BLACK METAL

[Andrew McIntosh]

Teitenblood fucking rule but I always thought they were more musically classed as Death Metal rather than Black Metal. Anyway, they fucking rule. Yea, that kind of thing needs to be a full on assault that doesn't break up into little bits and pieces. Quite a few bands seem to do that. I'm just listening to Mortuus Lunae which I quite like (nothing brilliant but good) but there's a bit too much let's-stop-for-a-spooky-break for mine.

It does matter if it's in context. Stridborg manage to keep a whole atmosphere going, from production to actual music, to make it work if there is a spooky-break.

Dungeon Synth I couldn't give a rat's about. I never bothered with Mortiis, apart from bits and pieces on CMI comps. If you're going to play synth music, do it properly. Fenriz's Neptune Towers is too underrated. I read a description from some wanker saying that he just leaned on a keyboard for half an hour which could not be further from the truth. He manages to stay true to his influences on both those albums.

Synth in BM has always been problematic. Good symphonic BM is a bit rare to my ears. Lymbonic Art did it best. I think The Eye is a good project too.

[calaverasgrande]

true story. I used to be this anti guitar solo fanatic. I would go through stuff like Reign in Blood and Ride the Lightning and edit out all the solos. Making a nice solo free version by recording it to cassette. Also allowed me to fit almost twice as many albums on a tape!  Drove my hesher friends crazy.
Maybe you could do the same for these BM bands that get up your ass with fairy magic forest interlude in E minor.

[Andrew McIntosh]

I already do. Guitar solos can be pretty bloody annoying too, one of the things I like about BM is that they don't often indulge in such frett wanking. But taking the solos out of a classic like "Ride The Lightning", couldn't possibly think of going that far. The solo at the end of "Fade To Black" is a stone cold classic, fucking makes the song. A comparison between the brilliant guitaring of msrs Hammet, King and Hanneman at the height of their genre defining Thrash Metal powers and BM sub-par spooky-breaks is not one I would have made myself.

Been listening to a lot of WOLD lately. Like it a lot but if anyone else likes WOLD and hasn't seen that interview with them, don't. Bad enough that Pitchfork and The Quietus like them.

[l.b.]

'First Spell' by Gehenna has guitar solos and super cheesy keyboards and a fruity little intro but i'd rather listen to that ep than any black metal from the 2000's.

edit:

WOLD ... interview

haha this rules

[JuhoN]

I think graveland has used drum machine in some albums. It sounds pretty good.

[Duncan]

Wold interview is great.  Doesn't seem vastly different to what you hear in lots of BM interviews.  Maybe they'd all seem cringey if they presented professionally filmed rather than in text.

[aububs]

Maybe they'd all seem cringey if they presented professionally filmed rather than in text.

Doesn't help that he looks like Garth from Wayne's World.

[fetch the rope]

I think graveland has used drum machine in some albums. It sounds pretty good.

All the albums after Immortal Pride (although even that one is questionable...) up to the latest split with Nokturnal Mortum have programmed drums. The NM split has real drums for the first time in almost 20 years.

[Fluid Fetish]

Teitenblood fucking rule but I always thought they were more musically classed as Death Metal rather than Black Metal. Anyway, they fucking rule. Yea, that kind of thing needs to be a full on assault that doesn't break up into little bits and pieces.

YES! I think in an interview he stated that he doesn't classify Teitanblood as a genre, it's 'where death and black metal meet' or something to that effect. I hear everything from Beherit and Blasphemy to Nuclear Death and Autopsy in their music so I think it's an apt description. Best extreme metal band currently active in my opinion. Death is a modern monument and a swift boot to the face of all the people whining about how metal isn't as good as it used to be.

Fenriz's Neptune Towers is too underrated. I read a description from some wanker saying that he just leaned on a keyboard for half an hour which could not be further from the truth. He manages to stay true to his influences on both those albums.

YES again! Underrated album. Not incredible, but perfect Eno/Tangerine Dream worship.

Also Graveland had Capricornus as a drummer up until Following the Voice of Blood at least and the band DEFINITELY lost something when he left. The guy's primitive, barely capable drumming fit the barbarism on the old Graveland albums perfectly. Incredible drumming, especially on Celtic Winter, In the Glare, Carpathian Wolves, and Thousand Swords. Fuck, such good black metal.

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

I second all that has been said about Neptune Towers. Both albums are spectacular.

When it comes to synth in BM I'd defend its use. The shittification of much late/post 90s black metal was never really about synth, but about overproduction. Triggered, or triggered sounding, drums, massive studio budgets (relatively speaking) and a complete lack of soul often coincide in latter day BM, which means it doesn't really matter if there's a ton of synth, or if it's just "pure" raw guitar/bass/dums/screams. It's still shock rock rather than BM. There's lots of old classic albums that use or even overuse synthesizers, with Emperor's 'In the Nightside Eclipse' being perhaps the most well known example of the latter. To me that album remains absolutely essential, and nothing is taken away by the whole production being swamped in synths to the point where the vocals are more or less eclipsed (see what I did there?).

There's a ton of bands that ripped this style off, more or less, to great effect. Abigor's Orkblut or early Abyssum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLR51rjWpyw), are prime examples. And noone is allowed to hate on Abigor's Orkblut or early Abyssum!

[Zodiac]

Nothing you can do but make music that is impossible to co-opt.

They call it NSBM.

And totally glad to see people who care for Neptune Towers. I did wait for years for that. Both are great albums.

About MZ.412 and Mysticum and tags. Surely, MZ.412 never talked about "Black Industrial METAL". So i dont think somebody
should mix these bands up on this matter.

People who are into the likes of Mysticum, Blacklodge, Diabolicum, etc. should check out french Helel.

I dont like proto-metal or proto-BM myself and i am totally fine with that. Into BM for like 20 years now. I dont care.

[NO PART OF IT]

Lately I have been into a band from France called Nuit Noire.  Black metal with female vocals, with punk influences.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7WLv9OazGs

[Fluid Fetish]

Kataxu- Hunger of Elements is another primary example of absolutely excellent and perfect utilization of synths. Not my favorite black metal album of all time by any means, but that opening song In My Dungeon....

Nuit Noire is really good, although I grew up listening to the demos so they in particular hold a special place for me. Black Form is one of the best blendings of black metal and punk ever recorded. The later albums are good, but the atmosphere of the tapes is absolutely untouched. Lots of nostalgia for me in old Nuit Noire.

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

Kataxu- Hunger of Elements is another primary example of absolutely excellent and perfect utilization of synths. Not my favorite black metal album of all time by any means, but that opening song In My Dungeon....

I agree. The synth use is undoubtedly "too much", but they make it work extremely well. Ukrainian Svarga has an album called "Символ волі" which to me has always been kind of a sibling to Hunger of the Elements. It has a similar synth utilization going on, though it's a bit more restrained in that department.

[Fluid Fetish]

Kataxu- Hunger of Elements is another primary example of absolutely excellent and perfect utilization of synths. Not my favorite black metal album of all time by any means, but that opening song In My Dungeon....

I agree. The synth use is undoubtedly "too much", but they make it work extremely well. Ukrainian Svarga has an album called "Символ волі" which to me has always been kind of a sibling to Hunger of the Elements. It has a similar synth utilization going on, though it's a bit more restrained in that department.

I definitely need to check out this Svarga album then, thanks for the recommendation!

Also I forgot to mention to NO PART OF IT, the singer for Nuit Noire is a guy haha...I think there is female back up singing but it's definitely the androgynous wailing of a dude.