1. Black Sabbath The band that started heavy metal! Black Sabbath was slow, dark, morbid and heavy. They influenced almost every single metal band in this list, and many more that aren't.
2. Iron Maiden If Black Sabbath started heavy metal, Iron Maiden were the best band since them. 'The Number of the Beast' is the ultimate metal anthem in my opinion
In the last few years (in fact probably the last decade), it has become really trendy to hate Metallica. I guess I can sort of understand it, they don't make albums like Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning anymore, but in my opinion, they could be the best speed/thrash band ever, with the possible exception of Exodus.
Type O Negative are a band I have a lot of respect for. They are easily one of Roadrunner's best bands (along with Fear Factory and Cradle of Filth) and make some truely unique gothic/doom metal. 7. Fear Factory
Fear Factory join bands like Type O Negative and Cradle of Filth in the 'bands that are mainstream that don't suck' category. Especially early Fear Factory is some brilliant death metal (they may not be strictly death metal anymore). 8. Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse are just one of those bands I can't help laugh at. Nobody can honestly take them seriously, or even suspend their disbelief while listening to the music. That said, Cannibal Corpse make some great, if repetetive death metal.
One of the groups that began Grindcore. Napalm Death were influenced by both Hardcore Punk and Extreme Metal when they formed. Over the years they have turned more into a death metal band, but are still a brilliant band.
My favourite metal band. I get a lot of shit for loving this band so much because so many people consider them to be sold out and not real black metal. They may have sold out, and they definitely aren't black metal, but I love Cradle of Filth.
Easily the most respected symphonic extreme metal (at least within the mainstream underground) band, Emperor came out of the same scene as Immortal, Burzum, Mayhem and Darkthrone and have as many controvertial issues with Satanism, murder and church burning as any of the previously mentioned bands.
Black Metal, unlike many other styles, often experiments alot. Whether it be with folk music and symphonics, ambient music or the gothic tendancies of bands like COF and Dimmu Borgir, Black Metal has never been afraid to think outside the square. Italy's Aborym are probably the best and most effective band to mix black metal with industrial music.
Another brilliant Norwegian black metal band. Satyricon are one of those bands who experiment with some extremely varied styles but have never really 'sold-out', in my opinion.
A wise human once said "Destroyer 666 are the ultimate metal test. If you love Destroyer, you are metal as they come, if you don't, you just don't cut it". Wise words about this killer Australian old school black/thrash metal band.
Is it possible for a band with as much legend behind them as Mayhem to live up to expectations? FUCK YES! The band that started the extreme metal underground in Norway, amist the murder, suicide, church burnings and other such weirdness, make some of the best black metal around.
I do not support the actions of Varg Vikernes in anyway. I hate fascism and any right wing, racist bullshit, but the fact is that Burzum makes some incredibly atmospheric black metal music.
"To very very large degree, Megadeth and Metallica both are responsible for almost all of the great new metal bands out today." (Mustaine, 1998)
Dave and James "I think that James and I are very much the same man. I think that we grabbed an angel, split him in half, and both of us are possessing that power." (Mustaine, 1983)
Dave and James, 1982 - friends
"Dave was all speed. He had no feeling, he had no pull-offs, he had no brilliant things. He tried to get brilliant sometimes, but it would sound awful." (Hetfield, 1983)
Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield, 1996 - enemies How things have changed.
