Black Metal: The demise of ‘True Cult’, 1996/97

The years 1996 and 1997 produced some of the greatest black metal albums of all time.  So, for example, we have, Burzum: Filosofem, Emperor: Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, Satyricon: Nemesis Divina, Enslaved: Eld, Gorgoroth: Antichrist & Under the Sign of Hell, Ulver: Nattens Madrigal, Immortal: Blizzard Beasts, Sacramentum: Far Away From the Sun, Vinterland: Welcome My Last Chapter, Blut aus Nord: Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age, Cradle of Filth: Dusk… and Her Embrace, Kvist: For kunsten maa vi evig vike, Borknagar: Borknagar & The Olden Domain, Arcturus: Aspera Hiems Symfonia, Marduk: Heaven Shall Burn… When We Are Gathered, Dimmu Borgir: Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, and Dødheimsgard: Monumental Possession, to name but a few.

However, the years 1996 and 1997 are also pivotal years for black metal, years that saw the demise of ‘True Cult’ and the development of more experimental, expansive black metal.  These years also saw a proliferation of new bands, most of whom arose outside of Norse-land, but rather in places such as France, the US, Poland, Italy, Russia, and the UK.    It was as if Scandinavia had lost its hold on black metal which had now passed on to other cultures who, in turn, changed the essence of the music.  

Okay, there are some generalisations in those statements, and remember, no event in musical history starts instantly when the past is pronounced dead – there are no definitive lines here, instead there is a gradual blurring of past and present to form a dialectic of sorts.  Nevertheless, black metal changed from 1997 onwards as I shall show in this article, and much that was, faded.  

We must before we start, of course, define ‘True Cult’ or as some would have it, ‘trve kvlt’. 

trve – True to the ideology or stereotypical manifestation of a given subculture, particularly among fans of heavy metal. ¹

kvlt – True to the ideology of black metal or a stereotypical manifestation of that subculture. You gotta wear make-up at kvlt gigs or you’ll be thrown out. ²

Kvlt is a term used by and about fans of … black metal … Fans of black metal use kvlt of more obscure, earlier bands that exemplify the genre and to show their inside knowledge … As more bands formed, black metal fans began using the term kvlt to refer to bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth that exemplified the satanic imagery of the genre. ³

I suspect that each fan has their own definition of what trve kvlt means, but I will use these definitions in order to discuss how the black metal bands of 1992 had changed both musically and ideologically by 1996, and how a different direction in black metal developed, fuelled by newer bands who could not be labelled trve and who thus, changed the scene. 

Let’s start with six bands widely regarded as trve kvlt, namely, Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem, Ulver, Satyricon, and Enslaved.  Each band seems to go through the same journey – starting with their version of trve but by 1997 they each seem to drift away from the style, resulting in a whole new musical and, in some cases, ideological approach. 

Darkthrone’s first five black metal albums (A Blaze in the Northern Sky [1992] to Total Death [1996]) effectively developed the blueprint of what raw, cold, evil black metal sounds like, and indeed literally thousands of bands have copied that blueprint.  Darkthrone, above all else, had established the trve kvlt sound like no one else.  Yet, by 1996, the sound, approach, and direction of the band was drifting away from this style.  By 1996, Fenriz was losing his love for black metal and the scene generally:  

“After Total Death, it seemed our energy was drained. We had lots of struggles in our personal lives again and we went on a hiatus as a band … I had hit the wall in 1996, and in 1998 came a depression that lasted until 2002 … I had become more and more firm in my faith in ‘80s metal, and even more troubled with ‘90s and current metal … And the tiredness of the spastic ‘90s metal strengthened my belief that on Ravishing Grimness I should tone down my drumming and play more disciplined and primitive. I don’t know if it made that album and Plaguewielder more boring, but at least it was an antidote to the ’90s.” ⁴

The confusion and disappointment that many fans felt after the release of Total Death (some even called it a betrayal, which is going far too far!), only became more profound  with the releases of Ravishing Grimness (1999) and Plaguewielder (2001), to the extent that many stopped calling Darkthrone a black metal band entirely.  Focusing on thrash, punk, and even heavy metal, Darkthrone hasn’t, to date, returned to the ‘necro’ black metal they established. 

