Very few bands can lay claim to having their demo tapes lay the foundation for an entire, enduring genre of music. Thorns is one of those bands. In 1989, Snorre Ruch and Marius Vold formed a band called Stigma Diabolicum. That project yielded two demos before the Latin moniker was dropped in favor of the more memorable name Thorns. Three more demos were recorded and ended up being circulated amongst the “inner circle” of the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene. The guitar techniques and tones that Snorre utilized on these tapes were widely imitated and are often cited as the very genesis of the second wave of black metal.

Unfortunately, Thorns would enter an extended hiatus before their debut full-length album could be recorded. Snorre had the misfortune of being present the night that Varg Vikernes murdered his Mayhem bandmate Euronymous. Snorre’s silence about the events and lack of cooperation with the authorities led to a conviction for being an accomplice to murder and an 8-year prison sentence.

Agalloch hail from Portland, Oregon, and are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band this year. They play an ethereal style of metal that defies categorization. Some of the genres that Agalloch have been associated with include doom metal, progressive metal, folk metal, and post-rock. But the one undercurrent that is constant throughout is the element of black metal. Over the course of 5 albums and various EPs and split releases, Agalloch have worked their way to the position of elder statesmen amongst the U.S. black metal scene.

This week’s edition of Black Metal Friday features the epic track “Not Unlike the Waves” from Agalloch’s 2006 album Ashes Against the Grain. Check it out here below and be sure to catch Agalloch on their upcoming tour at the following venues:

The phrase “vattnet viskar” is Swedish for “the water whispers.” There could not be a bigger misnomer for the band of the same name.

Vattnet Viskar, the band, hail from New Hampshire and are at the very forefront of the new generation of American black metal. Their sound and fury is a mixture of blackened doom and post-rock similar to their contemporaries Tombs or Wolves In The Throne Room.

Century Media Records is set to release the sophomore album by Vattnet Viskar entitled Settler on June 16th in North America and June 29th in Europe. While we wait, here (below) is the official video for “Breath of the Almighty” from the band’s superb 2013 debut album Sky Swallower and be sure to check them out on tour this summer in a city near you.

Symphonic black metal pioneers Cradle of Filth are gearing up for the release of their eleventh studio album this July. The record is titled Hammer of the Witches and will be released by metal mega-label Nuclear Blast Records. It is the first COF album to feature the British band’s new lineup.

For this week’s Black Metal Friday, check out the video for the album’s first single, “Right Wing Of The Garden Triptych,” here below.

Finland’s Archgoat have had a long road to their current status as elder statesmen of the black metal genre. The band, which formed in 1989, was signed to Necropolis Records on the strength of their 1991 demo entitled Jesus Spawn. The union produced one EP before recording of Archgoat’s debut full-length effort ground to a halt due to a dispute between band and label over the commercial potential of the material. The strife lead to Archgoat embarking on an extended hiatus until 2006 when their debut album Whore of Bethlehem finally saw the light of day. Since that time, the band have been working at a steady rate producing several recordings and building their reputation as a “must-see” live act.

Here from their legendary 1991 demo Jesus Spawn is the classic track “Rise of the Black Moon.” Crank it up and scare the hell out of your neighbors in honor of this Black Metal Friday!