Bass in Black Metal is Underrated

Black Metal is all about nice and evil guitar riffs, but almost nobody talks about the bass. Let's change that!
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[@Lotastic_Films]

Bass in general has a shadowy existence, not only in BM. Barely anyone notices the bass and when you take it out, people go "Why is the sound so weak?"🤦‍♂️ #justiceforbass

[@hectortorres8188]

That's exactly what bass is for metal, you don't know there is a bass until it's out. It's like audiophiles and subwoofers, they say: you must not notice there is a subwoofer in your system, but music will lose body when you turn it off

[@eloimlogikoi]

This Guy became a bassist in a band, thats the only way a guitar man change his mind about bass and its feel the scorn on they own skin.

[@archloy]

And in opposite you have the stupid tech guy that make bass (and kick drum) masking all the song on live performances ;) (yes, when you barely ear the singer, there is a problem XD )

[@MikkoVirtanen-w2z]

Fuzzy bass in black'n'roll is just orgasm to my ears

[@beheritard]

april fools was a long time ago farvann

[@Farvann]

I know and I'm sorry 😄

[@CameronHathaway-cc3ic]

stfu bass is more important than satan in black metal

[@Trollolololol69]

Bass players will start protesting after this video

[@resistenceisfutile]

Why? As a black metal bass player I completely agree with Farvann.

[@Trollolololol69]

@@resistenceisfutile yea i meant that now because of farvann's video they would want to play a more important role in bm songs

[@insertstolenusername5306]

Mayhems Life Eternal does the same thing. Varg is mostly the melody in that song.

[@Justmemyguy]

But when he was no longer the melody of Euronymous's life....well we all know how that song and dance goes.

[@SeedOilFitnessOfficial]

Jeg Faller too

[@rupe82]

It's kinda funny that they turned down the bass in the mix because Varg but it's still talked about as being a standout part of the album.

[@Hateblaze]

@@rupe82 They never turned down the bass, they only make drums louder. Check Life Eternal EP with original mix

[@nicolausteslaus]

​​@@Justmemyguy Euronymous was doing drooks and gay. Varg did the world a favor

[@currentofthesnake8486]

Once you know Forgotten Woods, you won't be able to imagine black metal without the bass.

[@JesterOfDestiny]

The bass in Velvet Room is so mesmerizing.

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

Or Furia.

[@FountainMetaal3]

True statement!

[@P1kaSans]

BASS IS IMPORTANT!!! it's the link between the guitars and drums! without bass, a song sounds empty. and guitarists, if your band makes you play bass, don't feel discouraged or upset! play the bass like it was your guitar!

[@LordArithon]

Yes! It's supposed to dance and intertwine between drums and guitar. It also is perfect for all sorts of fills and melodies

[@P1kaSans]

​@@LordArithonEXACTLY

[@barbarianblood2316]

Great episode. Forgotten Woods and Mortuary Drape always had nice bass in ‘em.

[@andreachesseddu9761]

Great bands from Italy🤘🏻

[@epic8923]

​@@andreachesseddu9761 forgotten woods is norwegian, the italian one is forgotten tomb

[@andreachesseddu9761]

@@epic8923 oh yeah i made a mistake, i know both, if i am not wrong forgotten Woods were frome french...

[@frostmediaprod344]

A good example is Marduk. Since the second album, every song has a unique bass parts that add a special vibrancy and harmonics.

[@jelmerwouda8635]

I remember hearing autumnal reaper on an osmose sampler as a starting bassist; the bass was what still makes me listen to that album

[@N20154]

Viktoria has entered the chat

[@arielmillanao2441]

There is a bass solo in Azrael, that I love from the very first time.

[@hectortorres8188]

@@frostmediaprod344 devo is a great bass player, I think he was guitarist fist and then also producer. Since Rom 5:12 bass has a special sound

[@CavemanShopkeeper420]

Alrighty Mr. Inquisition

[@Farvann]

hahahaha

[@amitbitan]

It's not only the notes, I can't even barely hear the bass

[@RMAIGW]

Great video, I've always thought that black metal bass is way more important than people give it credit for. They add so much variation and melody to the repetitive chord progression riffs that are so popular in the genre.

