Rotting Christ is a Greek black metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene. They are also responsible for creating the signature Greek black metal sound prevalent in the early 1990s.
Sadistik Exekution was an Australian extreme metal band from Sydney. The band formed in 1985, although their main active period was from 1986 until 2004. Known for their outrageous live show antics, notorious behaviour and non conformist attitude, Sadistik Exekution also wrote, recorded and performed their own extreme form of death metal. Throughout their career, the band members have firmly stated they should not at all be confused with or wrongly labelled as 'black metal'. Ironically however, the band was also quite influential on some of the early Scandinavian black metal bands, as well as other extreme metal bands from around the world. Their last official live show was in Sydney in 1999, although they did re-unite once more in November 2009, to perform as the main act at the first annual Australian Metal Awards in Sydney.
Antaeus are a French black metal band.
Angelcorpse was a blackened death metal band formed after the demise of Pete Helmkamp's previous band, Order from Chaos. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, they relocated to Tampa, Florida.
Welcome to Hell is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Venom. It was released in December 1981 through Neat Records at the culmination of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. The album was re-released by Sanctuary Records in 2002.
Hate Forest is a Ukrainian black metal band formed by Roman Saenko, the leading member of Drudkh, Dark Ages, and Blood of Kingu. Thurios joined the band in 1998 after the recording of Scythia. The music is mostly very fast, but occasionally slow, with low, distorted vocals, raw low fidelity quality production, sometimes with programmed drums(drummer is a live player during concerts), and dark ambient elements. Musical influences are mostly from Scandinavian black metal to traditional death metal, especially Bolt Thrower. According to the band, its lyrics are about mythology, mainly Slavic, and inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's stories and Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. The band never gave interviews, never released photos, and held its distance from the black metal scene. After Hate Forest disbanded, Saenko focused on Drudkh, and other side projects such as Blood of Kingu, Windswept and Precambrian which are of different inspirations. This project officially came to an end in 2016, but in 2020 released a new album.
Scarlet Evil Witching Black is the second album by the Greek black metal band Necromantia. It was released in 1995 on Osmose Productions and in 2002 it was re-issued as part of the Cults of the Shadow double CD. In 2006 the album was re-issued with a bonus track by Black Lotus records as part of a boxed set titled Necromantia containing the three full lengths and the Ancient Pride EP.
Thou Art Lord are a Greek, Athens-based black metal band, formed in 1993. Over the years, the line-up has consisted of former or current members of Greek extreme metal bands Rotting Christ, Necromantia and Septic Flesh.
Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. is the debut album of American black metal band Absu. It was released on December 1, 1993 via Gothic Records, and re-released in 1994 by Osmose Productions with three bonus tracks. It would be reissued once more in 2011 by The Crypt Records, as a boxset containing 3 discs — the first disc contains the album itself plus the three live tracks from the Osmose Productions re-issue; the second disc contains alternate versions of the tracks "Descent to Acheron", "An Equinox of Fathomless Disheartenment", "The Thrice Is Greatest to Ninnigal", "Infinite and Profane Thrones" and "Fantasizing to the Third of the Pagan Visions"; and the third disc contains the Temples of Offal EP, the Return of the Ancients demo, and the track "Abhorred Xul", composed when Absu was still called Azathoth.
Hortus Animae is a progressive black metal band from Northern and Central Italy. They formed in 1997 in the town of Rimini (Romagna). After the release of their self-produced debut The Melting Idols, they began an active live streak with bands like Lacuna Coil, Ancient, and Napalm Death. Upon opening for the cult Norwegian black metal band Ancient in Padova (Italy), the band developed a friendship with their drummer Grom, who soon after joined the band out of admiration for their work and made it his primary side-project. At this point, the band began the recording process of their second album and first official release Waltzing Mephisto which had been years in the writing. The album was recorded at the well-known Italian metal studio Fear. Following the recording, the band signed a deal with Greek label Black Lotus Records in October 2002 and subsequently with Sleaszy Rider Records (EMI) for their 3rd and most evolved concept album The Blow Of Furious Winds in May 2005.
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.
Abominator is an Australian black/death metal band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1994. Their lyrics commonly deal with war and spirituality. They have been compared to Angelcorpse and Morbid Angel.
Gehenna is a Norwegian black metal band.
Astarte was an all-female black metal band from Athens, Greece, named after the goddess Astarte.
Naer Mataron is a Greek black metal band which draws on imagery from Greek mythology. The band was formed in 1994 after splitting from Nar Mataron, and was soon signed to Black Lotus Records, with whom they released four studio albums. Moving through numerous line-ups, the band has seen influences from other genres of music, including a traditional black metal release and songs featuring elements of melodic black metal and industrial music.
Monumentum are an Italian gothic metal band formed in 1987 by Roberto Mammarella, founder of Obscure Plasma Records.
Impiety is a Singaporean black metal band, formed in early 1990 by Shyaithan (vocals/guitar/bass) and drummer Necro-Angelfornicator. They are notable for being one of the first metal, extreme metal bands to emerge from Singapore.
Revenge is a Canadian war metal band formed in 2000 by James Read following the collapse of his previous outfit Conqueror. Revenge's chaotic black metal sound represents a direct continuation of Read's previous band's direction. Although sometimes referred to as war metal the band has never referred to themselves as war metal and has always called themselves black metal, chaotic black metal or black death metal. They have released six full-length albums to date. The band's lyrics explore among other things various militant themes of anti religion, anti humanity, self ascension and the collapse and rebuilding of mankind.
Bestial Mockery is a Swedish black metal band formed in Uddevalla, Sweden, in 1995 by the quartet of Carl "Master Motorsåg" Bildt, Micke "Doomanfanger" Petersson, Jocke "Christcrusher" and Carl "Warslaughter". The band's stated aim at that time was to "channel perverted lusts for Satanic bloody Metal". Although they split up in 2008, Bestial Mockery released four full-length albums for Metal Blood Music, Osmose and Season of Mist, as well as a large number of stand-alone EPs and shared releases with other underground metal acts. In a review of Slaying the Life in Decibel magazine, a similarity between the band and Nunslaughter was noted.
Darkestrah is a Kyrgyz pagan metal band, formed in 1999 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Throughout their career the band has blended folklore music with metal elements. In its lyrics and in musical composition, the band uses national folk musical instruments, such as the komuz and kyl-kyak, and references shamanism and Tengrism. The band also takes influence from genres such as progressive rock and post-rock, generally constructing lengthy, rhythmically complex songs that often feature several discrete movements.
