Tiamat

The roots of Tiamat in Treblinka are a Swedish band formed in 1987. (The name comes from a town Treblinka in Poland where the Nazis set up the first concentration camp to kill Jews in gas chambers). After a few demos the band was about to release his first album Sumerian Cry when they had to hastily change the band name to Tiamat. Sumerian Cry, released by a small English label (CMFT), closely resembles the sound of his contemporaries Stockholm: A Death metal speed varied, inspired in both Slayer and in Autopsy. Some slow passages, reminiscent of Black Sabbath. And timbre "chainsaw" guitar, which was a hallmark of Sunlight TUDIES. With a little help from friends Unleashed, the group moves to Century Media and launches The Astral Sleep. Right away we see that the second album sound changes are radical. The sound is now much pulled Metallica and Celtic Frost. Nor do we see the blast beats and satanic themes of yore. We now also the constant presence of guitars and keyboards, giving a more intimate atmosphere and "sophisticated" than it was before pure bile and aggression. Clouds follows the same path, producing better and more mature songs. A year after launch The Sleeping Beauty, an EP recorded live in Tel-Aviv (Israel). The early peak of his career was Wildhoney, and for a moment was the focus of Century Media (privilege that today belongs to Lacuna Coil). At this time the band toured Europe with Type O Negative, the big name American Gothic Metal. In 1995 it was time they open the tour of Black Sabbath and Motörhead in the United States1.

Mayhem

Mayhem was formed in Norway in 1984. The founders were Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous, although his first band is the pseudonym Destructor - guitar), Jorn Stubberud (Necrobutcher - low), and Kjetil Manheim (Manheim - drums). The name came from Mayhem 'Mayhem With Mercy', in homage to the creators of BlackMetal, Venom. They recorded their first demo, 'Pure Fucking Armageddon' in 1986, and only 1000 copies were released. The demo is extremely brutal, though their quality is low. In the fall of that year, the Mayhem recruited its first real singer, Sven Erik Kristiansen (Maniac). Then in winter 1987 Mayhem entered the studio to record the legendary demo 'Deathcrush'. This demo gave the Mayhem a base of loyal fans and they really worshiped the band. The demo was later relaunched as a mini LP, the label Deathlike Silence, owned by Euronymous. Shortly after the release of the mini LP, Manheim and Maniac left the band. The Mayhem recruited a new vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin (Dead vocalist of cult Swedish band Morbid), and a new drummer, Jan Axel Von Blomberg From (Vlamir). The band recorded two songs for a compilation of CBR called 'Projections Of the Stained Mind'. The songs were 'Freezing Moon' and 'Carnage'. The band then made an excursion by Turkey and East Germany. It was this tour that Mayhem did the biggest shows of its history, if not the biggest in the city of Leipzig. The concert was later released on the album 'Live in Leipzig'. In April 1991 Dead committed suicide. Soon after the fact Necrobutcher left the band. Occultus joined the band as bass / vocals to replace Dead and Necrobutcher, but not for long. Euronymous brought Varg Vikernes (Count Grishnackh the one man band, Burzum) to play bass, and Attila Csihar (Tormentor Hungarian vocalist) on vocals. Blackthorn (band Thorns) also joined for a short time, to be the second guitarist, but left soon after. This lineup recorded the long awaited first full-albumin Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'. After the album was recorded, things started to go wrong between Euronymous and Count Grishnackh. The difficulties between the two climbed the highest level, and finished with Grishnack killing Euronymous stabbing. The story of the murder of Euronymous, Norwegian BlackMetal and the scene at the beginning of the 90s has been said from time to time, and it has been a great legend tournou inclusive. So Hellhammer was the only member to remain. The below 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' had been allegedly rewritten by Hellhammer respect for Euronymous. In fact this is NOT true, and bass you hear in De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, was really touched by Count Grishnackh. This was considered as the final memory Mayhem. The Mayhem this time gained a huge cult following. The chaos that caused the Black Metal scene in Norway in the early 90s caused repercussions around the world and gained global attention. Unfortunately fans were left with only the recording of Mayhem during its existence, and poor quality of pirated albums. They had become one of the greatest, most legendary and infamous underground metal bands. Dead and Euronymous are gone but will never be forgotten. In 1995, Hellhammer called for some tests and Necrobutcher Maniac. He wanted to reform the Mayhem. They recruited a guitarist already known Necrobutcher, Rune Erickson (Blasphemer). Now they were full band. Have agreed that if the feeling was found again, the Mayhem rise again. Fortunately, the feeling was there more than ever. In 1997 they recorded the mini LP 'Wolfs Lair Abyss', and proved that they could actually continue the legacy of Mayhem. They made a tour of Europe, and a small tour in the United States and Mexico. In November 1998 the band recorded the live album "Mediolanum Capta Est 'in Milan, Italy. Mayhem was definitely back. The band released a new album entitled 'Grand Declaration of War' in 2000. It is an album completely different from what had been released by the band until then. It is the vision of Mayhem BlackMetal in the new millennium. Following the album's release, came the first major tour in the United States was continued in Europe too. An official video of a performance of Marseille, France was launched in February, 2001. The video was released as DVD & VHS. Following the release of the video, Mayhem released two more albums live. The first was titled European Legions and has 7 live tracks recorded on excursion Grand Declaration of War, and 5 pre-production. The second live album was titled U. S. Legions and features 7 tracks live. The Mayhem has held for over 15 years and are still following very strong, maintaining its legacy of Pure Fucking Armageddon!

