Transilvanian Hunger
Encyclopedia
Transilvanian Hunger is the fourth studio album
by Norwegian
black metal
band Darkthrone
, released in 1994 through Peaceville Records
. It was the band's first album to be recorded with just two members, Nocturno Culto
and Fenriz
, following the departure of Zephyrous
. The band would remain a duo from this point onwards.
The back cover of the album states that "Darkthrone is for all the evil in man". Allmusic notes that the album, "boasts plenty of notoriety in the metal underground" and that it has been a great influence on many black metal bands.
. He was imprisoned in 1993 for the murder of Mayhem
guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth
and for the arson of several churches. The ending of the song "As Flittermice
As Satans Spys" contains a backmasked
message. When the voice is played in reverse, it utters the phrase "In the name of God, let the churches burn."
Originally, the back cover displayed the phrases True Norwegian Black Metal and Norsk Arisk Black Metal (Norwegian Aryan Black Metal), but due to the negative response of many distributors, the latter phrase was removed. The band also intended to include another controversial statement with the album: "We would like to state that Transilvanian Hunger stands beyond any criticism. If any man should attempt to criticize this LP, he should be thoroughly patronized for his obviously Jewish behavior." In a press release, Peaceville Records
issued both this statement and their own response, acknowledging that they could not censor their artists but also taking the opportunity to damn the sentiment. The incident caused Darkthrone to write a formal apology released at Peaceville's behest, including statements explaining that calling something "Jewish" was part of their "slang". The band and Peaceville ended up parting ways after the album's release.
As a response to this controversy, Darkthrone included the following statement on their next album, Panzerfaust
, the following year: "Darkthrone is certainly not a Nazi band nor a political band, those of you who still might think so, you can lick Mother Mary's
asshole in eternity."
appears on the cover artwork, which bears resemblance to Mayhem
's 1993 live album, Live in Leipzig
. In the February edition of Terrorizer Magazine, which was an album artwork special, the cover of Transilvanian Hunger was featured amongst the greatest album covers. The magazine regarded it as representative of their "musical regression" ideologies, and as a "stark image of evil that was never quite equalled."
ed and reissued by Peaceville, as well as being repackaged in a cardboard digipak
. The fourth and final chapter of a four-part video interview (spanning the first four albums) between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto was also included as bonus material.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
, released in 1994 through Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...
. It was the band's first album to be recorded with just two members, Nocturno Culto
Nocturno Culto
Nocturno Culto is a Norwegian musician, best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and partial bassist of the influential black metal band Darkthrone. He has been with the band since 1988. He currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter...
and Fenriz
Fenriz
Leif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
, following the departure of Zephyrous
Ivar Enger
Ivar Enger, also known as "Zephyrous", was black metal band Darkthrone's once-guitarist. He is credited as featuring on the band's first three albums; Soulside Journey, A Blaze in the Northern Sky and Under a Funeral Moon, as well as the Goatlord album; the rehearsal tapes of what was originally...
. The band would remain a duo from this point onwards.
The back cover of the album states that "Darkthrone is for all the evil in man". Allmusic notes that the album, "boasts plenty of notoriety in the metal underground" and that it has been a great influence on many black metal bands.
Controversy
Lyrics for four of the album's songs were written by the infamous Norwegian black metal musician Varg VikernesVarg Vikernes
Varg Vikernes is a Norwegian black metal musician, writer, philosopher, religious and political activist, arsonist and convicted murderer.Vikernes was born near Bergen, Norway. In 1991, he founded the one-man music project Burzum, which quickly became popular within the early Norwegian black metal...
. He was imprisoned in 1993 for the murder of Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth
Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth , who went by the pseudonym Euronymous, was a Norwegian guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem...
and for the arson of several churches. The ending of the song "As Flittermice
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
As Satans Spys" contains a backmasked
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
message. When the voice is played in reverse, it utters the phrase "In the name of God, let the churches burn."
Originally, the back cover displayed the phrases True Norwegian Black Metal and Norsk Arisk Black Metal (Norwegian Aryan Black Metal), but due to the negative response of many distributors, the latter phrase was removed. The band also intended to include another controversial statement with the album: "We would like to state that Transilvanian Hunger stands beyond any criticism. If any man should attempt to criticize this LP, he should be thoroughly patronized for his obviously Jewish behavior." In a press release, Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...
issued both this statement and their own response, acknowledging that they could not censor their artists but also taking the opportunity to damn the sentiment. The incident caused Darkthrone to write a formal apology released at Peaceville's behest, including statements explaining that calling something "Jewish" was part of their "slang". The band and Peaceville ended up parting ways after the album's release.
As a response to this controversy, Darkthrone included the following statement on their next album, Panzerfaust
Panzerfaust (album)
Panzerfaust is the fifth album by Norwegian black metal band, Darkthrone. It was released in 1995 and was their first album with record label Moonfog Productions. It was released in North American under The End Records...
, the following year: "Darkthrone is certainly not a Nazi band nor a political band, those of you who still might think so, you can lick Mother Mary's
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
asshole in eternity."
Title and artwork
FenrizFenriz
Leif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
appears on the cover artwork, which bears resemblance to Mayhem
Mayhem (band)
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, Norway and regarded as one of the pioneers of the influential Norwegian black metal scene...
's 1993 live album, Live in Leipzig
Live in Leipzig
-Credits:*Dead - vocals*Euronymous - guitar*Necrobutcher - bass*Hellhammer - drums...
. In the February edition of Terrorizer Magazine, which was an album artwork special, the cover of Transilvanian Hunger was featured amongst the greatest album covers. The magazine regarded it as representative of their "musical regression" ideologies, and as a "stark image of evil that was never quite equalled."
Reissue
In 2003, the album was remasterRemaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed and reissued by Peaceville, as well as being repackaged in a cardboard digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
. The fourth and final chapter of a four-part video interview (spanning the first four albums) between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto was also included as bonus material.
Track listing
Credits
- FenrizFenrizLeif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(tracks 1–4) - Nocturno CultoNocturno CultoNocturno Culto is a Norwegian musician, best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and partial bassist of the influential black metal band Darkthrone. He has been with the band since 1988. He currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, bass guitar (tracks 5–8)