 | | In a musical realm where scale of influence has little to do with commercial success, few originators of the extreme metal arts evoke as deep a sense of mystery, or incite such hushed, reverential tones of admiration, as Sweden's Bathory. |
 | | Celtic Frost's impact on the evolution of European heavy metal cannot be overstated. Along with power metal kings Helloween (and to a lesser degree, the sometimes cartoonish Mercyful Fate), Frost's enduring influence on Europe's heavy metal landscape is arguably comparable to Metallica's standing in America. |
 | | Along with the now legendary Sepultura, Sarcófago (translation: "sarcophagus") integrated the first wave of Brazilian death metal bands, a ragged collective that stormed out of the South American nation just as it was emerging from decades spent under an oppressive military dictatorship. |
 | | Necrophobic was a Swedish death metal band formed in 1989 by drummer Joakim Sterner and guitarist David Parland. |
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 | | Gothenburg, Sweden-based death metal outfit Dissection were formed in 1989 by singer/guitarist Jon Nödtveidt and bassist Peter Palmdahl; with the addition of drummer Ole Öhman the following spring, the group recorded its first demo, The Grief Prophecy. |
 | | Considered to be one of the leading death metal bands to emerge from Poland in the 1990s, Behemoth have endured quite a few lineup shifts during their career (especially in the bass department), with founding singer/guitarist Nergal being the only constant member. |
 | | Noticing the start of the crazed black metal scene in the Scandinavian region, the Tolis brothers, Sakis (vocals/guitar) and Themis (drums), wanted to begin their own spectacle in their hometown of Athens, Greece. |
 | | Dutch thrashers with black metal tendencies, Occult began taking shape in 1992 and by the release two years later of their first album, Prepare to Meet Thy Doom, featured vocalist Maurice "Sephiroth" Swinkels, guitarist Richard Ebisch, bassist Twan Fleuren, and drummer Erik Fleuren. |
 | | Finnish death metal legends Impaled Nazarene formed in 1990 originally consisting of brothers Mika and Kimmo Luttinen (vocals and drums, respectively) along with Mika Pääkkö (guitar), Ari Holappa (guitar), and Harri Halonen (bass). |
 | | Originally going by the name Tumulus when they started out in late 1990, Nisse Karlén (bass/vocals), Anders Brolycke (guitar) and Nicklas Rudolfsson (drums) eventually made the transformation to Sacramentum after recording their Finis Malorum CD EP in 1992. |
 | | First formed as "Dolmen" in 1989 by Shaftiel (vocals/guitar/bass) and Equitant Ifernain (lead guitar, bass), the black/death metal band Absu hails from the least likely of extreme metal watering grounds: Dallas, Texas. |
 | | Angel Corpse is a black/death metal band formed in 1995 by bassist/vocalist Pete Helmkamp (following the dissolution of his previous band, Order From Chaos) and guitarist Gene Palubicki. |
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 | | Dutch death-metal band God Dethroned was formed in 1991 by vocalist Henri Sattler with several friends (credited only as M. |
 | | Mithotyn formed in late 1992 and completed their first demo, entitled Behold the Shields of Gold, by the end of the next year. |
 | | From listening to Mystifier's corrosive, hyper-speed, symphonic-tinged black metal, you'd never guess that they hailed from the very tropical, richly historical seaside city of Salvador, Brazil. |
 | | England's short-lived Blackstar rose from the ashes of grindcore pioneers Carcass, whose Jeff Walker(vocals/bass), Carlo Regadas(guitar) and Ken Owen(drums) wished to continue exploring the technical death metal previewed on that band's final album, the very un-Carcass-like Swansong. |
 | | Rude, crude, and just plain noxious, Italy's incomparably primitive Bulldozer were immediately tagged as their country's answer to black metal founding fathers Venom. |
 | | With an already expanding black metal scene in their home country of Norway, Atle Wiig (singer/guitarist/keyboards), Jo-Arild Toennessen (bass), and Knut Naesje (drums) formed their own project in 1991 for the intention of adding their own bleak, but metallic content with the incorporation of a keyboard drenched enforcement; hence Twin Obscenity was born. |