Bathory

The name comes from a Bathory Countess Bathory named Elizabeth, born in 1560, who lived in a castle in Hungary. She had the strange custom of bathing in the blood of virgins because she believed to be the secret of rejuvenation. After several suspicions, the king of Hungary orders to invade the castle and the soldiers found several dead girls and other prey. Elizabeth is judged (the transcript of his trial still exists in Hungary) and prey on lonely while his accomplices are burned alive. There are historical evidence that the governor of the province where Elizabeth lived have invented stories about her to push her to pay the tax debt to him. The pretext was the "witch hunt" promoted by the Inquisition of the Catholic Church and the moralists of the time. Elizabeth Bathory was mainly responsible for the beginning of the vampire legend. Considered as one of the first works of death metal, with its macabre stories, Quorthon account years after his main inspiration came from the horror comic magazine "Chock" (similar to "Tales From the Crypt") and says ironically that is not the result of reading "no Bible Black". On February 84 Bathory participates in the compilation "Scandinavian Metal Attack" with the songs "Sacrifice" and "Return of the Darkness and Evil." Many people liked and label correspondence received with acclaim, leading Bathory to be invited to record an album. Eight months later, in October, the band released "Bathory". Recorded and mixed in Sweden in just three days, the album brings a curiosity, the cover was to be black and gold, but as the result would be very expensive, the logo was printed on white. Only 700 cases with yellow goat, known as "The Yellow Goat", were made. The rarity today can be found for between $ 200 and $ 400. "Bathory" is a classic black metal album, with fast riffs and, according to the Quorthon, had the effect of "Black Sabbath lyrics and sound intensity of Motörhead." In early 85, the band makes another contribution, now in "Scandinavian Metal Attack II", with the tracks "Hades" and "War" from the newly released album. On May 85 is released the album "The Return", also recorded in Sweden. The song "Born for Burning" is dedicated to a "witch" named Marrigje Ariens, born in 1521 and burned by the Inquisition in 1591 in the Netherlands. The letters and compositions that album still black metal, but it is clear that more creativity and originality in earlier work despite the short time between the two. The participation of Bathory in "Speed Kills 2" with the track "Possessed" album "The Return" marks the year of 86. On May 87 the band released "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" who brings a photo of the Stockholm Opera House on the cover. Again the style is fast black metal, but the letters now have the growing war theme. The song "Woman of Dark Desires" is dedicated to the memory of one's own Elizabeth Bathory (1560-1640) and "Of Doom" fans. During composition, Quorthon says only have listened to classical music, to inspire and create new arrangements, which may have brought the album a little more melancholy and coldness to songs. The following year Bathory participates with Death, Onslaught and Agent Steel, among others, "Speed Kills 3" with the band "Of Doom" from the previous album. Still 88 in October, is released "Blood Fire Death" with a lot of mystery. Nothing is known about Kothaar (bassist) and Vvornth (drummer) who participate in this album. Everything was kept secret and only knows that they are Swedish. The letters now predominantly speak of wars and battles of the "Viking Age" of European history and mythology. The album cover is a painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo 1872 called "Asganrdsteien" and the photograph of the band is Pelle Matteus and the only picture of them on all of Bathory's albums. 89 participate in "Speed Kills 4", this time a double album, which also featured Exodus, Nuclear Assault, Possessed, Dark Angel and Acid Reign. The chosen track was "For All Those Who Died" from "Blood Fire Death". The Bathory then signs with Noise Records in early 90 (Running Wild, Celtic Frost, Kreator, Voivod, Helloween, Destruction, Gamma Ray and Hellhammer) and in April of the same year "Hammerheart" is released. The production of the mysterious Boss, would return to appear in forthcoming work of the band, and the cover is a picture of Sir Frank Dicksee, called "The Viking's Last Journey", courtesy of Manchester City Art Gallery. The style of Bathory follows and is becoming slower and totally dedicated to the Viking theme. Almost all the songs are long and heavy and the lyrics speak mainly of the lives of warriors and battles. "Hammerheart" also marks the production of the first and so far only video clip of the band, with the band "One Rode to Asa Bay". In June of the following year the band released "Twilight of the Gods" which brings sound even slower, heavy and depressing than the previous album. The theme remains viking and has visible influence of classical music. The track "Hammerheart", including classical