The Metal Music Archive

Immortal (Bergen, Norway)                            Summoned from the cold forests of Norway came a musical life-force that will live on forever in the blackened hearts of generations to come.  They are, and will remain Immortal.  With riffs so infectious, Immortal should be a disease.  It […]

Mayhem (Langhus, Norway)                  Controversy follows this band like a plague.  Aside from all the negativity surrounding the antics of members outside the bands music, they actually produced some quality tunes that stand the test of time, and that above all is why they are remembered like they are. […]

Enslaved (Sveio, Norway)                        Pegged as viking metal, Enslaved have a fire that burns mighty bright among the world of metal.  Sounds of molten lava erupt from your speakers ultimately pouring into the waters of humanity, then drinking from the mystery of our mortal existence.  No matter […]

Drudkh (Kharkiv, Ukraine)                     You wouldn’t know that this band has released 9 albums, unless you knew a project associated with one of the band members, in which they have quite a few amongst themselves.  Members of Drudkh are closely connected, and are also a part of such […]

Burzum (Bergen, Norway)                  Evil, murder, church burning, satanism, white supremacy; it all somehow connects with the one man behind Burzum Mr. Varg Vikernes, granted or not.  In interviews he chooses his words wisely and always denies any connection with white supremacy or any form of satanism, and even stating that the […]

Celtic Frost (Zurich, Switzerland)                  Many people consider Celtic Frost Extreme Metal as a term to encompass the different sub-genres they harnessed into their sound including, death, thrash, black, doom, and gothic metal.  One of the most influential metal bands to date, they are still one of the heaviest to […]

Mercyful Fate (Copenhagen, Denmark)                     With King Diamond at the helm you better believe this to be theatrical evil at it’s best.  The crazed double voiced madman led this classic entourage down a track that would influence not only black metal in a big way but […]

The Konsortium (Oslo, Norway)                 Encompassed in mystery they stay quite cryptic in simply being ‘members’ of The Konsortium.  No names.  No Faces.  Only masks.  The music thought up behind those masks is very interesting to say the least.  Drenched in the art of black metal, they stretch […]

Agalloch (Portland, Oregon)           Avant-garde metal act, Agalloch, have the creative freedom to write without any constraints or interjection from anyone else, and produce trance-like hallucinatory air-waves that float effortlessly into your brain taking you firmly on a journey unknown, yet intriguing.   They don’t tour often and write what they feel, and […]

Emperor (Notodden, Norway)                        Emperor was probably born under a full moon on an icy night in Norway reflected in the watchful eye of the devil as the sounds conjured are only fit, for the symphonies of hell. Ihsahn, singer/guitarist/composer and friend Samoth, guitar/drums, formed Emperor in […]

Venom (Newcastle, England)                Venom set out to create a more evil persona then any of their metal predecessors which they achieved in great measure.  Bands had talked about dark and evil things before, including topics on satan but not as overtly as Venom.  They weren’t the best of musicians […]

Behemoth (Gdansk, Poland)                  There is a fallen angel named Behemoth considered the “demon of the deep.” It could also stand for a mythological beast mentioned in the Book of Job.  Either description matches the extremely heavy, dark and brutal sound Behemoth bring forth. Behemoth was formed by […]