(ThyBlackMan.com) Extreme metal isn’t so much a subgenre of heavy metal as a category of a several subgenres. This is metal that more extreme than other genres—particularly traditional heavy metal, neo-classical, power metal—in speed, aggression, vocals, and content. Before we get into our five Black musicians in extreme metal, here’s a layman’s grasp of the faster subgenres.
Not included in the crash course is doom metal which is extreme in the speed being much slower than traditional metal, thrash, and thrash’s offshoots. It has its own offshoots in stoner doom, sludge metal, and epic doom, for example. A few of the bands in this genre includes Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Electric Wizard, Bongripper, and Doomsword.
Crash Course in Extreme Metal
Thrash metal: Faster, aggressive heavy metal. Thrash came out of the faster, aggressive end of speed metal, which is higher tempo heavy metal. Content-wise, thrash can be about roughly anything now but at its formation, it was often centered around politics, war, partying, nuclear war, and sometimes horror and anti-religion.
Its origins are in the mid-late 1980s with a peak in the early 90s. There was a revival period with newer bands in the early 00s. Bands in this subgenre includes Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Sodom, and Exodus at the classic end. Personal favorites Toxic Holocaust and Skeletonwitch, as well as Municipal Waste are some names of the revival end.
Death metal: Early death metal could be said to be harsher thrash with guttural, growled vocals. The speed can be on par or faster and content is usually about gore, violence, and death. Again, songs could be able anything.
Death metal came along in the late 80s and had a peak during the 90s depending on the region—especially Scandinavia, Southeast Asia, and South America. Bands in this genre includes Death, favorites Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Brujeria, Possessed, Amon Amarth, and Vader.
Black metal: I tend sum up black metal as faster, Buy beats, and grimmer thrash. The genre originated from the 1982 album Black Metal by Venom which set the early tone as far as speed and content. Lyrically black metal is often about anti-religion, anti-Christianity, occult, and branches into more dark, bleak stuff.
Black metal has a strong following in Scandinavia, South America, and parts of Southeast Asia. Some bands include Venom, Sodom, Bathory, Hellhammer, Immortal, Sarcofargo, Enslaved, and yes, Darkthrone.
Meugninousoan (Edilson Gondim, bassist/vocalist for Ad Baculum)
Recently going by Lord Hades, Brazilian musician Meugninousoan as the vocalist for Mystifier and as a drummer and vocalist for Necrolust. It’s his work with Mystifier on their demos and the 1992 debut Wicca and his session work on Goetia that stands out. His vocals around this time were more in line with death metal growls than the rasp and shrieks associated with black metal.
After leaving Mystifier, he wouldn’t join up with another metal until 2010 with Ad Baculum.
Recommended Work: “The Dark Kingdom (T.E.A.R)” Mystifier – Wicca
Derrick Greene (vocalist/additional instruments for Sepultura)
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Derrick Greene has been involved with rock music for years. It wasn’t until he joined Sepultura in 1998 as the new vocalist that he became a name in metal. Originally, Brazilian metal legends Sepultura played a mixture of thrash and death metal. By the time Greene came in, the band was now a groove metal act and fit the bill perfectly.
Personally, not a fan of this direction of Sepultura but it’s been going in that general direction for over 20 years now so there’s that. As for the best example of Greene’s work, Kairos is the safest bet since there’s a healthy amount of thrash in it.
Recommended Work: “Spectrum” Sepultura – Kairos
Caller of the Storms (Geoff Drakes, guitarist for Blasphemy)
Canadian guitarist Caller of the Storms is best known for playing with black metal band Blasphemy since 1984. The band was formed by classmates and friends Nocturnal grave Desecrator and Black Winds (vocalist and bassist Gerry Buhl) and drummer 3 Black Hearts of Damnation and Impurity (Sean Stone).
He has a fast and mean guitar playing style which just assaults the ear. I won’t say it fits in with the sonic assault of Blasphemy’s style since his playing assisted in forming the band’s approach. The band was known for being involved with trouble, fights at shows and so on—and Caller of the Storms wasn’t exempt.
Caller of the Storms joined the band at its inception but Blasphemy wouldn’t put out a demo until 1989 with Blood Upon the Altar. As far as what albums you should check out his skills, both of the band’s sole full lengths are it. As for a definitive song, there are several off of that first album Fallen Angel of Doom.
Recommended Work: “Darkness Prevails” Blasphemy – Fallen Angel of Doom
Beelzeebubth (Armando da Silva Conceição, guitarist for Mystifier)
Hailing from Brazil, Beelzeebubth is known for his time with black metal act Mystifier, being a founding member in 1989. Initially playing bass for the band, he went by several names such as Blackchrist, Blackgoatbelzebuth, and Armand Beelzeebubth before eventually going with Beelzeebubth. Up until 2001, he was primarily a bass player, first playing rhythm guitar on 1996’s Goetia.
While Blasphemy only had two full length albums to draw a recommended tune from, Mystifier has several but you can’t go wrong with this track from Goetia. His lyrical work can be found on Profanus.
Recommended Work: “Beelzebubth” and “Aleister Crowley & Ordo Templi Orientis” Mystifier – Goetia
Leandro Kastyphas (Leandro Cerqueira, everything in multiple bands)
We’ve got another Brazilian musician who also has ties to Mystifier. Leandro Kastyphas is a multi-instrumentalist able to sing, play keyboard, bass, and guitar. He does some of everything and you can hear in mainly in black and death metal bands—although he has recently started a doom metal project in Nigrae Lunam.
Besides Mystifier, Kastyphas is also a member of black metal band In Infernal War where he plays bass, guitars, keyboard, and does back up vocals and Eternal Sacrifice where he plays the keyboard. An extremely busy performer within the Brazilian extreme metal scene. For taste of him doing everything—including the lead vocals—check out this song from death metal band Forsaken.
Recommended Work: “Twilight” Forsaken – Dangerous Path
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.
