 2015, the band has announced that their fifth album is their last album.
Aeternus is a Norwegian blackened death metal band from Bergen. It was formed in 1993 as an idea of Ronny Hovland, calling himself Ares, and Erik Heggernes, a.k.a. Vrolok. Later in 1996 Nicola Trier, a.k.a. Morrigan, joined the duo as a bass player, forming the core trio that created the band's first two albums. Morrigan also created the logo picture of ravens and axes that still exists as one of the band's trademarks.
Servants of Sorcery is a Norwegian black metal album by Fimbulwinter, released by Hot Records in 1994. The album is actually a remaster of Fimbulwinter's 1992 demo, with an additional song.
Malignancy is an American technical death metal band from Yonkers, New York, formed in February 1992.
Order from Chaos was an extreme metal band formed in 1987 in Kansas City, Missouri, by Pete Helmkamp, Chuck Keller and Mike Miller. They are recognised as being an extremely influential group in the early U.S. black metal scene, and served as a launching pad for its band members that went on to form such groups as Angelcorpse, Ares Kingdom, Revenge, Vulpecula, and Kerasphorus.
Convulse is a Finnish death metal band from Nokia, active between 1988 and 1994 and again since 2012. They were one of their country's first extreme metal bands and considered by some to be the forefathers of the local 'Nokia' metal scene.
Wuthering Heights is a Danish-Swedish heavy metal band with a somewhat eclectic musical style which falls in somewhere between progressive metal, "folk music-into-heavy metal" and power metal, along with "a mixture of Neoclassical Metal, Melodic Speed Metal and various progressive elements.
Nidingr is a Norwegian black metal band from Borre. Initially started as a solo project of guitarist Morten "Teloch" Iversen under the name Audr in 1992, the band is "known for its efficiently complex songwriting, ravaging, dissonant, with catchy riffs and breakneck tempos".
