Any suggestions?

[Pertinax]

Hey I'm trying to find any awesome Norwegian Black metal bands that have a combination of the gothemburg sound / strings & choirish vocals (kind of like Dimmu Borgir) - something that sounds like them. Anyone know of any other good Norwegian BM bands that kind of sound like them? - also ones that are like that but also brutal like Amon Amarth style?

 

[Profano]

Norwegian like Dimmu?

try: the old Covenant, Limbonic Art, Tidfall, the first Ragnarok, Obtained Enslavement, Enslavement of Beuty, Ásmegin, Arntor (amazing album) of Windir...

all symphonic and melodic.

 

[EdgeCrusher77]

Try one of four first Limbonic Art albums, IMO one of the best BM band (R.I.P) ...

 

[Pertinax]

Thanks guys I'll check all that shit out \m/

 

[Pertinax]

O i almost forgot by IMO u mean Immortal, right - cause if you do Amen to them being badasses I have "Sons of Northern Darkness" CD and they're a bunch of cold frozen Nords. It's sad they stopped playing.

 

[Henrik Main]

IMO = In my opinion

Immortal kick ass, but their early stuff is much better than "Sons Of Northern Darkness", methinks.. "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" and "Pure Holocaust" are mandatory.

You also have to check out the following Gehenna records:

First Spell EP
Seen Through The Veil Of Darkness (Second Spell) (one of my favourite symphonic records of all time)
Malice

And of course, get all Emperor stuff you manage to get your hands on. Best records: "In The Nightside Eclipse" and "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk".

 

[Pertinax]

Yeah I agree Ive heard some of their older stuff. I'll try to check out some of that other stuff too. I hear ya on Emperor; I got a bunch of stuff by them- they're just about the grandfathers of Norwegian Black Metal - It's sad they stopped playing - but they made it for an entire decade so that's good. They, Immortal, & Dimmu Borgir have done so much in defining what "Norweigan Black Metal" is all about. We can only hope that some other modern bands will stay around as long as Emperor (10yrs) & Immortal did (13 yrs I think). LONG LIVE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL!! \m/

 

[EdgeCrusher77]

Damned me !! I forgot Immortal !!
Yeah that's (was )a great fucking major band for the norvegian scene !!! They really kick ass, respect ! \m/

 

[Henrik Main]

Yeah, the Norwegian black metal scene indeed had its glory days in the 90s. Still, there are new (and relatively new) promising and good bands around, like Koldbrann, Perished, Taake, 1349, Disiplin, Khold, etc. Also, established acts like Carpathian Forest, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Satyricon are still active.

 

[Pertinax]

Yes deffinately - there were several bands that helped build / define it, and there are many great ones that continue the legacy - it's honestly my favorite genre of music - that and "Viking Death Metal". It really pisses me off though when some people rip on some of the NBM bands about how "Blah Blah Blah... that string shit aint heavy" or other stuff - I'm like "THAT"S THE WAY BLACK METAL IS DUMBASS" because they just don't appreciate the ornateness or beauty of black metal - it's suppose to be complex and intricate - it makes it more melodic, and has a much stronger message and more feeling then just straight death metal - but anything to them that's melodic or has any unusual instruments or choral vocals in the background or keyboards is deemed 'gay' or as 'poser'. Stubborn non-appreciative bastards. lol sorry just had to vent. I just wish people would come to appreciate more the greatest genre of music on Earth - Norwegian Black Metal! \m/ "Save Us O' Lord From the Wrath Of the Norsemen!"

 

[genocide roach]

obtained enslavement are great

but i cant see a bm thread and not mention emperor. listen to them or die
~gR~

 

[Henrik Main]

Nice post, Pertinax. I agree with you completely. I also prefer more melodic black metal, like Gehenna, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Old Man's Child and Borknagar (if you'd call them black metal, which they really aren't, but hey) and others. I feel that most Norwegian black metal bands create a cold and grim, but at the same time melodic and beautiful atmosphere with their music, such as Immortal, Taake, Darkthrone and the abovementioned acts. Norwegian black metal is my favourite metal genre by far.

 

[TRSTN]

Ok, this isn't something I usually do. But anyways, I kinda feel I have to... It's about all these genre-interpretations etc., and I need to say that this has nothing to do with progression in music nor individual taste... Ok ok... Black Metal, by the definitions set by the 2nd generation of Black Metal bands and artist (spearheaded by the Norwegian and Greek scenes) made it perfectly clear that the emphazise in Black Metal was in the Satanic content. Many bands agreeing with this definition, but not sharing this strict religious conviction, chose to label their music otherwise (like Immortal with their 'Holocaust Metal' and Enslaved with their 'Viking Metal'). Also, the grimness and dark atmosphere/feeling found in the overall musical soundscape knocks melody and technique down to the role of "bonus feature", if anything... So, that said, Black Metal is (or was rather, now that the whole genre has widened and been watered out to such a degree as to include bands ranging from Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir to Beherit and Blasphemy) not "beautiful" or "melodic" per se, but rather a tool to spread the word of the Devil and, if successful; the musical embodiment of darkness and cold.

Hmmm.. I dunno how much further I wanna go with this, but what I'm trying to say is: don't start mouthing off to people with statements like "it's suppose to be complex and intricate" without knowing your history. Or whatever...

 

[Henrik Main]

I know that the general ideology in "true" black metal is what you explained in your post, and I also understand that some of the bands I like (Dimmu Borgir, for instance) are looked upon as NOT being black metal due to the different elements they use in their music. Many people define black metal as the music Darkthrone created around the Transilvanian Hunger period, with a minimalistic production, simplistic musicianship and only guitars/bass/drums/vocals. I'd claim that Dimmu Borgir are black metal, others would claim that they are not due to their orchestral and synth-ish sound. These purists would also claim that the only real black metal is early Darkthrone, Judas Iscariot, Veles, Gaahlskagg and other minimalistic black metal bands. I beg to differ - the genre has evolved, and I think that black metal bands should be allowed to use other instruments, structures and lyrical topics without being labelled as "untr00".

 

[TRSTN]

First of all: this is not a "true" vs. "untrue" discussion. And it has nothing to do with what instruments are being used at all. I'm trying to say someting about the definition of the genre Black Metal. I'm not saying that, due to their orchestral and synth-ish sound, Dimmu Borgir is not Black Metal. It has something to do with lyrical approach and (maybe more relevant when disussing Dimmu Borgir); atmosphere and feeling.

What are the key elements in Black Metal? Can I call Cradle of Filth Black Metal? Why/why not? Can I call Darkthrone Black Metal? Why/why not?

 

[Henrik Main]

The instruments used are all ingredients when creating an atmosphere. Therefore, a discussion of instruments used is relevant. The same goes for production. Different production can help create different atmospheres and feelings.

For me, the music is the most important thing in black metal. NOT the lyrics and message. True, black metal may be defined by some as a tool for spreading satanic thoughts and ideas - but would Manic Street Preachers be considered black metal if they had typical black metal lyrics? I think not. The music is as important as the lyrics (actually I think the music is _more_ important.) I would still label Immortal as black metal - simply because that's the genre they're most related to musically, if not perhaps lyrically. Same goes for Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu Borgir.