Bathory was a Swedish black metal band formed in Vällingby in March 1983. Named after Hungarian countess Elizabeth Báthory, they are considered pioneers of black metal and Viking metal. The book Lords of Chaos described Bathory's first four albums as "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal." Acts influenced by their early records include Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Enslaved, Immortal, Marduk, Moonsorrow and Dimmu Borgir.
Labyrinth is an Italian power metal band formed in 1994 in Massa, Tuscany. The band underwent a change in style and themes after the departure of Olaf Thorsen in 2002.
Mezarkabul is a Turkish metal band formed by Hakan Utangaç and Cenk Ünnü. Mezarkabul is known for integrating Anatolian elements into their music.
Bathory is the debut studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Bathory. It was released in October 1984, through Tyfon Grammofon. It is considered by fans and critics to be one of the contenders for the first black metal record.
Endless Pain is the debut studio album by German thrash metal band Kreator, released in October 1985 by Noise Records.
Pentagram is an American heavy metal band from Alexandria, Virginia, most famous as one of the pioneers of heavy metal, and the sub-genre of doom metal in particular. As such, they are considered one of the "big four of doom metal," alongside Candlemass, Saint Vitus and Trouble. The band was prolific in the underground scene of the 1970s, producing many demos and rehearsal tapes, but did not release a full-length album until re-forming in the early 1980s with an almost completely new line-up. Throughout the band's history, the only constant member has been vocalist Bobby Liebling. The revolving line-up of Pentagram has featured many well-respected musicians in the local doom metal scene, with members spending time in other acts such as the Obsessed, Place of Skulls, Internal Void, Spirit Caravan, among many others. The band's current line-up consists of Liebling (vocals), Matt Goldsborough (guitar), Greg Turley (bass), and "Minnesota" Pete Campbell (drums).
Nightwing is the fifth studio album by Swedish black metal band Marduk. It was recorded and mixed at The Abyss between October and November 1997 and released in April 1998 by Osmose Productions. The theme of the album was blood, as the band's following, war-related studio album's Panzer Division Marduk would be fire, and La Grande Danse Macabre would be death, forming a trilogy of "Blood, Fire and Death," an homage to Bathory's Blood Fire Death album.
Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von. The band have become famous for their Theistic Satanist views and for their live shows which involve pyrotechnics, candles, Satanic rituals, animal carcasses, and blood. At a now-notorious live performance in Brooklyn in 2014, they doused audience members in animal blood, allegedly causing some members of the audience to vomit. This was picked up and publicised by TMZ, generating controversy around the incident. To date they have released seven full-length albums, as well as three live albums and a number of demos and EPs. Their most recent album The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain was released on 29 April 2022 through Nuclear Blast. The band's core lineup has remained stable since their formation, consisting of Erik Danielsson, Pelle Forsberg, and Håkan Jonsson, though as of 2015 Jonsson no longer performs live, Emil Svensson of fellow Uppsala death metal band Degial was recruited as live drummer.
Cadaveria, real name Raffaella Rivarolo, is an Italian musician famous for being one of the first women to enter the extreme metal scene in the early 1990s, as former vocalist and keyboard player of the symphonic black metal band Opera IX.
Into the Macabre is the debut album of the Italian extreme metal band Necrodeath.
Black as Pitch is the fourth studio album of the Italian extreme metal band Necrodeath.
Ton(e)s of Hate is the fifth studio album by the Italian extreme metal band Necrodeath.
Pleasure and Pain is the seventh studio album by the Italian gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires. It is the first album after Lord Vampyr's departure, and the first to feature Sonya Scarlet as the main vocalist of the band as well as being the last to feature Robert Cufaro on guitar.
Sadist is an Italian death metal band formed in Genoa, Italy, in January 1991. It debuted with Black Screams in 1991, then released three albums. The band went on hiatus after releasing the album Lego in 2000. They reunited in 2005 and released their self-titled album in 2007. Sadist has released three more albums since then. In total, the band has released nine albums and one EP. They are currently signed to Scarlet Records. Guitarist and keyboardist, Tommy Talamanca, has been a constant member throughout the band's existence, as the main composer and co-producer of their musical output. Trevor Nadir has been the main singer of the band since 1996.
Pierangelo Gonella is an Italian guitarist, composer and producer, most known in the metal genre as founding member of the heavy metal bands Mastercastle, guitar player of the band Necrodeath, past member of the band Labyrinth, producer of many solo projects.
Pentagram Chile is an extreme metal band from Chile, formed in 1985. They were part of the first wave of extreme metal in the mid 1980s, along with bands like Possessed, Celtic Frost, Sepultura and others. Considered as a very influential band in the black metal and death metal genres, they have influenced bands like At the Gates, Dismember, Napalm Death and Avulsed among others.
Mutilator was a thrash / death metal band, formed in 1985 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. They released two full-length records through Cogumelo Records in the 1980s.
Steve Vawamas is an Italian bassist, known for his collaborations with various metal bands as Athlantis, Shadows of Steel, Mastercastle, and The Dogma.
Vanexa is an Italian heavy metal band formed in 1978.
Marco Pesenti, also known as Peso, is an Italian drummer, composer, and teacher, and founding member of the black metal band Necrodeath.