"I still love James very much. I respect his ability as a player and I miss him. But there was a reason why it ended. A lot of it had to do with drugs and alcohol on my part. He never did drugs. A lot of it had to do with the fact I was a violent asshole. He wasn't. He was a very gentle person when we were together although he enjoyed listening to very violent music. We would drive 60 miles an hour up and down the Pacific Coast Highway in the fog, drunk and listening to Venom." (Mustaine, 1998)
"James and I have always been the main thing in this band, and we always looked at Dave and Ron [McGovney] and thought, 'This is fine for now, but... ' We had a vision and these guys weren't gonna last. We weren't gonna kick them out, but if we happened to find someone who could fit in, we get'em in the band." (Ulrich, 1983)
In the Beginning
"I was convinced that I should be in the band and went to rehearsal. I was tuning up when all the other guys in the band went into another room. They weren't talking to me, so I went in and said, 'What the fuck? Am I in the band or not?' and they said, 'You've got the gig.' I couldn't believe how easy it had been and suggested that we get some beer to celebrate." (Mustaine)
"Dave came into the picture after the first 'Metal Massacre, ' after we fucking had that first song on vinyl and shit. We'd seen him in the 'Recycler, ' gave him a call and fuckin' tried him out. It was pretty interesting, pretty much the first lead guitarist in the band." (Hetfield, 1988)
"In the beginning, I was the guitar player in Metallica, Hetfield was the mastermind behind the lyrics and Lars was back there banging on his drum set. We gave this style of music a format and a direction - I'll always be proud of that. It was like the town wasn't big enough for the three of us [Mustaine, Hetfield, Ulrich]. There was just too much personality. It was like having three Dr. Frankensteins in one band. Anyway, it all came to a head one day when James kicked a dog of mine. We were all really plowed at the time - we always were. Anyway, one thing led to another and I hit James in the face. He told me to get my shit and get out. I told him that he couldn't fire me because I had already quit. In retrospect, James and Lars were really focused in their own way, and I wasn't. I begged to differ with almost everything just for the sake of being argumentative. But that's me. I'm a sarcastic fucker." (Mustaine, 1990)
"He had no idea about what our music's about, but he was very enthusiastic. It took him a rather short time to get to understand us, and that was even more cool since everybody else in LA at that time were nuts about doing a career, and imitating bands like Quiet Riot, Ratt and Motley Crue." (Ulrich)
Two Great Bands
"I miss them a lot. I comes and goes, and sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's very vindicating. I know there are two great bands now, but it makes me wonder if I was still in the band how much farther they would or would not have gone." (Mustaine)
"I think, though, aside from us [Megadeth], that Metallica are probably the best band at what they do. In the Eighties, we wrote a certain chapter - thrash/speed metal - but in the Nineties, it's the New Age of Heavy Metal. It's come full circle. It says in the Bible that a dog returns to its own vomit. Well, we're back to basic barf!" (Mustaine)
"Too much has been made of that shit. I told the truth - about how James ripped me off - but people didn't want to hear it. So I've learned to just forget it and move ahead. My attitude today is that two good bands emerged from that mess. Metallica are cool, but so are Megadeth. I think we can blow anyone away. We have a real commitment to our music, and that scares some people." (Mustaine)
"I really don't want to start anything with them, I don't think there's any way to win that one for me. If I say nice things about them, I'm Iying. If I say bad things, it looks like l'm trying to generate some sort of publicity. So what I've done is try to avoid the subject as much as possible - which isn't easy. When I'm asked about their album, I tell everyone that I really like it, that it's a great album. But if they ask me about them personally, that's another matter. They're dicks who really don't know as much as they think they do. You've got to remember, they gave it to me pretty bad when I left the group. It's one thing to part ways and just bury the hatchet, but they were trying to bury it in my head. I know how they felt about me and tell anyone who'll listen that I was a drunk who was holding the band back - that was a load of shit. Things weren't going fast enough for them, so they blamed me. The good part is that now I have the chance to make them eat their words. I feel sorry for them because of what they've had to go through recently, but that really doesn't change my feelings." (Mustaine, 1987)
"A lot of that was just me getting frustrated and putting it all out at the one time. It was blown way out of proportion. At interviews, the guy would ask a question that he knew would get an answer that would make it look like I was angry with Metallica and I hated that. A lot of it was one magazine that wouldn't give up the issue until I went out of my way to resolve the situation. Now Lars Ulrich and I are good friends and we drink together. It's great that we can be friends now because when I was in Metallica, we argued a lot and that led to me drinking excessively which made the situation worse. That's in the past now and I want to look towards good things in the future." (Mustaine)
"Lars and I talk, Kirk and I have spoken, Jason and I used to be really, really close, but I haven't talked to him much lately, and James knows how I feel about him. I respect him a lot as a singer/songwriter, and I wish them all continued success - not for much longer though. God, please, go away you guys!" (Mustaine)
