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1st wave black metal band Mercyful Fate wrote a song about it. Worth the click for the intro riff alone: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VrK-wQxuTXQ&pp=ygUYbWVyY

1st wave black metal band Mercyful Fate wrote a song about it. Worth the click for the intro riff alone: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VrK-wQxuTXQ&pp=ygUYbWVyY3lmdWwgZmF0ZSBiZWxsIHdpdGNo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VrK-wQxuTXQ&pp=ygUYbWVyY3lmdWw...

mecsred 3y ago
There's also a doom metal band called Bell Witch[1]. I can't say I know this event is the inspiration for the name but I'd be surprised if it was just coincidence. [1]https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/ https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/
- runjake 3y ago
  From the second paragraph of the article: The legend has inspired all manner of music, from Charles Faulkner Bryant’s classical cantata to the Seattle-based doom metal band that took Bell Witch as its name.
- flobosg 3y ago
  In 2018, at the Roadburn festival, I got the chance to see them play their single-song, 80+ minute album “Mirror Reaper”[1] live. It was quite an experience; at some points both the band and the audience were so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop in the venue. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q1ZJyLXFk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q1ZJyLXFk
  - tonfreed 3y ago
    I saw them open for Conan a few years ago. I loved it, though an accurate description from the girlfriend of an acquaintance was "it was like listening to the end of a song for 40 minutes"
YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
Despite what the Wikipedia article's [1] reference say to support their characterisation as "first wave of black metal", Mercyful Fate are nothing like early or late Black Metal bands. Encyclopedia Metallum lists them simply as "Heavy Metal" [2]. It is known. The Wikipedia article on the "first wave" bands and the articles it lists as references are all making the same mistake that music journos have always made, about Black Metal, the genre, and about the bands that played it before and after the '90s. To be clear, before the '90s there was only one band that played recognisable Black Metal and that therefore makes any sense to be classed as "first wave of black metal", and that was Bathory; and then primarily for "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" and "Blood Fire Death", both classic Black albums that stand with the best of future bands [3]. Other bands, for example in this list of "Essential Black Metal albums" (used as a reference in the Wikipedia article on Mercyful Fate): https://heavymusichq.com/essential-black-metal-albums/ https://heavymusichq.com/essential-black-metal-albums/ fall into two categories: either they are not black, but some kind of combination of speed (Venom), thrash (Celtic Frost), death (Sarcófago) and heavy (Mercyful Fate), or they started playing after the '90s (Burzum, Mayhem, Emperor... wtf are Marduk doing in a list of "early black metal" albums?). Of course, defining a genre, especially when it comes to Metal, is a frought affair. Are Death, Death Metal, or Progressive Thrash? Are Slayer, Thrash, or are they Speed Metal? Well, OK, but grouping together bands as diverse as Celtic Frost, Bathory and Merciful bloody Fate, is just reckless. More to the point, the only thing such bands share are the themes of their lyrics and album covers. For example, Venom, who never played Black Metal, have been associated with Black Metal because they have a song titled... Black Metal. Except of course that song sounds more like Motorhead [4]. Black Metal, the song, has a lyric that says "lay down your souls to the gods' Rock and Roll". As far as I can tell, after the 1950's, nobody called their music "Rock and Roll" except a) AC/DC, b) Motorhead, and, c) Venom. The latter, of course, used to open for Fats Domino and Neil Sedaka. I know, I know. King Diamond wears facial make up that looks a biiit like corpse paint, if you squint. But, by that token, KISS are Black Metal also. ... Knights in Satan's Service \m/:P\m/ _______________ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyful_Fate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyful_Fate, pointing to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal#First_wave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal#First_wave [2] https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mercyful_Fate/182 https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mercyful_Fate/182 [3] It should be obvious that I'm a fan. I won't bother to tell you all about how every band that played Black Metal in the '90s sounded exactly like Bathory sounded in the '80s. Oh, oops! [4] Yeah, here's your umlauts, they fell over and I can't put them back :
- fwbm 3y ago
  Bullshit. Early Sepultura while mostly death is also equal parts black (both genres were being developed and undifferentiated at that time but we can see in hindsight now). Masters Hammer and Root had black metal before 1990. Samael had demo material before 90. I am sure I can probably find some greek bm from pre 90s too. And regarding Sarcofago while I consider them mostly death metal, INRI has black metal in it. I disagree with Celtic Frost as just thrash. Its a bit unique but the clearest would be experimental doom and a precursor to some death metal. And if your comparison is with the big norwegian bands, while Von and Profanatica 's earliest material is post 1990, it still predates the first black metal releases from the norwegian bands. Same for Mystifier.
- wintermutestwin 3y ago
  Yes, I was simply parroting my impression of the current metal categorization zeitgeist. I appreciate your enthusiasm for detail in this matter and enjoyed the scholarly nature of your post. I totally agree with each of your points. FWIW, I bought the nuns EP on its release date based on the review in Thrasher magazine so I think that qualifies me as OGMF :-). Musically, I consider MF to be a mix of speed metal, heavy metal and hard bluesy groove rock (e.g. the Bell Witch intro riff and many others).
  - YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
    >> FWIW, I bought the nuns EP on its release date based on the review in Thrasher magazine so I think that qualifies me as OGMF :-). Evidently! :P >> Musically, I consider MF to be a mix of speed metal, heavy metal and hard bluesy groove rock (e.g. the Bell Witch intro riff and many others). Excellent analysis dear colleague :)