music is written by Gustav Holst Quorthon worked as writing a letter. The covers of Bathory's albums have always been very beautiful, but this deserves. On the back cover there is a stretch of Friedrich Nietzsche (German philosopher) 1871 that talks about the modern age when people realize that there is no God, that nothing can save them, and it will be a time of great fear for not having where support. Is the era of the "twilight of the gods" (gods of decay), which inspired the album name. This was to be the last work of Bathory. Quorthon later admits to have tired of Bathory and entered into crisis because fans were asking for the project did not end. In 91, the compilation "Touch of Death" takes the track "Blood And Iron" from the album "Twilight Of The Gods" and opens the way for the avalanche of work remastered, revamped, reorganized and reheated the Bathory was coming next. In October of the following year is the time of compilation "Jubileum Volume I" bring fifteen tracks in over an hour of music. Among them are "Rider at the Gate of Dawn" (recorded in 87), "Crawl to your Cross" (89), "Sacrifice" (which came out in the compilation "Scandinavian Metal Attack", 84) and "You Do not Move Me (I Do not Give a Fuck) "which was not released on album. "Jubileum Volume II" comes out in May of the following year containing twelve tracks. Some of them are "The Return Of The Darkness And Evil" (from the compilation "Scandinavian Metal Attack"), and "Burnin 'Leather" (recorded in 87) and "Die In Fire" (at 83) that had not been released in any album. After three years without recording, Quorthon released two albums with approximately six months apart. The songs of "Requiem", October 94, were written in two weeks and bring a different sound of the last two albums despite being still fast, and letters that come back to deal with the occult. "Octagon", June 95, changes significantly and becomes more thrash than the previous one, with a touch of industrial. Vocals are more raw and not so muffled, and the lyrics change their focus to issues of society such as war, violence and intolerance. The next album, "Blood on Ice", was released on April 96 and marks a return to the Viking metal, slower. The letters are shaped saga and tell the story of a boy, the only survivor of a village that was attacked, who seeks revenge. The inspiration came from Conan - The Barbarian and work "Götterdämmerung" Wagner. Quorthon was always fond by the work of Wagner and tried to read the same things that he came to know where the inspiration. Also, read the stories of Conan since kid and says "hardcore fan of history," especially the Viking era in European history which, he says, is not well known outside Europe and which people have a misconception, very Hollywood's fault. He began studying German and Scandinavian mythology to write the saga of "Blood on Ice" in 87, for personal enjoyment only, and had not thought of rhymes and music. Since that time, Quorthon ever wanted to change the musical style of Bathory, but the press and fans still called them "satanic band from Sweden" and, he says, that the band left confused. They also received letters that moment the world wondering if it was true that they "ate babies, took blood angels and lived in caves satanic". The album was recorded after "Blood Fire Death" but never released until Quorthon found it and worked on it for a month and a half. He did mention a change of direction in the early 90s and received several letters from fans asking him to perform the same project. Years later, he says he felt like he was getting Bathory again and he had grown tired of record albums "full of cries of Satan and stuff." Still 96 compilation "Black Mark Attack" takes the track "The Sword", the "Blood On Ice". And 97 "A Black Mark Tribute" compilation of bands Seal Black Mark doing covers of their favorite bands, brings Bathory with "Ace Of Spades" Motörhead and Quorthon does a cover of "God Save The Queen" from Fri Pistols . "A Black Mark Tribute Vol II" comes out in 98 with Bathory doing cover of "War Pigs" and the Sabbath with Quorthon "Sleeping" by the Beatles. The Bathory is very curious details in their work and certainly a thinker who has always tried to improve and do what he liked. The Bathory was marked by numerous lineup changes and style, but it is respected by fans of black and called "viking metal" by the quality of the compositions. Quorthon also produced two solo albums. The first, "Quorthon - Album", was released in 94. The second, "Quorthon - Purity of Essence" in 97. In it, Quorthon wrote and recorded all the instruments, percussion, effects and made the whole production. Rex Luger, who had been engineer "Blood on Ice" is the only keyboard on the track "One Of Those Days". In early 2004, after some time without releasing new albums with Bathory, Quorthon is found dead at forty, in the apartment where he lived in Stockholm. Little is known, in fact, about what happened, but rest assured that the metal lost one of its most important pieces is enough that fans can feel since his eternal missing.