"I figure that Metallica are such an integral part of me - what they do, how they think - because of how we all started, these three minds. Maybe I'm flattering myself by drawing the comparison, but I think there are a lot of similarities that people deny. The mannerisms that James and I have on-stage, some are identical. A lot of the things Lars says are things I used to say. In those days I used to handle all the interviews. When I watch them, it's like I see a part of me, and I'm so happy for them... I talk to Lars all the time. For whatever reason, James and I haven't really sat down and ironed out the past. I was so hurt by getting fired with no warning that I had a lot of resentment. I was very jealous as I watched my baby go away from me. I watched their success for so long, and for the longest time I was so bitter. But then I realized that I still get royalties from the songs I wrote, and people still make the connection between us." (Mustaine, 1993)
"I still make a lot of money off that band. And here's the catch: I owe a lot of my success to Metallica. A lot of people got to know who this ex-guitarist of Metallica is and they've opened so many doors for me and the other bands that are like-minded. I don't want to discredit my ability, I know the majority of our success is based solely on my songwriting, my hard work and the people I've chosen and their contributions. It doesn't bother me anymore. But for a long time it did. Like I said, not having closure made me wonder why [I was fired from Metallica] for a long time. But when I got over the whys and figured out what led to it, I understood and agreed that they did the right thing." (Mustaine, 1998)
"I keep comparing Megadeth to Metallica. I realized that often people hate the things, which they really love. I loved to play with Metallica. When they kicked me out I lost something which I loved and I started to hate them. Now every morning I fall to my knees and thank God for being able to finally see this truth." (Mustaine)
"Lars [Ulrich] himself has baited me by saying he wishes I would be more experimental. Now, does he want me experimental as in kissing and frenching my lead guitar player or my drummer? Is he talking about painting my nails, wearing makeup and cutting off all my hair? I don't know, and if he'd like to see me get more experimental, I welcome his ideas. Maybe the two of us should play together again." (Mustaine, 1998)
Metallica and Megadeth played a few concerts together in Europe in 1993, including the famous Milton Keynes Bowl in June with Diamond Head, where Dave proclaimed:
"The ten years of bullshit is over between Metallica and Megadeth!"
"I would love to play together with James and Lars again, and have said so in interviews. Me and David Ellefson, James and Lars, doing half mega/half meta, James singing my songs and me singing his. That would be a riot. It could suck, it could be great, but I know that it would be fun for us all to get back to the day when metal was a 'way of life' and people looked to us all as their leaders." (Mustaine, 2001)
"I did see Lars say something in our 'VH1 Behind the Music' that they would like to do something together again. I guess I am just dreaming of better days when we were all metal. I am going back, they may too, I hope. But, doing this would blow everyone away." (Mustaine, 2001)
Jason Newsted talks about Megadeth
On the break-up of Megadeth and Dave Mustaine's injury that was cited as the official reason for the split:
"That's sad, man, really sad. Because it was forced... it's just really, really sad for someone who was such a prolific writer. He [Mustaine] really came up with some great stuff, you know. The actual fluidity and ability that he had on the guitar, just out-and-out speed, was pretty amazing. My old band Flotsam and Jetsam opened a lot of shows for Megadeth back in the day, and we spent a lot of time together, so I'm just sorry to hear about the whole thing." (Newsted, 2002)
On referring to Megadeth as a "watered-down Metallica" in a other interview:
"I think I was talking about Echobrain [Jason's band] and people being surprised by the sound of the band, that they wanted something heavier but still liked it. The most common response was, 'Wow, we wanted something heavier, but we still like it.' So I was saying that it would have been so stupid to do something predictable like a watered-down or wannabe Metallica, or rap-rock record, or something like that. And in that context, I said something to the effect that Megadeth was always just behind Metallica and always wanted to be Metallica. So I won't back off that. I think it's an absolutely true statement. But it's not a disrespectful statement. Mustaine was, and maybe still is, quite bitter about that, and he always wanted to achieve what Metallica achieved. They wrote great songs, made great records, but were never quite able to get to that pinnacle." (Newsted, 2002)
On the rumors about ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson replacing him in Metallica:
"That would be pretty weird. It would be a good fit but only musician-wise. Dave is one of the best bass players that has ever been in metal, no two ways about it. I still look up to him. And he's a good guy, which is why I wouldn't wish it upon him. He could definitely handle the gig as far as the playing and the interviews and all that, but dealing with the inner workings, I don't know." (Newsted, 2002)
Burzum is the musical project by Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh"). It began during 1991 in Bergen, Norway and quickly became prominent within the early Norwegian black metal scene. During 1992 and 1993, Burzum recorded four albums; however, in 1993 Vikernes was convicted and imprisoned for the murder of guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth and the arson of several churches. While imprisoned, Vikernes recorded two albums in the dark ambient style.