 | | Aeternus, who claim to be "true dark metal," hail from the cold and rainy town of Bergen, Norway. Combining the raw sound of black metal with the deep vocals of death metal, Aeternus manage to maintain some originality in the crowded metal scene of the new millennium. |
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 | | Swedish teen black metal band Amsvartner was formed in late 1994 by bassist Albin Johansson and his twin brother Alfred (drums), both all of 12 years old at the time; co-founding guitarist Jonathan Holmgren was only two years older. |
 | | While black metal fans may recognize Rotting Christ as Greece's foremost contribution to the genre, Elysian Fields (not to be confused with the identically named alternative group) were able to gain an international footing with a style that built on the chaotic, pseudo-symphonic feel of groups like Emperor. |
 | | For aficionados of straight-ahead thrash metal (à la Megadeth's and Slayer's output from the '80s), Epoch of Unlight is keeping the genre's flag flying high in the new millennium. |
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 | | Dutch death metal quintet Blo.Torch -- singer Michel, guitarists Marvin and Hassan, bassist Sander and drummer John -- issued their first demo, The Plot Sickens. |
 | | Taking their name, and frankly much of their sound, from the legendary Celtic Frost, this Chicago death metal trio came together in 1993. |
 | | Norwegian black metal duo Carpe Tenebrum was the side project of Dimmu Borgir multi-instrumentalist Astennu and vocalist Nagash; their debut album Mirrored Hate Painting appeared in 1999. |
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 | | Although they broke up in 1992 without a record to their name -- just demos and an EP's worth of unreleased material -- Norway's Old Funeral enjoy an unusually lofty standing in black metal history because they housed several important members of the local black metal scene's so-called "inner circle" at one time or another. |
 | | Finnish death metal band Absurdus was formed in Helsinki in late 1992, comprising singer/guitarist Aki Martinkauppi, guitarists Juha Moilanen and Vicious Similä, bassist Taneli Nyholm and drummer Matti Roiha. |
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 | | Known for its obsession with Satanism and the occult, Satanic Slaughter was a short-lived Swedish death metal/black metal band that evolved into the better-known Witchery. |
 | | Swedish death metal band Dawn was formed in 1990 by guitarist Fredrik Söderberg following the dissolution of his previous project, Obduracy. |
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 | | Louisiana black metal outfit Goatwhore was formed by singer/guitarist Sammy Duet following the breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath. |
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 | | The innovative, genre-bending metal act Hollenthon is largely the work of Pungent Stench frontman Martin Schirenc, who plays guitar, bass, and keyboards, and also handles vocal and production duties for the band. |
 | | The black metal brainchild of vocalist and guitarist Deviant, Arkhon Infaustus was a French band that was formed in 1997. |
 | | Polish black metal band Hate was born in the early '90s and spent the first half of the decade gradually building their fan base with a number of demos recorded by various lineups. |
 | | An off-shoot of Norwegian black metal legends Emperor, Zyklon was founded by guitarist/bassist Zamoth (aka Samoth, as he is known in Emperor), who wanted to focus on the more modern and aggressive aspects of the latter band's style. |
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 | | Formed by guitarist/screamer Helmuth in 1990, Austrian death/black metal band Belphegor quickly made inroads in their homeland, but had to wait nearly a decade before their efforts crossed borders and were released internationally. |
 | | Melbourne, Australia's subtlety-free Destroyer 666 originated as a one-man black metal project from the imaginatively named K. |
 | | Erupting out of the Norwegian death metal scene around 1993, Myrkskog burst into the extreme metal scene just to fall back into obscurity only a year later. |
 | | Infusing death metal with some electronic touches, the London-based quintet Akercocke was formed in early 1997 by guitarist Jason Mendonca and drummer David Gray, friends since their teens and bandmates in the band Salem Orchid. |
