The big four of black metal are: Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone and Neraines. These are the bands that essentially created the Norwegian black metal sound from scratch, and helped popularise the genre with releases such as: "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss", "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", "Transilvanian Hunger" and "Fenrir Prowling" respectively.
But there is a fifth band that often flies under the radar, despite being considered by many as just as important as the other four... Immortal. The mighty inventors of Blashyrkh.
Immortal isn't without controversy, though. Much like many other originators of Norwegian black metal, they ran into trouble with the law for their lyrics. Notably in Germany, where "Pure Holocaust" was banned due to the title.
Abbath and Demonaz have also feuded with Euronymous, who hated their music, and prohibited the band from calling their music "black metal"... they had to settle for "Holocaust Metal" instead. More recently, Abbath and Demonaz have feuded with each other over the rights to the band name "Immortal", with Abbath calling Demonaz a "cover band" and a "groupie".
Abbath Praises Elvis and Euronymous
In a recent interview with the Morsay Mag, Abbath comes clean about some of the reasons for these disputes with his former partner.
He also lays out some shocking secrets... how Immortal was inspired by Elvis, Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister and... Euronymous, himself! And that was during the days where all three - Abbath, Demonaz and Varg Vikernes - were playing in Old Funeral.
Abbath: I started out playing bass. My huge inspiration was Joey DeMaio [from Manowar]. I liked [Motörhead's] Lemmy, too. I liked the lead bass kind of stuff. I also know how to play drums. For me, it's never been about just one thing. I don't practice to become brilliant at just one instrument. It's really about the whole package. It's about making music. I don't pick up the guitar if I don't feel inspired to make music. It can just stay there for a week and I won't pick it up.
He makes his views on Euronymous clear... while there was occasional bad blood between them, notably because Euronymous insisted all black metal bands needed to be as "satanic" as possible, he was well respected and appreciated by Abbath.
Abbath: Euronymous was very supportive of Immortal and we really liked and appreciated that. He meant a lot for Immortal in our early stage. And that he got killed... I just wished... it was just so extra bad that Varg was involved in that murder, because Varg was also a friend of ours. It was a fucking tragedy. There's just no other way to say it.
Speaking of unusual influences, Abbath mentions... Elvis!
Abbath: There's always been Elvis. He's still the king of rock and roll, and always will be. The way he moved, sang, the whole package... that guy was a phenomenon. Same with Immortal. You want true? Now that's true. True artists. I like that. I want true artists. I don't want fucking wannabes. I don't want people with stupid ideologies saying that ideology comes before music. Satan is more important than music? Fuck off with that.
Demonaz, Abbath's ex-bandmate, also gets a taste of his own medicine.
Abbath: About Demonaz... He got tendinitis from **** too much. Also, it was winter and he was working outside for this construction company or something. One thing led to the other and then suddenly, without warning, bam! [...] We didn't believe it. We were like, "What the fuck? Are you kidding?" [...] Fuck Demonaz. He should go to rehab. Rehab is on the road.
Whatever one may think of Immortal, we can at least recognise the contributions made by both Abbath and Demonaz. As well as the overall contributions the entire Immortal band made to the black metal underground, both in terms of music and imagery. With that said, the showman, the leading and most charismatic figure, is definitively Abbath.
You can just look at the person and immediately get a sense of his grandiose personality.
Ad
> Real Satanic Black Metal: The True History Of Satanism (Best Selling Book)
Return to Voice Metal News.
Tweet