Early years (1991–1993) From 1989, Vikernes had been playing in the short lived band Old Funeral which also consisted of members who would later form the band Immortal. He played guitar in the band until 1991 when he left to form his one man band, Burzum. Soon after recording two demo tapes, he became very involved with the Norwegian black metal scene, being both interested in its music and the ideology. With his demo tapes, he had attracted attention from Øystein Aarseth of Mayhem, who had just recently formed Deathlike Silence Productions. Aarseth then signed Burzum to the label, and shortly after, Burzum began to record for his self-titled debut album. According to Vikernes' autobiography on his website, he had intended to record the album in the worst recording quality possible (due to this being a typical trademark of the early Norwegian black metal scene), though still make it sound acceptable. Burzum's eponymous debut album was released in 1992, being the second album released on Deathlike Silence Productions. The song "War" from this album had a guest appearance from Euronymous of Mayhem, playing a guitar solo "just for fun", according to Vikernes. Vikernes has stated that he had never played any live shows with Burzum, though at one point was interested in it so Samoth of Emperor joined the band as their bassist though only appeared on the Aske EP. Additionally, Erik Lancelot was hired to be the band's drummer, though did not record on any Burzum material, and along with Samoth did not play a live show. Vikernes had by then lost his interest in playing live concerts, and stated that he "didn't even need session musicians anymore". Therefore, Samoth and Lancelot had parted ways with Burzum. Burzum stayed as a solo project until 1993, when Vikernes was arrested for the murder of Euronymous and the burnings of several churches in Norway. Det som engang var was released as Burzum's second album in 1993, recorded in 1992, and was the first of the remaining albums to be released during his incarceration.
Imprisonment (1993–2009) Vikernes was in prison for the murder of Euronymous, former guitarist of Mayhem, as well as the arson of several churches in Norway. During his time in prison, Vikernes has recorded two albums in a dark ambient style. They were released as Dauði baldrs (1997) and Hliðskjálf (1999). Post-imprisonment (2009–present) Vikernes has already written eleven new tracks, nine metal tracks and an ambient intro and outro for an upcoming Burzum album, which he hopes to release around March or April 2010. Vikernes mentions that several record companies are interested in releasing his first album in eleven years. He has stated about the new album, "I want to take my time, and make it the way I want it. It will be metal, and the fans can expect genuine Burzum." The album was going to be originally titled "Den hvite guden" (The White God), but he later decided to change it to "Belus", which will be released by "Byelobog productions".
Michael Angelo Batio is an American shred guitarist, currently consists of five studio albums, two compilation albums, one cover album and seven videos. Before beginning his career as a solo artist, Batio was the guitarist for Holland (1984–1986), Jim Gillette (1987) and Nitro (1987–1993). Holland released one studio album and one compilation album, Gillette released one studio album before forming Nitro who released two studio albums and one compilation album. Batio began his solo career in 1993 after the breakup of Nitro, and released his debut album, No Boundaries, in 1995. Holiday Strings was released in 1996 before MAB's second studio album was released in the form of Planet Gemini in 1997. Tradition was released in 1999, followed by Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity in 2000. In 2000, Batio set up a project under the name of C4. The band released one album, Call to Arms in 2001. Angelo's first compilation was released in 2004; Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2 comprised songs from Tradition and Lucid Intervals. A fifth studio album was released in 2005 entitled Hands Without Shadows, which features tributes and covers as well as MAB's own compositions. The guitarist also played bass on Katrina Johansson's debut EP, Guitarsongs Volume 1, in 2005. Batio's first two studio albums were remixed and remastered with additional drums from Joe Babiak in 2007 for the compilation release 2 X Again.
