What bands do YOU consider the First Wave of Black Metal?

[Perdition's Light]

First I want to make clear that I'm aware that lots of stuff was getting called black metal back in the day that we wouldn't really consider black metal by today's standards. When referring to the so-called "first wave" (obviously a posthumous and vague term), I'm referring specifically to bands which had a significant impact on the sound of black metal to come. The obvious candidates, which are widely considered the fathers of the genre are:

Venom
Mercyful Hate
Bathory
Hellhammer

Everyone knows these have been designated as part of the "first wave of black metal", but I rarely hear anyone talk about other bands being a part of this movement, but of course there are bands that to a lesser, but still important, had an impact on the (many) sound(s) black metal would take on later. Obviously this is up to debate, as death and black metal were somewhat indistinguishable early on, both being born out of the extreme sounds of thrash metal (for the most part).

There are thrash acts, such as Slayer (first two full-lengths), Sodom (In The Sign of Evil), Sepultura (Bestial Devastation, Morbid Visions), Sarcofago (oviously), and others I'm sure could be considered candidates. Bear in mind that these bands may have had just as much (or perhaps more) influence on death metal throughout their career. What other thrash bands would you say were important in this regard?

Then we have bands such as Tormentor and Bulldozer, which are not really thrash metal, and are occasionally mentioned, but who I would definetely count among the first wave.

So, whether or not you agree with the concept of defining a first wave, try to list a few bands which precede the well-known "early nineties norwegian black metal" sound. It's the latest dance craze sweeping the nation.

 

[The Bringer]

I've always thought of the bands that released albums in 1990-1993 era. But again, I don't entirely know a lot about black metal. I'm slowly learning.

 

[Perdition's Light]

I've always thought of the bands that released albums in 1990-1993 era. But again, I don't entirely know a lot about black metal. I'm slowly learning.

Well, as I tried to make clear in my original post, "first wave" is merely a label that came long after the period in which the music was made, and as such, opinions on what bands are to be included is going to vary from person to person, or even the validity of such a classification in the first place, given the ambiguity of the term "black metal" in the 80's.

As I understand it, and I admit to being young (20), the cutoff point between the first and second wave is roughly 1990. So the period you are thinking of is what is considered the second wave, coinciding with the norwegian explosion.

 

[hibernal_dream]

What is Venom doing on your list?

 

[Perdition's Light]

What is Venom doing on your list?

I'll let someone else handle this.

 

[D-KOM]

Thats a question which depends on the point of view. Someone will say Arthur Brown or the Rolling Stones just because they played with aspects of the dark side, Venom did it only about 15 years later too just with more publicity...
It´s also a difference when you ask for satanism in music and the beginnig of "modern" Black Metal.

 

[Perdition's Light]

Thats a question which depends on the point of view. Someone will say Arthur Brown or the Rolling Stones just because they played with aspects of the dark side, Venom did it only about 15 years later too just with more publicity...

The Rolling Stones were not heavy metal though. Anyone who says Venom's sound didn't influence black metal directly is kidding themselves. I know some people disagree, and those people will never be convinced, so it's futile to argue this point.

I just opened up a huge fucking can of worms with this thread. It always has to be so complicated Just list the bands damnit!!

 

[IOfTheStorm]

Stop categorizing bands by their lyrics only.

 

[Personified Hatred]

Venom
Mercyful Hate
Bathory

Same here.

Mercyful Fate and Venom lyrically, Bathory musically.

I don't know Hellhammer.

 

[skeptik]

Every band you mentioned is first wave except Slayer, Perdition. Plus Root. Venom fucking invented Black Metal. It's not the band's fault that people changed the way the genre went later, they obviously had no control over that.

 

[Erik]

Venom
Bathory
Sodom
Sarcófago
Living Colour
Hellhammer
Mercyful Fate
Sepultura
Tormentor (HUN)
Mayhem

 

[Pull The Plug]

Dont forget Sabbat.

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Every band you mentioned is first wave except Slayer, Perdition. Plus Root. Venom fucking invented Black Metal. It's not the band's fault that people changed the way the genre went later, they obviously had no control over that.

Change is such a bad word in that context. Let's say that they 'refined' it.

You're absolutely right, though.

 

[unknown]

I'd say Perdition's initial list of four bands is pretty good. A lot of people confuse second wave BM (Darkthrone, Burzum, etc...) with first wave

 

[D-KOM]

The quotation about assholes and opinions comes to my mind after reading ths thread again. As long there are different views on Black Metal and how it should be going on, there will be this discussion, so it would be endless also...

 

[skeptik]

You can't say Thomas Edison didn't invent one of the many things that he did just as much as you can't say that Venom didn't invent Black Metal. Of course they were both influenced by ideas of the past and that their ideas have been expanded upon, but that doesn't change the reality of the situation. It's not a matter of opinion.

 

[Frostangelstorm]

Every band you mentioned is first wave except Slayer, Perdition. Plus Root. Venom fucking invented Black Metal. It's not the band's fault that people changed the way the genre went later, they obviously had no control over that.

According to your logic, if The Beatles invented a weird kind of music, called it 'Black Metal' and then, to their surprise, saw it in a completely different shape 30 years after, The Beatles would be fucking creators of 'Black Metal'?

Fuck this shit, I am tired and off to bed.

 

[skeptik]

Yes, you fucking idiot. But they didn't. Venom did.

 

[MetalAges]

I don't even like Black Metal or listen to it but I know enough history behind Metal to also say Venom would be one of the first wave, if not THE first.

 

[Frostangelstorm]

History? Music is sounds, not facts. If there is a common view on something, it doesn't mean it is automatically correct and doesn't need checking. If a whole is influenced, in one way or another, by a certain band's certain, it hardly means they should be put in the same genre.

...I am surprised Celtic Frost hasn't been mentioned yet(CTRL+F)though.