Before the black metal craze hit Norway, death metal was the underground music of choice among that country's rebellious youth. A surprising number of Norway's premier black metal bands from the mid to late 1990's once experimented with downtuned guitars, guttural vocals and horror lyrics at the turn of the decade. In the case of Emperor and Ildjarn, this was in the form of Thou Shalt Suffer. The band quickly parted ways after just a demo and 7', but thanks to tape traders and the re-releasing of this material on CD their legacy continues to make its mark on the death metal maniacs of today. 'Into the Woods of Belial' was a low-budget demo tape originally released in 1991. The copy I have was recorded directly from the original cassette, but the sound quality isn't very good - especially when compared to the CD reissue. The volume levels are low, the highs drowned out and the production in general is very muddy. Luckily, these problems were all fixed on the re-release. It's amazing that they were actually able to make this recording sound clear. The drumming is a bit high in the mix on the CD, but that's just a small price to pay when you compare the two versions side-by-side. Musically, this demo is a maelstrom of darkness, dissonance and unfathomably haunting melodies. Yes, it is death metal, but of the most evil and atmospheric variety. You can't compare this to the half-serious, horror-influenced stuff that fellow countrymen Old Funeral or Phobia (pre-Enslaved) were coming up with at the time. This material is pure and dark, and it will make your skin crawl. One of the main elements that really sets Thou Shalt Suffer apart from other Scandinavian death metal being released at the time is their dynamic use of keyboards. These eerie melodies weave their way through the songs, often going against the main guitar leads by burrowing their own paths through the maze of blasphemous chaos. Ihsahn's vocals are immeasurably sinister. His deep, demonic growls originate from deep within the bowels of hell before being spit out like burning venom onto a virgin's pale flesh. His voice, like a thousand rabid frogs croaking in unison inside an abandoned, festering sewer is unlike anything I've ever heard. Although, I suppose a more throaty and drawn-out Antti Boman would be a reasonable comparison. Each song transitions perfectly into the next, with the intro beautifully setting the mood for all the evil within. In general, there is a fast tempo used throughout the main branches of each composition. Blastbeats from the drummer are frequent, but unfortunately the double-bass during the slower parts is virtually impossible to make out. The chorus of 'Chimera Dimension' is one of the few exceptions to this - it's here where you can really feel the furious pounding of the double-bass drum. All five songs are filled with energy and memorable riffing, but the highlite of the demo is probably 'The Goat of a Thousand Young'. The chorus riff is fucking monumental. At the end of the day, I can honestly say that a song like this is darker than anything Emperor or Ildjarn have ever recorded. As for the negatives, the main complaint would have to be the sloppy production of the original demo. Another problem worth mentioning is the poor mix of the lead guitar during the solos - you can barely even make it out. That, and the double bass drum needs to be brought out a lot more. It's unfortunate that they weren't able to fix these things for the CD release, but in the end they're not significant enough to ruin the listening experience of this bloodchilling piece of music.
Tracks 1-5: Into the Woods of Belial- Demo tape. Tracks 6-7: Open the Mysteries of Your Creation- 7ep. Tracks 8-12: 1991 rehearsal Reissued in 2004 with altered cover art.
Background information
Origin
Notodden, Telemark, Norway
Genres
Contemporary classical,[1]blackened death metal (early)
Years active
1990–1991, 2000
Labels
Distorted Harmony Nocturnal Art Candlelight
Associated acts
Emperor Ildjarn
Thou Shalt Suffer were a band that was part of the early Norwegian black metal scene. It formed in 1990 at Akkerhaugen, Norway, under the name 'Dark Device'. Its style was mainly death metal, though it included some black metal traits, alongside Ihsahn's trademark keyboard melodies. The band split up in late 1991 when its members formed Emperor and Ildjarn.
In 2000, Ihsahn used the name Thou Shalt Suffer for his solo project. That year he released Somnium, an album of ambient songs influenced by medieval music.
3Band members
Biography[edit]
Thou Shalt Suffer began in 1990 when vocalist Ihsahn met guitarist Samoth at a clinic for rock musicians. The two started playing together under various names, such as Dark Device, Xerasia, and Embryonic. They eventually settled on Thou Shalt Suffer. It was during this time Ihsahn began to develop his skills as a keyboard player, and his trademark sound can be heard on the band's recordings. In 1991, the band recorded two demos, Into The Woods Of Belial and Open The Mysteries Of Your Creation. Both recordings exhibited a distinct style which would eventually develop into the classic 'Emperor sound' of Ihsahn's and Samoth's later careers. Most of the band's early material was recorded on Ildjarn's 4-track recording device (which he later used to record his solo albums) and featured very raw and dirty production.
When Samoth began writing music outside of the band, Thou Shalt Suffer began to dissolve. Bassist Ildjarn and drummer Thorbjørn Akkerhaugen both left the band. Ildjarn formed his own eponymous project Ildjarn (which was often contributed to by both Ihsahn and Samoth), while Akkerhaugen went on to found Akkerhaugen Studios. At this point (late 1991), Emperor had come into full swing, and Thou Shalt Suffer was put on hold. Ihsahn didn't completely abandon the band, however – instead, he used the name to release dark neo-romantic orchestral music. The first Thou Shalt Suffer full-length album was released in 2000, titled Somnium. It was composed and produced entirely by Ihsahn. The band's original two demos were pressed to CD and released to the public. This compilation, simply titled Into The Woods Of Belial was re-released and widely distributed in 2004.
For the time being, Thou Shalt Suffer seems to be on hold once again, as Ihsahn is focusing primarily on his solo career because his previous project, Peccatum, has been terminated. Cheat engine.
Discography[edit]
Rehearsals '90 (1990) (as Xerasia)
The Land of the Lost Souls (1990) (as Embryonic)
4-track Rehearsal (1991)
Open The Mysteries Of Your Creation (1991)
Into The Woods Of Belial (Demo) (1991)
Into The Woods Of Belial (Compilation) (1997 / 2004)