G3 is an almost annual live music show and concert tour featuring three select guitarists of the generation; hence its name. It was created by guitarist Joe Satriani in 1996. Since its inception G3 has featured many guitarists, including Satriani's former student, Steve Vai, and others: Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Paul Gilbert, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Adrian Legg and many other special guests, including Tony MacAlpine, Johnny Hiland, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Chris Duarte, Andy Timmons, Neal Schon, Gary Hoey, Brian May, Billy Gibbons, Johnny A, George Lynch, Patrick Rondat, Herman Li, Michel Cusson, Alejandro Silva (Only in Chile) and Eric Sardinas. The first tour took place in 1996. The North American G3 tour featured Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. Performances were held from October 11, 1996 to November 8, 1996. Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Adrian Legg were theopening acts. There were special guests on this tour, who included Neal Schon in San Francisco, Gary Hoey in San Diego, Chris Duarte in Austin and San Antonio, and Andy Timmons in Dallas. Toured North America and Europe. Michel Cusson played a few shows in Quebec before Kenny Wayne Shepherd came aboard. Uli Jon Roth was replaced by Patrick Rondat on the G3 Tour dates in France. Toured Rentak Rhythm of Asia Festival (Bukit Jalil) - Kuala Lumpur, MY. Featured a reunion of the first G3 Tour lineup on October 21, 2000 at the Rhythm of Asia Festival - Kuala Lumpur, MY. Opening act was slide guitarist Eric Sardinas. G3 2001 featured Joe Satriani and Steve Vai up with Dream Theater's John Petrucci, who wrote an entire set of new instrumental music for the tour, touring North America. There were special guests on this tour, who included Steve Lukather & Paul Gilbert in Los Angeles, Billy Gibbons in Houston, Andy Timmons in Ft. Worth, Eric Johnson in Austin, Neal Schon in Detroit, Vinnie Moore in Washington, D.C. and Steve Morse in Orlando. In 2003 G3 Toured North America G3 toured Europe, Mexico and South America in 2004 with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Robert Fripp The 2005 G3 tour featured John Petrucci, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani touring Japan and the United States. It was recorded on May 8th at the Tokyo Forum, Japan. The first 2006 G3 tour featured John Petrucci, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani. Performances were held from October 16th, 2006 to October 29th, 2006 across Latin America. The second 2006 G3 tour featured John Petrucci, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Performances were held across Australia from November 29, 2006 to December 8, 2006. The G3 2007 tour featured Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and Joe Satriani. Shows were held from March 14 to April 14. At the last show of the tour during the song "Glasgow Kiss" Paul Gilbert's band came out wearing kilts and did a small dance. The G3 Jam featured Johnny A. at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, MA.
Members: Dale Steele-Vocals Steve Conley-Guitars John Davis-Guitars Jimmy DeGrasso-Drums David Ellefson-Bass
F5 Biography Founded in 2003 F5 quickly realized their mission "to be heavy, but always melodic". With the creative flood gates wide open the group eagerly wrote scores of new songs and recorded their debut album “A Drug For All Seasons” with producer Ryan Greene. The eponymous debut record released worldwide in 2005 on JVC (Japan/Asia), Mascot (Europe) and Cleopatra Records (North America). F5 toured the USA from 2005-2007 at which time they also recorded and released their first live DVD, entitled "LIVE! For All Seasons". F5 have recently finished their highly anticipated sophomore album and enlisted the talents of veteran drummer Jimmy DeGrasso to round out the new recording and touring lineup. With producer Ryan Greene at the helm, the band's new album “The Reckoning” will be available shortly on OarFin Distribution (Koch). Look for the band to be on tour at a city near you!
