Beherit

Formed in the late 80's the enigmatic Finnish Black Metal band Beherit spent until the mid-90's scaring listeners and providing one of the weirdest careers one could imagine. Starting out they creating a form of evil industrial influenced death metal, which had a great deal in common with black metal like Bathory, old Sepultura and Sarcofago. All of these bands Beherit would site as influences as well. Their first full length (there is a release that was originally a Bootleg, called Oath of the Black Blood which you can get now that pre-dates their first "official" release), 1993's Drawing Down the Moon, was a major acceivement in the up-and coming black metal scene, and was the first black metal release from Finland. The album was a slab of true Satanic (meaning they weren't playing it up, and they did believe in (and still probably do) Satanism in the form of Dr. Anton LaVey and Aleister Crowley) black metal, in its most evil and vile state and is absolutly essential for a black metal fan.

The last two releases are in essence, from what I've read ,(as I have yet to hear very much of them) avant-guarde, Ritual Black Metal, and before the band broke up they had become fully ambient with little resemblance to the same band that had started out as a "Satanic Death Metal" band. However, they never lost their dark, disturbing and twisted edge, so the band's musical development will all fit together, as the release of the "Beast of Beherit" shows. The band was terminated in 1996, as the main member Nuclear Holocausto had no intrest in being in a metal band anymore. He started up another, totally electronic and ambient project, Suuri Shamaani and claims that Beherit will never be again.

The band in their short life span were highly influential on many Finnish and non-Finnish black metal bands, with their dark, disturbed and twisted sound. They descended into the blackest pits of musical hell, bringing up the most evil and vile sounds that they could. Only four full-lengths may survive, but I suggest finding them all if you can, along with the best of and whatever else you can. They can pretty much be considered first wave Black Metal along with Mayhem and the bands mentioned at the beginning. This band was true cult. Essential listening.

Full Lengths

The Oath of Black Blood...1990 (originally a bootleg, now an official release)
Drawing Down the Moon...1993
H418ov21.C.....1994
Electric Doom Synthesis....1996
Beast of Beherit - Complete Worxxx....1999

There are a shit load of other things, from eps, to splits (particularly with their blood brothers Impaled Nazarene) so check out the official site at
http://beheritworship.cjb.net/
for more info and a complete list.

An object from the manga "Berserk" that has a card game, anime, and games now. Created by the talented artist Kentaro Miura.

A "living object" that connects the spirit world and our world together. According to Flora, the witch of the tree spirit, "There isn't a more powerful object present in the current world. By itself it is just a stone, but its fate is controlled by the hands of the owner."

Blood, tears and strong will have all been used to activate Beherits and it is also known as the "Egg of the Emperor". Humans use it to summon the God Hand, five demonic overlords who will grant the summoner anything he wants by sacrificing their most loved to the God Hand. Usually what is sacrificed is people, like family and friends, whom the summoner treasure the most. The most loved will become Branded, and the Branded will be given over. Humans who receive this granted power become known as Apostles, or God Hand minions, who draw their power from the God Hand.

It is named the "Egg of the Emperor" because it resembles an egg, with a distorted human face protruding from one side. The mouth is at the bottom left, with its right eye on its left side. The nose is at the top right, above the right eye with its left eye beside it.

The God Hand used to be five ordinary humans, but as each obtained the Scarlet Beherit, an extraordinary Beherit among Beherits, they rose to become a member of God Hand. A God Hand member was born every 216 years until Femto, who is the last. Each rising of a God Hand member takes place during an eclipse within the Nexus of worlds. The last God Hand member, Griffith, now known as Femto, became a member of God Hand by sacrificing hundreds of his comrades to a grisly death, eaten by the indescribable monsters within the Nexus.