The same could be said of Burzum.  The fabulous run of albums Burzum (1992), Det som engang var (1993), Hvis lyset tar oss (1994), and Filosofem (1996), was shattered by the release of Dauði Baldrs (1997) and Hliðskjálf (1999) which were ambient records played only on a synthesiser.  The fans hated these albums at the time (although these albums seem to be growing in favour amongst some fans) and Burzum stopped producing music for the next eleven years.  Although Burzum returned to ‘black metal’ albums (Belus (2010), Fallen (2011), and Umskiptar (2012)), most fans and critics agreed that his later work in no way matched the brilliance of those first four albums.  Vikernes himself “described modern black metal culture as a “tasteless, low-brow parody” of the early Norwegian black metal scene” and clearly moved on from black metal entirely.  ⁵

Of all black metal bands, Mayhem seem to embody what trve kvlt is; indeed, even their logo reads ‘the true’ Mayhem, placed there not only to distinguish themselves from other bands called Mayhem (checking online I could only find three bands named Mayhem all of whom are bands who play at weddings!), but obviously as a nod to trve kvlt.  Mayhem’s recorded output has never been extensive.  Forty years of music has seen them produce only six studio albums and four EPs.  

Their first EP, Deathcrush (1987) is a combination of brutal, experimental, and catchy metal, but sounding more like a punky version of the thrash metal that dominated at the time.  Is wasn’t really black metal; the EP represented a band trying to find its sound and musical voice.  That, however, was to change dramatically in 1994 when De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was released.  

Considered to be one of the greatest black metal albums ever, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas has become an iconic masterpiece.  Almost immediately, however, the album’s brilliance was eclipsed by the (continued) violent history of Mayhem.  With Euronymous killed, Vikernes imprisoned, and Attila out of contact (only Euronymous and Vikernes had his phone number!), Mayhem had to all intents, imploded.  Amazingly though, at Euronymous’ funeral Necrobutcher and Hellhammer agreed to resurrect the group and by 1994 the new version was busy rehearsing.  Unsurprisingly, it took until 1997 for the band to play live and to release their first EP, Wolf’s Liar Abyss.  

Wolf’s Liar Abyss is without doubt a follow-up to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, but also a heavier and more technical. release.  Retrospectively, it was a bridge between the evil, satanic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas to a new, technical, and experimental future.  Mayhem, with each subsequent release, grew further and further away from the sound of their first album, even if they did retain the ‘Mayhem’ feel.  Grand Declaration of War, is a case in point, “The album’s “sonic clarity” was “a complete 180-degree turn” from the band’s early “scuzzy ‘necro’ approach.” ⁶  It is fast and furious, but much more technical, planned, and complex than anything the band had produced up to that point.  Furthermore, there is some programming and electronics, both of which polarised the fans.  The technicality and experimentation of the album set the pattern for releases that challenged the more ‘conventional’ black metal sound.  Mayhem, quite simply, had moved on from the De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas period, and it was quite clear that many fans had not.

Of all the bands who were trve, Ulver are the most obvious example that represents the thesis of this article.  After realising the spectacular black metal trilogy, Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995), Kveldssanger (1996), and Nattens madrigal (1997), Ulver suddenly lurched off in a completely different direction with their album, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which blends electronics, industrial music elements, progressive metal, avant-garde rock, and ambient passages.  The fan furore was predictable, but as Garm said, “… we were never, like, strictly into black metal. It’s actually pretty natural. I think a lot of people tend to think of it as very weird or very strange that the focus shifted so radically, but I don’t.” ⁷  Suffice to say that Ulver has never produced another black metal album to date.