mecsred 3y ago

There's also a doom metal band called Bell Witch[1]. I can't say I know this event is the inspiration for the name but I'd be surprised if it was just coincidence. [1]https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/ https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/

runjake 3y ago
From the second paragraph of the article: The legend has inspired all manner of music, from Charles Faulkner Bryant’s classical cantata to the Seattle-based doom metal band that took Bell Witch as its name.
flobosg 3y ago
In 2018, at the Roadburn festival, I got the chance to see them play their single-song, 80+ minute album “Mirror Reaper”[1] live. It was quite an experience; at some points both the band and the audience were so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop in the venue. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q1ZJyLXFk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10q1ZJyLXFk
- tonfreed 3y ago
  I saw them open for Conan a few years ago. I loved it, though an accurate description from the girlfriend of an acquaintance was "it was like listening to the end of a song for 40 minutes"

YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago

Despite what the Wikipedia article's [1] reference say to support their characterisation as "first wave of black metal", Mercyful Fate are nothing like early or late Black Metal bands. Encyclopedia Metallum lists them simply as "Heavy Metal" [2]. It is known. The Wikipedia article on the "first wave" bands and the articles it lists as references are all making the same mistake that music journos have always made, about Black Metal, the genre, and about the bands that played it before and after the '90s. To be clear, before the '90s there was only one band that played recognisable Black Metal and that therefore makes any sense to be classed as "first wave of black metal", and that was Bathory; and then primarily for "Under the Sign of the Black Mark" and "Blood Fire Death", both classic Black albums that stand with the best of future bands [3]. Other bands, for example in this list of "Essential Black Metal albums" (used as a reference in the Wikipedia article on Mercyful Fate): https://heavymusichq.com/essential-black-metal-albums/ https://heavymusichq.com/essential-black-metal-albums/ fall into two categories: either they are not black, but some kind of combination of speed (Venom), thrash (Celtic Frost), death (Sarcófago) and heavy (Mercyful Fate), or they started playing after the '90s (Burzum, Mayhem, Emperor... wtf are Marduk doing in a list of "early black metal" albums?). Of course, defining a genre, especially when it comes to Metal, is a frought affair. Are Death, Death Metal, or Progressive Thrash? Are Slayer, Thrash, or are they Speed Metal? Well, OK, but grouping together bands as diverse as Celtic Frost, Bathory and Merciful bloody Fate, is just reckless. More to the point, the only thing such bands share are the themes of their lyrics and album covers. For example, Venom, who never played Black Metal, have been associated with Black Metal because they have a song titled... Black Metal. Except of course that song sounds more like Motorhead [4]. Black Metal, the song, has a lyric that says "lay down your souls to the gods' Rock and Roll". As far as I can tell, after the 1950's, nobody called their music "Rock and Roll" except a) AC/DC, b) Motorhead, and, c) Venom. The latter, of course, used to open for Fats Domino and Neil Sedaka. I know, I know. King Diamond wears facial make up that looks a biiit like corpse paint, if you squint. But, by that token, KISS are Black Metal also. ... Knights in Satan's Service \m/:P\m/ _______________ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyful_Fate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercyful_Fate, pointing to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal#First_wave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal#First_wave [2] https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mercyful_Fate/182 https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mercyful_Fate/182 [3] It should be obvious that I'm a fan. I won't bother to tell you all about how every band that played Black Metal in the '90s sounded exactly like Bathory sounded in the '80s. Oh, oops! [4] Yeah, here's your umlauts, they fell over and I can't put them back :

fwbm 3y ago
Bullshit. Early Sepultura while mostly death is also equal parts black (both genres were being developed and undifferentiated at that time but we can see in hindsight now). Masters Hammer and Root had black metal before 1990. Samael had demo material before 90. I am sure I can probably find some greek bm from pre 90s too. And regarding Sarcofago while I consider them mostly death metal, INRI has black metal in it. I disagree with Celtic Frost as just thrash. Its a bit unique but the clearest would be experimental doom and a precursor to some death metal. And if your comparison is with the big norwegian bands, while Von and Profanatica 's earliest material is post 1990, it still predates the first black metal releases from the norwegian bands. Same for Mystifier.
wintermutestwin 3y ago
Yes, I was simply parroting my impression of the current metal categorization zeitgeist. I appreciate your enthusiasm for detail in this matter and enjoyed the scholarly nature of your post. I totally agree with each of your points. FWIW, I bought the nuns EP on its release date based on the review in Thrasher magazine so I think that qualifies me as OGMF :-). Musically, I consider MF to be a mix of speed metal, heavy metal and hard bluesy groove rock (e.g. the Bell Witch intro riff and many others).
- YeGoblynQueenne 3y ago
  >> FWIW, I bought the nuns EP on its release date based on the review in Thrasher magazine so I think that qualifies me as OGMF :-). Evidently! :P >> Musically, I consider MF to be a mix of speed metal, heavy metal and hard bluesy groove rock (e.g. the Bell Witch intro riff and many others). Excellent analysis dear colleague :)