Current members James Hetfield – rhythm guitar, lead vocals (1981–present) Kirk Hammett – lead guitar, backing vocals (1983–present) Robert Trujillo – bass, backing vocals (2003–present) Lars Ulrich – drums, percussion (1981–present)
Former members Jason Newsted – bass, backing vocals (1986–2001) Cliff Burton – bass, backing vocals (1982–1986) Dave Mustaine – lead guitar, backing vocals (1982–1983) Ron McGovney – bass (1982)
Background Information Also known as IneartheD Origin Espoo, Finland Genres Melodic death metal, power metal Years active 1993-Present Labels Nuclear Blast, Spinefarm, Century Media Associated acts Sinergy, Kylähullut, Warmen, Stone, Timo Rautiainen, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica
Members Alexi Laiho Roope Latvala Janne Wirman Henkka Seppälä Jaska Raatikainen
Former members Alexander Kuoppala Jani Pirisjoki Samuli Miettinen Erna Siikavirta Kimberly Goss Children of Bodom discography Children of Bodom, a five-piece heavy metal band from Espoo, Finland. Throughout their career, the band has been known to incorporate many different musical styles, leading critics and fans to label them as everything from melodic death metal and black metal to thrash metal, progressive metal and even power metal. The current band line-up includes the founders Alexi Laiho (vocals/lead guitar) and Jaska Raatikainen (drums) along with Roope Latvala (rhythm guitar), Janne Wirman (keyboards) and Henkka Seppälä (bass). Children of Bodom have released six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, seven singles, two EP's and two split singles. Moreover, in the period 1994 – 1996 they released three demos under their old moniker, "Inearthed". This list includes the material released as Inearthed. Children of Bodom's first release under their new name was the split single Children of Bodom, released in January 1997. Their debut album Something Wild followed later the same year. 1999 saw the release of two Children of Bodom albums: their second studio album, Hatebreeder, and their first live album, titled Tokyo Warhearts. In 2001 they released their third studio album, Follow the Reaper, which had the very successful single Hate Me!. Follow the Reaper was the first Children of Bodom album to go gold in their home country of Finland. After renewing their contract with Spinefarm Records, thereby gaining the support of the major recording company Universal Music Group, the band recorded their fourth studio album Hate Crew Deathroll, which was released in 2003 to considerable commercial success. Hate Crew Deathroll was the first Children of Bodom album to 'simplify' their heavy metal in order to have a broader appeal: the guitars used more heavy riffs than their earlier releases, it had emphasis on a clear musical structure and the instrumental virtuosity had been significantly reduced. Rhythm guitarist Alexander Kuoppala left the band during the tours following Hate Crew Deathroll, and was replaced with Roope Latvala of Stone fame. On their fifth studio album, released in 2005 as Are You Dead Yet?, the band continued to explore the traits exhibited on Hate Crew Deathroll. The album got mixed reviews, with some critics praising the new sound, while others slammed it for being too "awesome for their close minded tastes". Their latest album, Blooddrunk, was released in April 2008.
Kristian Eivind Espedal (born August 7, 1975), better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegianblack metal vocalist, best known as the former frontman of Norwegian bands Gorgoroth and God Seed. He is also the founder and frontman of Trelldom and Gaahlskagg. As of 2008, he has been involved in other projects such as Wardruna.
Personal life
During the trial in 2004, it was claimed that Gaahl is a vegetarian He himself discussed this in an interview in December 2005. However, some sources have claimed otherwise.
In July 2008, Gaahl revealed in an online interview that he was involved in the creation of Wynjo, an upcoming fashion collection for women, together with Norwegian modeling agent Dan De Vero and designer Sonja Wu.[23][24] At the same time, it was also revealed that he had been involved in a close personal relationship with De Vero since 2006. It was stated that they were no longer a couple but remained as good friends. In an interview for the November 2008 issue of Rock Hard, Gaahl confirmed his homosexual orientation.
Shortly thereafter, De Vero stated that he had received threats from people within the black metal community, both at his door and by phone and email. It was also alleged that a fight had erupted backstage at Wacken Open Air, triggered by homophobic remarks. Allegedly, the person who made the remarks had to be hospitalised. However, Gaahl denied that anyone had ever "said anything derogatory to my face". When asked by the webzine FaceCulture if he thinks people will see him and his music differently now that he has publicly acknowledged his homosexuality, Gaahl replied:
Mankind is known to be narrow-minded, so... maybe some [will have a negative reaction]. But I guess it will even out the score in a way. I think it will be positive for some and negative for some. It's always good to have some negative as well. Otherwise you would end up with equality and equality is the worst thing in the world. Equality is stagnation. It doesn't let anything grow. It holds back.