Satyricon are another example of a band moving away from their trve roots.  Starting with three tremendous black metal albums, Dark Medieval Times (1993), The Shadowthrone (1994), and Nemesis Divina (1996), the band surprised everyone by releasing an album, Rebel Extravaganza (1999) which showcased an industrial leaning with less keyboards, and with the folk/symphonic elements, those that had been their signature style, completely absent.  The album is more precise in its music, quite cold and dry, yet clearly highlighting a rock-groove approach.  The aesthetics had changed too, gone was the corpse-paint of old, and now the band appeared on the cover of the album looking more like zombies, stranded in an industrial landscape.  All of this was hinting at what was to come.  Satyr said that black metal, “had come to a point where romance and bloodsucking seemed more important than darkness and extremity”. ⁸

It could be argued that Enslaved never really played the necro type of black metal that bands on the early 90s played, focusing instead on Viking aesthetics al la Bathory.  However, that would be too general as the black metal trve sound is clear to hear on their two demos, Nema (1991) and Yggdrasill (1992), and also on their famous EP, Hordanes Land (1993).  Vikingligr Veldi (1994), continued with the raw, symphonic, and keyboard driven black metal, infused with lyrics about Northern mythology.  Frost (1994) stripped the sound down to raw, aggressive guitars, faster tempos, yet retaining some keyboards and clean singing.  Again the lyrics are totally focused on Norse mythology but this was a different album from their debut.  Eld (1997) moved the band firmly into Viking metal territory with slower, more heroic passages, and rousing, clean vocals.  Blodhemn (1998) is a return to raw black metal, but there are progressive hints throughout the album and the progressive, and less black metal direction, took over for their next album, Mardraum – Beyond the Within (2000).  This would become the trend for all their future album releases and today Enslaved are viewed as one of the most important progressive metal bands going and it is debatable whether you could call them black metal any more. 

The six examples of these classic bands reveal a trend of movement away from the trve kvlt music that dominated black metal between 1992 and 1996. Strong cases could also be made for Emperor, Gehenna, and Mortiis, and there are yet more examples of this trend continuing in bands that developed post-1992.  

Fleurety showcased a trve style in their Demo, Black Snow (1993), their EP, A Darker Shade of Evil (1994), and their album, Min Tid Skal Komme (1995).  Yet, a new musical direction is heard in their EP, Last-Minute Lies (1999) and their album, Department of Apocalyptic Affairs (2000), and thereafter.  The harsh vocals are gone, as are many of the black metal tropes and instead we get a steady diet of experimental music.

In The Woods’ Demos, Rehearsal 93 and Isle of Men (both 1993), and their album, HEart of the Ages (1995) show the raw, mystical, and nature-inspired black metal that they are renowned for; yet on their album, Omnio (1997), the band moves into a progressive and psychedelic style, dropping black metal completely.

Whilst Ved Buens Ende’s Demo, Those Who Caress the Pale (1994) is clearly Norwegian black metal, the 1995 album, Written in Waters is an experimental release showcasing jazz, folk, progressive rock and thrash.  It is music of the highest order but miles away from the second wave’s sound.  “… we opened the door for music that had seemingly not direct contact with our genre, like Coil, Dead Can dance, Diamanda Galas, The Residents, Bowie, Thule, Cocteau twins, Tom waits, Cohen, Joy Division, Kate Bush, movie scores … and some classical music … my point is to highlight that through tensions between all the things, you sort of get Ved Buens Ende.” ⁹

Arcturus have had a similar journey.  Starting with their EP, Constellation (1994) and their album, Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) , they demonstrated aggressive, symphonic black metal, with catchy riffs and progressive undertones.  However, by La Masquerade Infernale (1997), we hear a theatrical, carnivalesque record infused with classic music, clean, almost operatic vocals, and more overt progressive leanings.  Future albums would build on this new style and take the band toward a sci-fi aesthetic combining sound affects and synthesisers. 

Dodheimsgard’s first two albums, Kronet Til Konge (1995) and Monumental Possession (1996) are very much raw, Darkthrone inspired, black metal.   Yet the next releases, Satanic Art (1998) and 1999’s, 666 International saw the band add violins, piano, and industrial elements to their sound, with much experimentation and a mile away from their original releases.  

We could add many more bands to the list but perhaps the point is made.  Further still, new bands arrived on the scene who brought a new approach to the early second wave style and developed more experimental, complex music. Bands such as Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Sigh, and Aborym are a few examples of how the black metal scene was developing. 

