Pure Black/Death Metal Thread

I'm having a look around on this forum and not really finding any threads for just a 'Black Metal' or 'Death Metal' discussion. I'm going to lean towards the idea that this isn't really the form for it.

So, apologies if this has been discussed before (I'm fairly new to this forum), how to people view the UK band Cradle of Filth? Some people view their early work as good, some just see them as childish. Personally, I'm very into their first full release and first EP, after that, they did some great music. Are you people on HOM into a debate regarding this band?

Also, how do people view UnBlack Metal? Sin or gift? The band Antestor spring to mind. Death Metal bands seem to do OK to with this type of discussions e.g. Moritification.

Regarding Cradle of Filth I never really gave em a listen. Don't get me started on tags like "unblack", "Viking", "War metal" I think they are stupid tags. But back to your question I do like Mortification and Antestor. I really like the death/doom Antestor stuff of the first album.

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Why do the two genres always get lumped together? They are worlds apart. Not singling out you in particular Dr8breed74, it just seems like this is done everywhere.

As for "unblack"... this is a dumb descriptor. You are not reversing the style of music being played. It's either black metal or it's not. Christian black metal would be a better way to describe it if lyric content means that much to you.

From what I've gleaned during my short time here, the majority of the board just isn't into death and black, at least not to a great extent. Some just flirt with it (as do I). The predominant genre here seems to be classic metal. But someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Neither one appeals to me, but there are threads discussing metal of the deathly variety...
http://www.heartofmetal.net/t19757-death-metal-appreciation-the-official-thread?highlight=death+metal

And metal most black...
http://www.heartofmetal.net/t19208-sooooo-black-metal?highlight=black+metal

Have at 'em!!

Ah, I didn't see these, might be moving onto them if this doesn't pan out.

choosemetal - The first CoF release is worth a listen - I like it a lot. I personally don't mind the whole tag situation - people will call it what they want, so it's not like a massive deal as, people will be people. I first played the second Antestor album, it was nice to see that someone had taken the image of Black Metal and tried to do something with it. Personally, I'm not Christian, or Satanic, but Atheist. From my perspective, it's about people expressing what they feel.

To answer mc666, Cradle of Filth started out as a fairly Death Metal band, then moved into Black Metal. I'm sure it's something to do with the development of the sound between the two, it can draw some interesting parallels. The music is fairly easy to disappear into.

corplhicks - I don't think you're wrong, it's all about the classic rock. Nice to have some extra discussions about different styles. Just wish I had found the original threads (the story of my Message Board Life haha).

Dr8breed74 wrote:

To answer mc666, Cradle of Filth started out as a fairly Death Metal band, then moved into Black Metal.  I'm sure it's something to do with the development of the sound between the two, it can draw some interesting parallels.  The music is fairly easy to disappear into.

I always thought of them as a goth band, but ok. Pantera started as glam, but ended up groove/core or whatever. I never see threads like "hair metal/metalcore, who likes it?" It would be seen as silly, as they sound nothing alike.

I like some melodic death metal and I really loved those early albums when thrash started getting into death metal territory but I haven't really gotten heavily into it..

I love a lot of black metal but tend to stay away from the extremes. It's such a broad genre that I prefer to think of it as just a different attitude to making music rather than a specific musical style and this shows in the bands I listen to.

Favorites include

Alcest
Agalloch
Germ
Woods of Desolation
Ulver
Oranssi Pazuzu
Panopticon
Saor
Epitimia
Burzum
Caladan Brood
Wolves in the Throne Room
Lantlos
Amesours
Dark Fortress
Gallowbraid

I like a lot of Death and Black Metal. Not a lot here do except a few of us.

Looks like we've got a few good responses coming back. I'm genuinely happy I've had this much interest. I notice that the classic and more easy sound Black Metal bands get everyone fired up. There is a lot of bands that have a very noisy sound to their Black Metal, same goes for Death Metal.

Personally, If I was going to split hairs, I prefer the noisy black metal. Endless Dismal Moan, Xasthur and Striborg to name a few. Something about being able to hear good music though the terrible sound. Don't quite know why, it just seems to be more interesting.

I notice that Panopticon are a bit of a revelation to a lot of people, not had time to check them out, but they make me think that they'll be as good, if not equally as good as Wolves in the Throne Room.

BTW - Boris2008, great list and comment.

Oranssi Pazuzu is great, only bought one LP so far.

Panopticon !
have not listened to them in years. Good stuff!
used to blast them and EVOKEN a lot.

For the death/black hybrid bands - for the last year or more, really got into THRONEUM (Poland), and their side project MORBID EXECUTION
(which is even simpler and no frills/low-fi. Sort of like a thinner sounding/black metal version of Hellhammer).

Cradle of Filth - same here - I can only stomach some tracks off the early releases.
If they were not hyped too much and made a trendy band in the late 1990s/early 2000's ... I still would not like them !
Ha ha!

