The first wave

The first wave of black metal refers to those bands during the 1980s who influenced the black metal sound and formed a prototype for the genre. They were often speed metal or thrash metal bands.

 

The term "black metal" was coined by the English band Venom with their second album Black Metal (1982). Although considered thrash metal rather than black metal by modern standards, the album's lyrics and imagery focused more on anti-Christian and Satanic themes than any before it. Their music was unpolished in production and featured raspy grunted vocals. Venom's members also adopted pseudonyms, a practice that would become widespread among black metal musicians.

Another major influence on black metal was the Swedish band Bathory, led by Thomas Forsberg (under the pseudonym Quorthon). Not only did Bathory use unpolished production and anti-Christian themes, but Quorthon was also the first to use the "shrieked" vocals that came to define black metal. The band played in this style on their first four albums: Bathory (1984), The Return of Darkness and Evil (1985), Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) and Blood Fire Death (1988). At the beginning of the 1990s, Bathory pioneered the style that would become known as Viking metal.

Other artists usually considered part of this movement include Hellhammer and Celtic Frost (from Switzerland), Sodom and Destruction (from Germany), Bulldozer and Death SS (from Italy), Tormentor (from Hungary), Root (from Czech Republic) , Mercyful Fate (from Denmark)^{[citation needed]}, Sarcófago (from Brazil) and Blasphemy (from Canada).