Black Metal Essentials Part 1

Darkthrone – UNDER A FUNERAL MOON (1993)

The cold, the cold. It chills me still. These guys are sitting naked in the snow and whipping each other with fir tree branches and it's not gay in the least, but pure fucking nihilism. Well, it isn't nihilistic at all, there's of course a very distinct method to the madness, if you dare, or have the endurance to take a closer look. What a deep and bold record, intended to be understood by very few only; what a terrific way to not give a fuck. The subsequent progress of the band is, in retrospect, already foreseeable. "Natassja in Eternal Sleep" was the moment when I fell eternally in love with this band. If you're still wondering what it sounds like because you haven't either downloaded the whole album or listened to the song on Youtube yet: Download the album. In case you want to have a rough idea if what it sounds like before you download it, you're a dickhead, but here you go: It sounds incredibly shitty, cold and wide, aggressive and awesome and fucking epic. If listening to "Natassja..." doesn't give you goosebumps, just leave it and go back to listening to Fallout Boy.

Mayhem – DE MYSTERIIS DOM SATHANAS (1994)

Much more aggressive than Darkthrone. These guys are really deranged, and that's how the album sounds. Sick and necro. Fucking weird. You never know what's posed and what's true with Mayhem. Attila is the most fitting vocalist this band could get, since he's obviously crazy in the head, whereas Darkthrone are mentally completely sane. While Darkthrone represent the never-give-a-fuck aspect of black metal, Mayhem are the sickness and depravity. Just listen to "Buried by Time and Dust" or "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". No more words.

Immortal – AT THE HEART OF WINTER (1997)

The first black metal that was suited for being played in stadiums. This record sounds like the band had a wizard come to their studio (maybe the wizard featured in the Call of the Wintermoon video) who turned vast icy landscapes into sound. The riffs are as colossal as it gets, menacing to break out of the speakers to cover the world with ice and snow. Dick hardening heavy metal grandiloquence. Immortal were never and never will be better. While Darkthrone and Mayhem have and always had a certain avant-gardesque touch, Immortal are pure working class black metal. They began with true black metal so primitive you almost felt ashamed for the band, then went on with faceskin peeling monumental blackened power metal – no experiments, it all comes from the heart. Also, there's no message here, except: fucking ROCK!