[@kanizan]

Behs is groovy, behs is good, play behs.

[@Dumbnickname]

I love behs

[@kanizan]

@@Dumbnickname behs

[@JRam998]

Behs

[@Dumbnickname]

behs

[@suicideisproofoflife51119]

behsed

[@eboyvolkihar616]

Great examples of this is the legendary Necromantia who used Bass as the lead instrument for quite a lot of their songs as did Arphaxat. Or the walking bass line on Life Eternal by Mayhem. Bass has so much potential to make a dark song darker and a heavy song heavier

[@J.L.B.-XIII]

As a bassist I can say that I couldn't care less about not being appreciated. That's in the contract: nobody will notice you. But thanks, Farvann!

[@maxweidenbach2919]

The only people who notice are other bass players

[@pipegris]

Your band notices it. I like the idea from an SBL interview video, where it states that as a bassist, your audience is the band. Be kike the Dude's rug, tie the room together.

[@ThatBlindGuy247]

When i tried making BM years ago it all sounded identical cause i was listening to so much at the time. Now i listen to maybe 4/5 bands when making it or out right avoid the genre when i make my own. It helps a lot

[@Abyzdecannes]

When I think good bass in BM I always remember Harvest from Naglfar, that intro is so powerful and the bass is used so well

[@Marcrobyroth]

Wichtig bei der Bandprobe: Der Sänger bringt n Mikrophone ( oder noch besser n kaputtes Headset) mit, der Gitarrist ne Gitarre, der Schlagzeuger n Schlagzeug, der Keyboarder n Keyboard und der Bassist ne Kiste Bier...

[@SPIORAD7320]

I love writing bass for my songs I always love to add different melodies than what the guitar plays

[@droidlittle582]

One reason I love Ulver's Bergtatt record is the prominent bass in the mix. I agree with this assessment. Cheers!

[@johngavin1175]

I like it too. Too bad its buried on Nattens,the bit I can hear is good.

[@funeralpyre616]

That's how i feel about recording bass after recording the guitars. Bass usually comes in last. Trying to avoid only playing the root notes. But after I'm done with guitars and messing with the "fake" drums i just wanna get the bass done. Haha. Cheers!

[@mojyoqueen350]

As a certified bass fan, what can I say? Bass rules! + 2:15 I need a full song of that one, if it doesn't exist already. Smashing!!!!

[@Pagan_Fears]

Profanatica has the heaviest Bass in Black Metal

[@BatteryAcidEater]

Agreed, the 2019 album 🤤🤤

[@andtuningforall4957]

Yes.

[@za-wz6fh]

Hail

[@hectortorres8188]

American bands don't count as black metal

[@Joshbfil0]

Drudkh

[@david-uo2yu]

the bass line in Life Eternal is one of my favs

[@rotemharari1565]

I am a bassist and you are now my savior, thank you for telling people our unique ability to play more than ONE FUCKING NOTE

[@volin_d]

One of my favourite bass sections in black metal has to be Kriegsmaschine - "Ma'aseh Bereshit", starting after third minute mark.

[@Gerd0]

I've always loved clean bass tones in black metal. The sound always ends up making something cold and abrasive be weirdly inviting.

[@scarytraining525]

1:49 was exactly the Sound i love!

[@bryden72]

Yeah same it's so good

[@farzinnavand4228]

Minenwerfer has some cool bass moments off the top of my head

[@evmq1-25]

as a black metal enjoyer and also bassist, i am happy with this video

[@Kamil_Srnka]

1:28 okay this was a perfect example

[@RichardDeBerryOfficial]

My BM project Astral Fortress is mostly bass only! I use it for lead, rhythm, and bass parts! It's an awesome instrument and it's so fun to play! I wish more bands prioritized bass!

[@SuicidalGrind]

My favorite part of Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is actually the bass melodies like on Pagan Fears and such.