TOTALLY support "unblack metal" / Christian black metal, and still have a long way to go to buying essential releases (eg. Antestor, Horde, etc).
Bought a lot of great bands I didn't really know of before, off eBay, http://christianmetaldistro.storenvy.com , http://sanctusgladius.storenvy.com/ , etc)
My problem is I LOVE low sales prices and buy too many different bands (instead of doing what I used to do when I worked a lot of overtime - buying complete discographies).

Xasthur , Striborg , and Leviathan are pretty good at that dissonant , depressing black metal style.
For those curious about the three bands, watch this documentary - Black Metal's Unexplored Fringes - One Man Metal - Part 1/3

I'm digging these guys a lot at the moment, it's difficult to categorize them as they have elements of many different genres but I've seen them described as progressive black metal so who am I to argue, all I know is they are great. From Holland Shylmagoghnar





and the equally diverse but amazing Mare Cognitum from Italy



edit Mare Cognitum are not from Italy, it's one guy and he's from California. But on a more positive note, this album just kills it, utterly brilliant and I've just fount out that his first two albums are Name Your Price on Bandcamp! er I mean

Shylmagoghnar remind me of early 1990s Bathory, but yes, more "progressive" ala VoiVod + Bay Area Metal.
Not bad.

An, now this is what I like to see.  A general discussion and video post about black/death band I don't know much about (and sometimes I do).  That Noisey BM special is ace, the interviewer could have done better, but it's a great little documentary.  

This is one of our local BM bands (one of the few).  I think Fenriz from DarkThrone has rated them in the past:

Just heard and bought this record!

I love Death Metal - some of my favorite metal albums are from the genre.
Death
Obituary
Nile
Autopsy
Benediction
Napalm Death
Morbid Angel
Suffocation
Vallenfyre
Vader
... are some of my favs of DM

I like the first wave of Black Metal and a few of the Norwegian bands.
Celtic Frost
Mercyful Fate
Venom
Darkthrone
Mayhem
Immortal
... are some of my favs of BM

It's nice to see that Vallenfyre are turning peoples head. I have their last album, but the first album was my favourite. In a Paradise Lost connection, the new Bloodbath album is going to be with me soon. It's going to be my Xmas album for 2015.

Hey Dr8breed74

What do you think of these guys? They are from Leeds and although far from the finished article, I think that they have a lot going for them.



The EP is Name Your Price on Bandcamp or just a few quid for the tape.

http://morsvoluntaria.bandcamp.com/

Giving it a spin now. Always happy for people to recommend music. This sounds excellent. While I'm not too keen on the sound, the music itself sounds great. Would like to see some more 'grit' placed into the sound. I always tend to get this music on tape as the quality seems to be added to the lo-fi frequencies of tape. This is totally subjective though, I can't stress how good the music is. Where can I get the tape from? I'm interested in getting a copy.

Dr8breed74 wrote:

Giving it a spin now.  Always happy for people to recommend music.  This sounds excellent.  While I'm not too keen on the sound, the music itself sounds great.  Would like to see some more 'grit' placed into the sound.  I always tend to get this music on tape as the quality seems to be added to the lo-fi frequencies of tape.  This is totally subjective though, I can't stress how good the music is.  Where can I get the tape from?  I'm interested in getting a copy.

Here ya go! (I've just bought one)

http://depressiveillusions.com/items/tape/black-metal-pagan-metal-blackgaze/mors-voluntaria-welcome-end

I used to love Cradle of Filth. I remember listening to the college radio station's metal show that aired at like 11, back in 99' or so. They played some tracks off Cruelty and the Beast, and my friend and I headed to Tower right then to go buy the CD.

That album and the next, Midian, were the ones that I clung to most. Also Vempire, I really dug that one. Midian I will still play a couple of tracks from each Halloween. Other than that I don't listen to them that much at all now. I will still usually check out each new release because my brother still likes and buys each new album. So I'll give it a listen, but I'm just not huge into that style any more.

Most black metal, I can do without. There is a little bit of death metal I like. I love Death's Symbolic, but by that point it was not really death metal any more.

Boris2008 wrote:

Dr8breed74 wrote:

Giving it a spin now.  Always happy for people to recommend music.  This sounds excellent.  While I'm not too keen on the sound, the music itself sounds great.  Would like to see some more 'grit' placed into the sound.  I always tend to get this music on tape as the quality seems to be added to the lo-fi frequencies of tape.  This is totally subjective though, I can't stress how good the music is.  Where can I get the tape from?  I'm interested in getting a copy.

Here ya go! (I've just bought one)

http://depressiveillusions.com/items/tape/black-metal-pagan-metal-blackgaze/mors-voluntaria-welcome-end

Likewise! On order. THANKYOU

My copy turned up today, found it had been here for a few days, just got mixed up with the Xmas post madness. Need to give it a spin now.

Also, I had a copy of the new Bloodbath album given to me today, need to give that a LOUD spin tomorrow.