Whilst trve bands continued past 1997, Gorgoroth, Watain, Marduk, the Nidrosian bands, and the Les Legions Noires are examples of this, black metal generally was moving away from the second wave style.  Newer bands mixed doom, death, progressive, folk, and thrash with their brand of black metal, and the result of this was a distinct move away from trve kvlt.  The obvious question to ask is, why did this happen?

I think there are three reasons for the change in black metal, but I am more than interested in hearing what others think about it.  The first reason is, to me, an obvious one.  By 1996 a large handful of black metal musicians where in jail or dead.  Quite simply the momentum that carried the second wave on an explosive surge of creativity, begun to falter.  It cannot be understated enough that the loss of these creative musicians stalled the progress of early second wave music.  Mayhem had imploded, Burzum was done for twenty-one years, Emperor only had Ishahn still free, and so on.  The bands that had managed to avoid prison, as we have seen, were in the process of moving away from the early second wave sound – Darkthrone, Enslaved, Satyricon, Ulver, Immortal, Gehenna, and Dimmu Borgir.  Bit by bit then, the early second wave sound faded since the major players were no longer playing it.  

The murder of Euronymous is also a major reason for the change in sound and ideology of black metal.  There can be no doubt that black metal was guided, if not controlled, by Euronymous.  There are countless interviews and stories that show how he developed the black metal aesthetic.  Bands were encouraged to be ‘evil’, dress in black, misanthropic, and there can be no doubt that alongside Snorre Ruch, they developed the riffing-style of early black metal.  Euronymous was also at the centre of a huge tape-trading scene, and many of the early black metal bands were heard outside Norway thanks to him.  The Helvete record store, opened by Euronymous, was an important meeting place for the early Norwegian black metal scene and attracted other European musicians.  Euronymous even started a record label, although in truth it didn’t seem to produce that much actual music.  In short, Euronymous, certainly for the early years of black metal’s development in Scandinavia, was the voice of black metal.  His death seemed to leave black metal rudderless, (especially since Vikernes was in prison for Euronymous’ murder).  Without that guiding figure, musicians were freed from having to have his ‘approval’ and began to explore other types of black metal.  Mortiis sums this attitude up perfectly when asked if he had ever received any feedback from Euronymous regarding Mortiis’ early work once he had left Emperor:

“No, I never got around to playing him my music. I was a little concerned that he might not be into it, so I kept dragging my feet a lot in terms of letting him know about the Mortiis project. I was literally terrified that if Euronymous told me it sucked, I wouldn’t want to make more music. I can handle a lot of criticism but, at the time – as an eighteen-year-old – I’d have been devastated if Euronymous said, ‘Dude, it’s shit.’ Because he was very honest and would’ve told me in no uncertain terms if he didn’t like my music.”

Lastly, in order for black metal to survive and grow, it had to change its musical style.  Both thrash and death metal had started to stagnate around the four/five year mark, with bands beginning to sound like one another and there being no clear musical development in both styles.  Black metal had always been innovative and to some degree, experimental.  If you look critically at the second weave bands, they all have a unique sound which isn’t replicated, indeed, being unique was the point of the kvlt.  Thus Mayhem sounded nothing like Enslaved, who sounded nothing like Emperor, who sounded nothing like Burzum, etc.  The sub-genres of black metal, were, to a large extent, already run place in the later days of the early second wave.  Death, doom, thrash, prog elements can be found in these early bands, but it took until 1996/97  before black metal bands expanded those elements to produce new, exciting music.  This ‘new’ black metal made the scene incredibly fertile and thus, the stagnation of most metal genres, was avoided.  One could argue that that experimentation is still happening today, and whilst other sub-genres of metal have gone down dead-ends, black metal is still thriving.

To me, the fact that black metal changed can simply be heard in the music.  The raw, under-produced, ‘necro’ sound of, say 1994, had virtually gone, and a newer, more liberated sound emerged.  Listening to bands who released their first demos or albums in 96/97, one can clearly hear that they are not slavishly following what had been before, it was fresh, dangerous, but different.  However, it was still black metal.  The family tree has grown extraordinarily large, but the essence, the spirit if you will, of black metal is still as strong and as dangerous as it was in 1993.