[@Walshyyy420]

DMDS truly had some KILLER bass-lines.

[@Sub4-k7u]

Fck, these titles are so dumb and childish lmfao

[@attrition71]

One of the best aspects of tesseract is their bassist. Not black metal but everyone loves the guy

[@Ilurblur]

One the first black metal albums i heard was Shinings Halmstad which was pretty bass heavy but i guess that depends on what kind of black metal you're making if loud bass works or not

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

Yup, it totally is! Check out Furia's debut for some deliciously audible bass playing. You're welcome.

[@wheelsofmercury]

Pretty timely to see this video! I was listening to an album by the avant garde black metal band Panegyrist and they have a lot of technical bass playing on that record. Their sound reminds me of Arcturus a little bit. It’s a very good listen if you like avant-garde or progressive black metal with a mix of operatic, clean and harsh vocals.

[@exileenthroned]

Damnit, fine! I'll buy a bass for my project afterall...

[@saxönsplitter-o1n]

Thank you so much for this. 😅 My favorite bass sounds in BM right now is of Spectral Wound, Passéisme and Wormwitch. And I actually like to record a clean "basic" bassline for background and add a more "complex" distorted one.

[@RavenRedwood]

I really like the punky bass in Abyssielle. It complements tremolo guitar so well, like an extra rhythm layer that isn't just mirroring.

[@liamc.636]

One of the reason I love bands like gorgoroth, Windir, dissection so much is because of their basslines

[@unclebearosso7420]

USBM bands like Ustalost and Yellow Eyes use their bass guitar spectacularly! Totaly agreed with Farvann!

[@riffsfromtheabyss666]

0:45 I really like and appreciate the high/low frequency comparison and their wavelength accuracy 😊

[@redato]

Thanks, really nice to see and hear

[@resistenceisfutile]

As a BM bass player I say this. Everything is straight to the point. I don’t know why there is such an attitude towards bass in the black metal community. There, it is really extremely rare that the bass is used as it should sound - as a separate instrument (which, however, connects everything else in the rhythm section, and often not only in it), and not as an appendage to the guitar. The bass has enormous potential, which, for reasons unknown to me, is not used at all. Although there are pleasant exceptions, of course, but unfortunately, this is just a drop in the bucket.

[@maxweidenbach2919]

As a bass player in a BM band, thank you! There’s definitely plenty of bandwidth to do interesting things melodically and rhythmically to fill the song out and improve the sound of the whole band. BM is no different to any genre of music in the sense that you can make the bass as interesting as you want really. Also, as a bassist I always make sure to contribute to song writing and arranging as much as possible so I make myself invaluable to the band as a whole. Too many bassists just show up, chug root notes, drink beer and go home and then wonder why they get buried in the mix

[@simoantere7283]

Ved Graven by Throne of Katarsis is a perfect example of a well excecuted bass playing in BM. The tone is hollow and powerfull at the same time, it’s just audible enough and it plays more than just the root notes. Bass can bring a haunted layer to the sound when it’s done right. Kiitos for rocking a Korgonthurus shirt, they fucking slay. Will see them next month in Helsinki with Archgoat!🤘🏿

[@GamingWithHasty]

In my band I try to keep it as dynamic as possible, sometimes I play the same notes as the rhythm but on different octaves and sometimes I play something different than both guitars and there are songs where I start solo on the bass and so far it's working out.

[@wolverine669]

It's true, that sometimes the bass only gives depth to the sound, but is otherwise too quiet. But, there's a lot of bands that has really great / amazing bass lines.

[@cannibal666]

Love to hear a good bass groove in songs 💥🤘🤘

[@MikeAlHair]

4:42 I wachted your latest Video! ☝️ it was great! I LOVE Tapes and CD as well 👌🤘

[@hohepriestersulyvahn1749]

Thy Darkened Shade has awesome Bass Lines.

[@Mrmemphisbones]

Gorgoroth songs always had the best of bass ! Also Tulus and Khold have interesting lines and audible bass. Thank you Farvann !

