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 cjjeepercreeper
Commodore
Joined: Nov 27, 2006
Member#: 2665
Posts: 6146
Location: At the Mountains of Madness
   
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 Posted:
Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:24 pm Post subject: 10 most influential BM albums |
 
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Interesting article on CoC
http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles/rants/6-668_black_metal_a_brief_guide.aspx
Heres' their top 10 from the early days of BM, I agree with much of it, but not all:
Venom - _Black Metal_ (Neat Records, 1982)
Although relatively tame by today's standards, they certainly weren't when they released their debut back in 1981 -- at which time they were one of the first bands to explicitly and unambiguously espouse a Satanic outlook. The genesis of black metal was Venom's seminal debut _Welcome to Hell_. Any one of their first three albums could have been chosen, as they are all classics, but the reason _Black Metal_ was chosen was largely because it has the quintessential Venom song "Countess Bathory" -- as well as being the album that provided a name for the developing genre. Venom's simplistic, raw sounding and sloppily played songs were to be the blueprint from which all others would follow in one way or another. Although they superficially don't sound like most black metal bands, virtually all of the basic audio characteristics are present; the major difference lies in the vocals, which are sung in a clear and decipherable voice, having little in common with the shrieked vocal style of almost all black metal bands. Their Satanic aspect may have been a gimmick, and it may not have been. Either way, it ushered in one of the most potent metal subgenres.
Bathory - _Bathory_ (Black Mark, 1984)
Any of Bathory's first five albums can rightly be considered a classic and have collectively had the biggest impact on the development of black metal -- selecting just one as the most influential is an exercise in futility. The best option was to simply go back to the beginning where it all started: on his short and nasty self-titled debut. Most of the songs struggle to attain the three minute mark, the music is simple and sloppily performed and the lyrics are laughable. At another time and another place, this might have been seen as juvenile and doomed to obscurity. But the sheer uncompromising violence of the music -- which was pretty much unrivalled in 1984 -- meant that this album couldn't simply be dismissed. Like many other black metal classics, the end result was greater than the sum of its parts. Later albums would show considerable growth and progression, but none would replicate the 'take no prisoners' attitude and youthful aggression of _Bathory_.
Celtic Frost - _Morbid Tales_ (Noise, 1984)
It is significant that while Celtic Frost do not fit comfortably into either death, thrash or black metal, each genre has tried to claim Celtic Frost as one of their own. Their debut album was a relatively raw and simplistic affair, unburdened by the avant-garde accoutrements that would be experimented with at a later stage. The abrasive sound was probably due more to lack of funds than design, but would nonetheless serve as a blueprint for future bands. Their signature riffs have been much copied and their influence can be felt almost everywhere, in bands as diverse as Samael and Darkthrone. Their signature song, "Circle of the Tyrants", is probably the most covered song in extreme metal, with everyone from Obituary to Mystic Circle having a go at it. Although they were never one of the more technical bands, their unique and original sound, combined with a desire to experiment, meant that they would be remembered long after their demise.
Immortal - _Pure Holocaust_ (Osmose, 1993)
Immortal got off to an unpromising and noisy start with _Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism_, barely recognisable as an Immortal release in comparison to later efforts. But its successor _Pure Holocaust_ was an entirely different beast: gone were the death metal overtones, replaced with the characteristic cold production that came to be known as the Norse sound. _Pure Holocaust_ sounds less noisy than its predecessor, but infinitely more hateful, with more angry songs. Immortal are one of the more unique black metal bands both in terms of sound and appearance, thanks largely to Abbath's unique croak and grim frostbitten appearance. If it were any other band attempting this image, it would probably be extremely cheesy; but with Immortal it somehow just seems right.
Satyricon - _Dark Medieval Times_ (Moonfog, 1993)
_Dark Medieval Times_ is a noisy affair, drawing on folk music and the Middle Ages for inspiration -- a sharp contrast to the more urbane image Satyr is currently cultivating. The use of folk elements and the 'floating' guitar sound combine to create an incredibly atmospheric album. While the insubstantial sounding guitars may be considered a flaw by some, it provides the album with a unique sound largely unduplicated by the black metal community. Indeed without this sound, _DMT_ would lose a lot of its potent ambience. Along with Ulver, Satyricon were one of the first acts to utilise folk elements and were possibly the first 'trollish' bands. Many bands, such as Wyrd and Nokturnal Mortum, have since then successfully merged folk instrumentation and melodies with black metal.