Musical career
Gaahl became involved with black metal in 1993, when he co-formed the band Trelldom. During the mid and late 1990s he also become involved with the bands Gaahlskagg (with Gorgoroth live guitarist Skagg) and Sigfader (with Skagg and Kvitrafn). Gaahl joined Gorgoroth in 1998, and was first heard on their fourth album Destroyer; although he only sang on the title track. He made his live debut in May that year, when Gorgoroth played five dates in Germany on Cradle of Filth's European tour. Ten years later in the January 2009 issue of Terrorizer Magazine, Gaahl and Cradle of Filth frontman Dani Filth incorrectly alluded to have played thirty concerts together on this tour, including one in Toulouse, France when Gaahl did not first perform there until two years later.
The first Gorgoroth album to feature Gaahl as main vocalist was Incipit Satan. The album was recorded during July–October 1999, and was primarily written by Infernus. This was also the first Gorgoroth album to feature elements of industrial, dark ambient, and noise music. In May 2002, Gorgoroth began recording their album Twilight of the Idols. However, Gaahl was imprisoned for assault throughout that year, and was unable to record his vocals until January 2003.
In February 2004, Gorgoroth staged a concert in Kraków, Poland which featured impaled sheep heads, satanic symbols, and a mock-crucifixion performed by naked models doused in blood. A police investigation took place with allegations of religious offense (which is prosecutable under Polish law) and cruelty to animals. Though these charges were considered, the band was not charged as they were unaware that what they were doing was illegal. The controversy led to the band being dropped from the Nuclear Blast Tour and the footage of the concert being confiscated by the police. Subsequently, Gorgoroth terminated their contract with the label.
After the drums, bass and guitar parts had been recorded between January and May 2005, Gaahl arranged and recorded the vocals for Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam in March 2006, and the album was mastered in April. Although the title was conceived by Infernus, the lyrics and music of this album were written entirely by Gaahl and King ov Hell. Shortly thereafter, Gaahl was again imprisoned for nine months.
In April 2007, Gaahl was the focus of a five-part series entitled True Norwegian Black Metal. The series was produced by photographer Peter Beste and debuted on vbs.tv, the broadcast network of Vice Magazine. Gaahl offered Beste an interview and tour of his residence in Espedal.
In October 2007, Gaahl and bassist King ov Hell tried to remove founding member Infernus from Gorgoroth. In 2009 the Oslo City District Court found that by doing this, Gaahl and King ov Hell instead excluded themselves from the band in October 2007, thus ending Gaahl's time in Gorgoroth. Gaahl and King assumed the name God Seed in March 2009.
It was reported that Gaahl had been spending the winter of 2008-2009 in Spain, Gaahl later confirmed that in early 2009 he had been spending a two month vacation there with his boyfriend Robin. In February 2009, Nettavisen reported that he was helping Dan De Vero record a debut album, but within a day of the article's publication the article was revised with all references to Gaahl removed, although his name has been retained in tags. King also stated in an interview that Gaahl had been spending his time in Spain working on lyrics and vocal arrangements for the debut God Seed album. However, in an interview conducted with King in April 2009 - after Gaahl returned from Spain - he stated the following:
We have recorded everything in the studio and are just waiting for Gaahl to put on vocals on it. So we have only vocals and the final mix to go before it's all done. It's sometimes a nightmare to work with him in the studio because of the pride he puts into the smallest details. If he is not in the right mood or doesn't find the correct words we get nothing done. At times I've spent days in the studio counting seconds with nothing happening. It's the same way now, but I know in the end the result will be unique and powerful. We have to wait till Gaahl is done writing his lyrics to chose the title for the album. When the whole concept of this album is done lyrically we’ll decide which title to use.
After performing with God Seed at two concerts in summer 2009 Gaahl revealed that he had quit the band. His God Seed bandmate King later clarified that Gaahl had in fact chosen to retire from metal music, with King 'freezing' God Seed's activities as a result.
1. Black Sabbath
2. Iron Maiden
3. Metallica
4. Exodus
6.Type O Negative
7. Fear Factory
8. Cannibal Corpse
9. Altar
10. Napalm Death
11. Opera IX
12. Cradle of Filth
13. Emperor
14. Aborym
15. Satyricon
16. Deströyer 666
18. Burzum
19. Darkthrone
20. Kampfar
