Vampires of Black Imperial Blood

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Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
Vampires of Black Imperial Blood cover
Studio album by Mütiilation‎
Released 1995
Recorded Black Legions Studio
Genre Black metal
Label Drakkar Productions (DKCD001)
Professional reviews
Mütiilation‎ chronology
Hail Satanas We Are the Black Legions
(1994)		 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
(1995)		 Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
(1999)
End All Life Productions re-release
End All Life Productions re-release

Vampires of Black Imperial Blood was Mütiilation‎'s and The Black Legions first full-length album. It was also the first full-length CD publication from Drakkar Productions, a french record label freshly established in 1994 by fellow musician Noktu ‎(frontman of Celestia).

Contents

[edit] Reissues

Originally limited to 1000 copies, the album was reissued in 1999 as a double-vinyl by End All Life Productions, in a limited pressing of 100 numbered copies. This edition had a slightly different tracklisting, including three bonus tracks. The album was reissued in 2005 by Tragic Empire Records, in an undisclosed amount, with the same tracklisting as the double-LP. Although the legitimity of this reissue is disputed, it has been distributed through official mailorder channels.

[edit] Track listings

[edit] Drakkar Original Pressing

# Title Length
1. "Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past"   10:00
2. "Born Under the Master's Spell" (this track is missing on the re-release.) 5:29
3. "Ravens of My Funeral"   7:41
4. "Black Imperial Blood"   5:35
5. "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death"   7:06
6. "Transylvania"   5:52
7. "Under Ardailles Night"   4:22
8. "Tears of a Melancholic Vampire"   8:01

[edit] End All Life LP/Tragic Empire Pressing

# Title Length
1. "Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past"   10:00
2. "Ravens of My Funeral"   7:41
3. "Black Imperial Blood"   5:35
4. "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death"   7:06
5. "Transylvania"   5:52
6. "Under Ardailles Night"   4:22
7. "Tears of a Melancholic Vampire"   8:01
8. "Forest of an Evil Dream" (bonus track) 5:27
9. "Travels To Sadness, Hate And Depression" (bonus track) 7:13
10. "The Rite Of Darkness" (Bathory cover version, from The Return..., 1985) 5:32

[edit] Critical reception

 Music sample:

"Magical Shadows of a Tragic Past"

A segment of the opening track, featuring the introductory riff, an up-tempo part with blasting drums and loud vocals, followed by a short melodic section.
Problems listening to the file? See media help.

This album, together with March to the Black Holocaust, was instrumental in establishing the reputation of the Black Legions among underground black metal circles. The overall reception of the album was highly polarized, followers of the Black Legions hailing it as "the most chilling and dark atmosphere ever put to tape"[1], while others dismissed it as "forgettable melancholic drivel"[2]. Globally, the most notable elements appear to be the "twisted", "demented but catchy riffs" and, most importantly, the "melancholic", "bleak and lugubrious", "depressive atmosphere"[2], that differed from the established Norvegian black metal acts of that time[2]. On the base of this album, Mütiilation is often credited for inventing the "depressive/suicidal black metal" sub-genre, that would spawn acts such as Xasthur and Shining[2][3].

While the production quality has been acclaimed as "significantly clearer" than on earlier Mütiilation demos[2], other reviewers described it as "fuzzy distortion laden fog"[1], a "nonexistant production"[2], or even an "ultra primitive sound quality (...) making Darkthrone sound downright hi-fi".[4].

[edit] Trivia

  • This was the first recording to feature Mørdrëd.
  • This album features actual drumming, while on the following Mütiilation releases, Meyhna'ch would rely on a drum machine[1].
  • The song "Eternal Empire of Majesty Death" has been covered by the American Black metal band Xasthur, and is included as a bonus track on the 2004 reissue of A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Charles Theel. The Metal Observer review. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Anonymous metalhead. Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
  3. ^ "(...) a mournful sounding arpeggiated midtempo droniness that certainly informed Xasthur's sepia toned fuzz" - Aquarius Records Newsletter. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.
  4. ^ Aquarius Records Newsletter. Retrieved on 2008-06-03.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Mütiilation
Meyhna'ch
Studio albums
Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) • Black Millenium (Grimly Reborn) (2001) • Majestas Leprosus (2003) • Rattenkönig (2005) • Sorrow Galaxies (2007)
Compilation albums
Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) • 1992-2002 Ten Years of Depressive Destruction (2003)
7" EPs
Splits
Mütiilation / Deathspell Omega (2002) • From the Entrails to the Dirt (2005) • Mütiilation / Drowning the Light / Satanic Warmaster (2007)
Demo tapes
Rehearsal 1992 (1992) • Rites Through the Twilight of Hell (1992) • Ceremony of the Black Cult (1993) • Evil - The Gestalt of Abomination (1993) • Cursed (Rehearsal 1994) (1994) • Black Imperial Blood (Travel) (1994) • Satanist Styrken (1994) • Promo '95 (1995) • Rehearsal 2001 (2001) • Destroy Your Life for Satan (2001)
v • d • e
Les Légions Noires (The Black Legions)
Bands
Aäkon Këëtrëh • Belketre • Black Murder  • Brenoritvrezorkre • Moëvöt • Mütiilation • Satanicum Tenebrae  • Seviss • Torgeist • Vagézaryavtre • Vlad Tepes
Releases
Hail Satanas We Are The Black Legions (1994) • March to the Black Holocaust (1995) • Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) • Black Legions Metal (1996) • Your Ruin... (2001) • Aheah Saergathan! (2002)
Demos
Cursed (Rehearsal 1994) (1994) • Ambre Zuèrkl Vuorhdrévarvtre (1996) • ...Et Pleure Le Bâtard (1996)
Bootlegs
Paraphernalia
Related labels
Drakkar Productions • Embassy Productions  • Tragic Empire Records
Languages