Burzum - _Hvis Lyset Tar Oss_ (Misanthropy, 1994)
While _Hvis Lyset Tar Oss_ is superficially similar to its predecessors, the stronger song writing as well as the inclusion of the amazing "Det Som Engang Var" meant that this album stands out (albeit only slightly) from his other work. This album features all the Burzum trademarks, namely droning guitars and minimalist drumming, all accompanied by Vikernes' unique wail. _HLTO_ also features the obligatory ambient track, "Tomhet", which showcases Burzum's skill in creating ethereal ambient music, present throughout and an integral part of his black metal period, although sadly much ignored.
Darkthrone – _Transylvanian Hunger_ (Peaceville, 1994)
Fenriz and company took the basic black metal outline that they had helped pioneer on the amazing _A Blaze in the Northern Sky_ and stripped it of any and all frills, resulting in a sparse, hateful album. The thin production later became known as the "necro’" sound. The raspy croak that passes for vox and the stripped down guitars are the very embodiment of black metal simplicity, while the practically non-existent production resulted in the bass being totally inaudible and the drums dissolving into an undifferentiated sludge. These are far from being negatives, as _Transylvanian Hunger_ embodied the very spirit of black metal and formed the seed from which it was to grow. Much imitated, but never equalled, _TH_ stands above almost all others.
Enslaved - _Vikingligr Veldi_ (Voices of Wonder, 1994)
Unlike most of their peers, Enslaved eschewed Satanism in favour of a neo-Pagan world view, focusing heavily on Norway's Viking heritage. Many bands would advocate similar ideas, but Enslaved were probably the first to do so (barring Bathory's Viking era material). _Vikingligr Veldi_ is a delightfully lengthy and repetitive affair, utilising the same cold Norse production as Immortal's _Pure Holocaust_. But instead of playing furious black metal, a greater emphasis is placed on creating atmosphere, inducing an almost trance-like state in the listener. Like all other albums mentioned here it is a unique album, yet it feels necessary to draw attention to this fact here, as it tends to be in the shadow of most of the other bands / albums mentioned in this section.
Emperor - _In the Nightside Eclipse_ (Candlelight, 1994)
One could not imagine a more suitable name for the creative entity centred around the duo of Samoth and Ihsahn, as at the time of their premature demise they were the undisputed lords of black metal. Although it was _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ that brought them widespread acclaim, _In the Nightside Eclipse_ ensured that they already could be considered as one of black metal elite. Emperor fortunately dropped the fuzzy guitar sound of the _Emperor_ EP in favour of a more focused and infinitely more intense sound. Although the lyrics are inferior to those on _AttWaD_, they were nonetheless already superior to those produced by the vast majority of their contemporaries. While they were not the first black metal act to use keyboards, they were probably the first to adopt a more majestic and -- pun unintended -- imperial sound, and helped pave the way for the more melodic and symphonic black metal acts.
Mayhem - _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ (Deathlike Silence Productions / Century Black, 1994)
This album was the result of a mixture of chance, luck, skill and talent. Dead's suicide resulted in the recruitment of Attila (Tormentor) for session vocals, whose unique, weird vocals provided the perfect backdrop to Euronymous' furious riffs. While Euronymous' guitar style was widely influential, Attila's unorthodox vocals didn't exactly set the scene ablaze. The bass (performed by Varg Vikernes or Hellhammer, depending on which story you choose to believe) is unusually prominent and sounds particularly ominous on tracks such as "Pagan Fears" and "Life Eternal". The drumming is impeccable, provided by black metal's best drummer, Hellhammer. All of these factors combined to form one of the definitive black metal albums, one which remains a classic ten years after its first release. This album also proved to be the albatross around Mayhem's collective necks, as while it was massive progression from their primitive death metal roots, such was the import of this album that all of their subsequent work was doomed to be in its shadow, irrespective of the quality. |
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 Blaspheretic
Commodore
Joined: Jul 01, 2007
Member#: 3647
Posts: 2568
Location: Königsee / Thuringia / Germany
 
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Posted:
Sun Aug 05, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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Missing: Bathory "Under The Sign Of The Black Mark" / "Blood Fire Death"
Darkthrone "A Blaze In The Northern Sky"
These albums were more important than the second wave, imo.
