FULL-LENGTH REVIEW : The Reverend by Svartlod

There's much discussion about which album can be considered the first in the Extreme Metal movement. Opinions vary, some enthusiasts consider Venom's Welcome to Hell to be the first Extreme Metal album, while others point to Sodom's In the Sign of Evil or Possessed's Seven Churches. Anyway, these albums and others were among the first to lay the foundations for many subgenres that we know today. 

How can Extreme Metal be defined ?

Extreme Metal differs from traditional Heavy Metal in its intensity and provocation. Tempos are faster, instruments are frenetic and more abrasive. And the vocals are typecally screamed, guttural and cavernous. The themes are controversial and deal with death, violence, misanthropy and the occult. The imagery and behaviour of Extreme Metal bands is also transgressive, with the use of provocative imagery as satanic, blasphemous symbols and aggressive behaviour on stage.

Today, Extreme Metal is a term used to describe the most brutal subgenres of Metal, such as Thrash Metal, Death Metal and Black Metal. 

Welcome to Hell the true genesis of Extreme Metal ?

Released in December 1981, Venom's debut album Welcome to Hell is considered by historians to be the landmark of Extreme Metal for several reasons that influenced the birth of many subgenres as Thrash, Death and Black Metal. This album was impactful and influenced a whole generation of bands including Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Destrction.

Welcome to Hell is considered as genesis of Extreme Metal because it was different from anything heard before. Yes, compared to the standards of the time, the British pushed the limits of music by incorporating elements of speed and musical complexity. Its sound was raw, faster and aggressive, featurung screaming and abrasive vocals.

Venom introduced a visual aesthetic and imagery associated with evil and the occult. The lyrics also dealt with dark and controversial subjects such as Satanism, violence and death. Later, these themes become fundamental to Death and Black Metal.