06/09/2004 
Blasphemy:
Winds Of The Black Gods (Intro)
Sarcofago:
Satanic Lust
Celtic
Frost: Dawn Of Megiddo
Nattefrost:
Sluts Of Hell
Mercyful
Fate: Evil
Sodom
Burst: Command Til War
Tormentor:
Elisabeth Bathori
Aura
Noir: Blood Unity
Destruction:
Curse Of The Gods
Samael:
Into The Pentagram
Bulldozer:
Whisky Time
Mayhem:
Freezing Moon
Hellhammer:
The Third Of The Storms
Burzum:
Ea, Lord Of The Deeps
Venom:
Warhead
Bathory:
Dies Irae
release date 20th September 2004
distributed in Switzerland by Irascible Distribution
preview - review by Boris "Azrael"
Witta ___ 
Fenriz
is not only the most known post-office clerk of Norway, he’s also the
drummer of one of the most important Black Metal-bands from the second
generation: Darkthrone. And this compilation is his personal tribute to
the true gods of Black Metal, the creators of this cult, this art and
this expression of hate, misanthropy, satanism and heathen thoughts.
Bands like Celtic Frost (from Switzerland!!), Samael (dito!), Mercyful
Fate, Bathory (R.I.P. Quorthon!) and Venom, which were and are the
inspiration of uncountable following bands, such as Mayhem, Burzum, Aura
Noir or Nattefrost, which all also spent a song for this fantastic and
honest compilation.
The
journey starts with the dark and mysterious intro “Winds
Of The Black Gods”
from the Canadian Blashemy, a perfect introduction for the things to
come. Then finally, the first song starts, “Satanic
Lust”,
from the Brasilian Sarcofage, who play a mixture of harsh Black and
aggressive, bangy Thrash Metal, think of newer bands like the Swedish
Nifelheim. Imagine, this song was written in 1987, when myself was only
one year old! This is Black Metal-history!! Already in this song, you
can feel the atmosphere of this time, it was new, special and extreme,
something the world never heard before. Everyone
who is in extreme Metal should know the following band: Celtic fucking
Frost! “Dawn
Of Meggido”
from the cult-classic-album “To Mega Therion” (1985) is a midtempo-crusher
with slow parts, but again important is the atmospere. Hell, this is
morbid and destroying! And Tom G. Warriors voice is absolutely
incredible, brutal and forceful.
Let’s
jump now to the year 2004 and to Hellcommander Nattefrost (Carpathian
Forest) and the blasting “Sluts
Of Hell”
from “Blood & Vomit”. Nattefrost play “True Primitive
Narrow-Minded Black Metal" and this is the best description for the
sound. Pushing, raw, but fat guitars, infernal fast drums and a hysteric
and high screaming voice. And
text-parts like “Sluts Of Hell – Cunts Of Evil – Sluts Of Hell –
Slave Of Satan” are primitive, but true and old-school.
Okay,
back to the year 1983 and to the album “Melissa” from Mercyful Fate.
“Evil”
is the opener and one of the best tracks I ever heard so far. The music
is pure Heavy Metal, NWoBHM-riffs, soli and classic drums. But this
feeling, this obscure atmosphere: For the first time in Metal, there was
this satanic, this occult aspect, this evil in the music, which defined
Black Metal. And King Diamond has without doubt the most characteristic
voice in the whole Metal-world, higher isn’t possible, with the
maximum of expression and with so much feeling in it… Unbelievable!
Sodom
Burst are more simple, I never heard of this band, I also don’t know
if they still exist or not, but their sound is great, they have some
punky influences, most of all in the way the drums are played. “Command
Til War”
Is pure old-school and the biggest and most importants influences are
certainly Venom.
Very
different from Sodom Burst are the Hungarian Tormentor: Freezing, cold
guitars, the way the guitars sounded in the Nordic 90s and the special,
aggressive, raw and scolding voice of well-known Attila Csihar. “Elisabeth
Bathori”
starts with accoustic guitars and is always in midtempo, dark, majestic,
epic, with a fantastic atmospheric part. The song is taken from “Anno
Domini”, which was released in 1988 and reminds a bit to Bathory’s
“A Fine Day To Die”, only slower.
