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All Music Guide:
A black metal band that formed in Sweden in 1990, Nifelheim released a relatively small handful of albums in their career, and went through a number of lineup changes, but maintained enough of a following to keep the core of the band pressing on for nearly twenty years. Founders -- and twin brothers -- Per and Erik Gustavsson, who went by the names Hellbutcher (vocals) and Tyrant (bass), respectively, released their first album with longstanding partner in metal Demon in 1994. That particular self-titled affair was followed by 1997's Devil's Force, 2000's Servants of Darkness, 2003's 13 Years, 2006's split album with Vulcano, and 2007's Envoy of Lucifer. Over the years the line up would eventually settle on the Gustavsson brothers with Apocalyptic Desolator (Johan Bergeback) on guitar, Vengeance From Beyond (Sebastian Reamstedt) on second guitar, and Insulter of Jesus Christ (Peter Stjarnvind) taking on the drums.
Wikipedia:
Nifelheim is a Swedish black metal band. The band was formed in 1990 by the twin brothers Erik and Per Gustavsson, under the stage names Tyrant and Hellbutcher. The band plays old-school black metal in the vein of bands like Venom, Bathory, Hungarian Tormentor and Czech Master's Hammer rather than the style made famous by the Norwegian black metal bands of the 1990s.
Biography
Nifelheim was founded in 1990 and recorded the demo tape Unholy Death around 1992-1993. The band signed to Necropolis Records and recorded the début album Nifelheim at Studio Fredman after firing Morbid Slaughter, supported by John Zweetsloot and Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection on guitars. The band was banned from the studio.
In 1996 the band recorded the Vulcano cover Witches Sabbat with guest vocalist Goat (ex-Satanized) for the second Headbangers Against Disco split EP which also featured Usurper and Unpure, and the song Hellish Blasphemy for the Gummo soundtrack; the latter was re-recorded for the band's second album Devil's Force, which featured Zweetsloot and Nödtveidt again.
After a documentary about heavy metal fans which aired in Sweden in 1998, Tyrant and Hellbutcher were given a nickname “Bröderna Hårdrock” which translates to ‘The Heavy Metal Brothers’ in English.
In 1998, Nifelheim contributed Die in Fire to the Bathory tribute album In Conspiracy with Satan – A Tribute to Bathory. The band left Necropolis Records and recorded Servants of Darkness in March 2000, which was released through Black Sun Records. In 2001 the band got a full line up and and played a first concert as headliner at the 2heavy4you festival in Sweden, followed by other concerts in Europe.
Controversy
During an interview in Sweden Rock Magazine in 2008, members of the band were quoted as making derogatory remarks about deceased Metallica bassist Cliff Burton as well as deceased Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell; stating "I laughed and pissed on a photo of him" and "Too bad Phil Anselmo didn't die too; that was probably the only time I wished Pantera had actually played", about Burton and Abbott respectively. In a statement released to Blabbermouth.net, the band later verified that they had made, and approved the statements before the issue was published.
In a 2010 interview published in Metalion’s Slayer fanzine, Tyrant stated that "this 'Dimebag/Burton' fuss that was spammed out as some 'statement' on the internet" disturbed him "more then [sic] ever", and that he is "not hating either of these musicians" nor did he intend to "put any disgrace upon their memory". Apparently due to the controversy, that interview has been their last to date.