All are mentioned, but this isn't enough, if a band has more than one
influencing album, then it belongs to the top 10.
Additionally, pick one of Bathory's first 5 and choose #1, why it is different
on Darkthrone? Sure, the 1st doesn't count as BM, but "A Blaze..."
sparked the scene as the style was dead, "Transsilvanian..." was only the
continuation. |
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 Hyouga
Lieutenant
Joined: Dec 28, 2006
Member#: 2841
Posts: 110
Location: Castile - Spain
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Posted:
Sun Aug 05, 2007 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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Very good list  , I however have some problems labeling Venom and Celtic Frost as "Black Metal", as the genre starts with Bathory IMO.
And I agree with Blasph in the "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" issue, but "Transilvanian" is in some way an exaggeration of the earlier style and imitated by many bands later on.
Also, according to Fenriz, Thorns are the originators of the Norwegian style riffs, though the band had only released demos at that time
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1131 |
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 misanthrone
Commodore
Joined: Jun 09, 2006
Member#: 1992
Posts: 4046
Location: BC, Canada
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Posted:
Sun Aug 05, 2007 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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agree on Thorns, fucking cult band, I love them..
only 10 albums? phew, too little..
_________________
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free - Goethe
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cjjeepercreeper
Commodore
Joined: Nov 27, 2006
Member#: 2665
Posts: 6146
Location: At the Mountains of Madness
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Posted:
Sun Aug 05, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="misanthrone"]agree on Thorns, fucking cult band, I love them..
only 10 albums? phew, too little..[/quote]
If you read the rest of the article the guy said 10 was hard to do, but there they are. Interesting list. |
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RelaS
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Dec 20, 2006
Member#: 2781
Posts: 443
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Posted:
Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: |
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lovely article  |
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zarqun
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Member#: 2916
Posts: 422
Location: Werken, West Of Flanders, Belgium
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Posted:
Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:59 am Post subject: |
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indeed lovely 
I miss one in my collection, and I'll definitely will buy it soon: Enslaved with "Vikingligr Veldi". I only have "Isa"
_________________
We were, fair queen,
Two lads that thought there was no more behind
But such a day to-morrow as to-day,
And to be boy eternal. |
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Blaspheretic
Commodore
Joined: Jul 01, 2007
Member#: 3647
Posts: 2568
Location: Königsee / Thuringia / Germany
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BlackOmen77
Lieutenant
Joined: Sep 11, 2007
Member#: 3943
Posts: 224
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Posted:
Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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I'll not speculate on any albums because "influential" is a bit of a personal taste. However, doing a little research, it seems the 3 bands that most influenced the movement that is currently "Black Metal" are ......
Venom-
Bathory-
Mercyful Fate-
Not my personal opinion, but it's what I've heard and read. I have also heard interviews with Black Metal artists the list influences going back to Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, ...etc.
_________________
I Toast the Sky, That Light Shall Never Rule Again! |
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cjjeepercreeper
Commodore
Joined: Nov 27, 2006
Member#: 2665
Posts: 6146
Location: At the Mountains of Madness
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Posted:
Wed Sep 12, 2007 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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oops 
_________________
Not dead, just sleeping.
Memento Mori |
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 Daniem
Commander
Joined: Jan 24, 2007
Member#: 2982
Posts: 546
Location: Curitiba, Brasil
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Posted:
Tue Sep 25, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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Indeed, good article.
Just to add some, here in Brasil we also had an album that was primordial in brazilian BM scene: Sarcófago - "INRI", 1987. This was the start point in the extreme metal around here. And I think you all know it very well!
Cheers!
_________________
"Fists are in the air. banging everywhere thrashing to the sound, faces melting down!
It's time to fight for metal tonight bangers take your stand and obey... our Metal Command!!"
\m/ |
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zarqun
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: Jan 12, 2007
Member#: 2916
Posts: 422
Location: Werken, West Of Flanders, Belgium
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Posted:
Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:21 am Post subject: |
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I only have "Hate" from Sarcófago 
_________________
We were, fair queen,
Two lads that thought there was no more behind
But such a day to-morrow as to-day,
And to be boy eternal. |
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