“Blood
Unity”
from the Norwegian band Aura Noir is ten years elder. The trio has a lot
of German Thrash Metal-elements in its sound, most of all from
Destruction. Because of that, the production is very good and the riffs
are simple, but melodic and effective. The best thing in “Blood
Unity” (from the album “Deep Tracts Of Hell”) are the lead guitars
in the middle of this excellent headbanger and the shrill, fast and
virtuous guitar-solo at the end, which sounds kind of spacy. Already now
I can say, that “The Best Of Old School Black Metal” is an
absolutely fantastic compilation which will not be topped any more
again.
Well,
I was talking about Destruction and here’s the song of the German
Cult-thrashers: “Curse
The Gods”
(1986, from “Eternal Devastation), the opening song of every
Destruction-concert. This trinkling guitar-intro, then the pounding and
heavy, slow riffs, then the tempo-changes and of course Schmier’s
characteristic, authentic voice – an absolutely classic.
I know that Destruction aren’t Black Metal (and of course Fenriz also
knows this), but bands like Darkthrone or Mayhem were very much inspired
by German Thrash like Destrucion or also Sodom, so that’s why “Curse
The Gods” is on this compilation. It really deserves its place!!
There
was a time when Samael used to play pure Black Metal, and “Into The
Pentagram” from the EP “Medieval Prophecy” (1989) is like that.
Hateful , aggressive True Black Metal, with a great rhythm (bang that
head that doesn’t bang!) and the infernal screaming, dark and satanic
voice of Vorph. Samael, please listen to “Into
The Pentagram” and go
back to your roots…
Hehe,
I like Bulldozer! The band is pure Speed-Punk, you just have to listen
to this funny drum-intro. Then simple riffs in the vain of the Sex
Pistols or the Ramones appear, and you just have the feeling that you
immediately have to dance pogo. Yeah, it’s fucking “Whisky
Time”!!
The song is on the album of the year 1985, called “Day Of Wrath”.
Unfortunately, the Italian trio has split up some time ago. But that
doesn’t destroy the alcoholic feeling of this great song!
Again
very different are Mayhem, and EVERYBODY who can spell Black Metal
should now “Freezing Moon”
from “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” (1994), the last album of
Euronymous before he was killed by Varg “Count Grishnack” Vikernes
(fuck you!!). The very special thing is that victim and murderer play
together on this album, because Mayhem had no bassman at the time and so
Varg did the job.
Hellhammers granatic and destroying drums and the totally sick voice of
Attila Csihar (remember Tormentor) make “Freezing Moon” to a hymn of
True Norwegian Black Metal, with this typical atmosphere of being down,
life-unlust, self-destruction, war and death. Very, very impressive.
Hail Euronymous!
Hellhammer
are the former band of Celtic Frost, and so their sound logically
reminds to old sound of the followers. Hellhammer had a lot of Speed and
Doom elements in their sound and they were one of the inventors of the
shrill feeping guitars. “The
Third Of The Storms”
is a short song, fast, aggressive and was originally recorded for the
legendary demo-tape “Satanic Rites”. Ahhh, I want to go back to the
year 1986 now!!
Varg
Vikernes may be the biggest nazi-asshole of the Black Metal-scene, but
the music on the first Burzum-albums is Black Metal par excellence.
Depressive, cold melodies, simple drums and the hysteric and inhume
voice of Count Grishnackh (or Graf Quisling, how he’s calling himself
nowadays) make “Ear, Lord Of The Deeps” to another
cult-classic on Fenriz’ compilation.
1992. That was the time when Black Metal was still new, rough, extreme
and without any compromise. By the way, “Era, Lord Of The Deeps” is
taken from the self-titled first album of the one-man-project.
And
then the gods themselves, the Britain heros Venom, the founders of the
style Black Metal. Cult,
pure cult! Rock’n’rolly
guitars, the shouting voice of Cronos and the simple, but most effective
ability of the musicians, which is one of the trademarks of the trio.
Yezzz!!! The single “Warhead”
is from the year 1984, hm, I wasn’t already born then.
The fantastic end of this incredible compilation makes our brother Quorthon, who left Midgard and is now in Odin’s hall Valhalla. R.I.P.!!! “Dies Irae” was taken from “Blood Fire Death” (1988) which is one of the most important albums in the evolution of Black, Viking and Pagan Metal. Quorthons great voice is absolutely original, full of hate, and the underground-production and the freezing, cold, brutal guitars became standards in the world of extreme Metal. A little masterpiece and a super end of a compilation which is a duty for every fan of extreme Metal! Hail the gods of Black Metal!!!
rating: 666, eh, 10/10
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