Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998. The band’s name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von. The band have become famous for their theistic Satanist views and for their live shows which involve pyrotechnics, candles, Satanic rituals, animal carcasses, and blood.
Sub-Genre: Black Metal
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Sacrifice of Vengeance
Old Man’s Child, led by Dimmu Borgir’s Galder, is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band, and In Defiance of Existence (2003) is their acclaimed fifth album, showcasing fast, melodic black/death metal with aggressive riffs, blast beats (courtesy of Nicholas Barker), prominent keyboards for atmosphere, and stellar solos, blending raw aggression with polished production for a powerful, melodic sound.
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Where Dead Angels Lie
Storm of the Light’s Bane is Dissection’s landmark 1995 album, defining melodic black metal by fusing its dark atmosphere with aggressive, memorable melodies from melodic death metal and classic heavy metal, creating an epic, haunting sound praised for its intricate guitar work, powerful drumming, and themes of death, solidifying its status as a classic in extreme metal. Said by many this is one of the greatest black metal albums in all history
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Necromancy
Bathory was a pioneering Swedish extreme metal band, and their 1984 self-titled debut album is a foundational release in the black metal genre, known for its raw, primitive sound, lo-fi production, high-pitched shrieking vocals, and influences from Venom, Black Sabbath, and punk, establishing a blueprint for extreme metal with tracks like “Hades” and “Necromancy”
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Ghash Inras
Perimä Vihassa Ja Verikostossa (Inheritance in Wrath and Vengeance) is a 1999 EP by Finnish black metal band Horna, showcasing their raw, warlike, second-wave sound, influenced by Norse/Swedish bands like Bathory and Emperor, with Nazgûl on vocals, delivering ferocious riffs and doom-laden atmospheres that cemented their cult status.
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Circle of the Tyrants
Celtic Frost was a highly influential Swiss extreme metal band, formed from the ashes of Hellhammer, known for pioneering black, death, and doom metal with a unique, experimental approach that blended thrash, gothic, industrial, and classical elements
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Life Eternal
Mayhem is a pioneering Norwegian black metal band, formed in 1984, infamous for its controversial history including church burnings and murder
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Open the Gates
Dark Funeral is a prominent Swedish black metal band, formed in 1993, known for its aggressive, fast-paced sound with dark atmosphere for an intense, often theatrical live show that defines the second wave of black metal.