[@BigMuff75]

Ulver did this quite extensively on their first and third album. Or Gorgoroth on the selftitled tune... as you said in the video. Or think of the first two Naglfar (SWE) records, one hellish bass.

[@jessrocha6178]

One of my favorite metal bassline is the song "Thorns" by Kekht Arakh, because the bass is being a melody and It's clean, so It contrasts good with the high gain guitars.

[@JoninofTamriel]

Yes! I've always played my bass with more melody because I hate monotony. I've got a few riff ideas for a Black Metal project I wish to start on the side between doing stuff with my current band.

[@baptisteduprez8030]

Tottaly agree about the role of bass in BM, i think getting some inspirations from death metal can help a lot to add some cool bass experiment into it. I used bass a lot in my BM band and I think bass is underated in BM 😅 so thank you Farvann:)

[@ericv7720]

Barathrum: hold my beer. Necromantia: no, hold mine!

[@sasory9634]

Minenwerfer Der Blutarsch. Best bass i've ever heard in black metal

[@DesolateSolitude]

Black Metal is all about nice and evil guitar riffs, but almost nobody talks about the bass and now this video does just that! Awesome!

[@FallenGabriel]

I'm very creative with the bass and I agree. Good bass line in Black Metal can bring a solid difference! I made the bass line more like jazz and giving more life to "The Benevolence of Death".

[@sawogolec2286]

Im curently strugling with this problem ;D just learning to play bass 30 min / day to get better

[@XxOtselxX0]

bro again gave good feelings

[@nope8827]

It's funny that this video came out right now that I'm starting a black/doom metal project with the bass as the lead instrument 😂

[@DJCD92162095]

@Farvann I think you’re trying to say is the “Counter Parts” in musical terms. 🤘🤗🫂🤗👍

[@TheUmbralPresence]

Necromantia enters the chat (two basses and no guitars on "Crossing the Fiery Path")

[@tulak90]

So true. From the outstanding bassplyaing in Black Metal I definitely can recommend Minenwerfer

[@Dumbnickname]

finally, Farvann discover the power of the bass (even though I think behs is still more than that ha ha)

[@xzandher6812]

Urgehal -Massive Terrestrial Strike has a great bass throughout the record 🤘🔥

[@Anonymouspersoniguess]

The Antichrist EP by gorgoroth is something else

[@dwimorbergofficial4341]

i appreciate burzum's bass lines or immortal's bass. gives that some sort of motorheadish vibe... kinda typical since abbath is a motorhead fanboy. one by one bass line goes crazy.

[@paveantelic7876]

Burzum - Belus has some great bass playing

[@brenden9755]

Check out Hadanfard and grav. Amazing bass harmonies while the guitars play open triads

[@NNNIII972]

Necromantia had a guy shredding on an eight string bass for most of the songs. Probably the one of most unique band I've ever heard.

[@blazejok4204]

life eternal by mayhem has a sick bassline.

[@spencermccreery2508]

One of the reasons I love Tardigrada is because of the bass

[@timothymckane6362]

I think bass sounds very nice even when it is a fretless bass some special melodies. Bands like Schattenfall and Waidelotte have fretless bass within their music which sounded great.

[@rothbardfreedom]

On Darkened Wings - Marduk

[@DoormanDan88]

Deathspell Omega is a great example of great BEHS in Black Metal. Cheers!

[@SashenkaSudarenko]

Really nice video! I agree, what bass guitar is important instrument.

[@Chakra_king]

People hate on Mayhem, but I will always love in freezing moon bass solo part

[@HeathenScents]

This is one of the reasons I love Opeth (I know not, quite black metal, maybe their first few albums though!), Martin Mendez has some amazing rhythm and melodies!

[@frizzlefry2436]

I remember seeing this band whos name ive forgotten but they had the best bass

[@deathcrush79]

Shhh, don't increase the amount of competition!!!!1!!

[@TheBlackcredo]

My favourite way of playing is full distortion and keeping up with the guitarist's speed picking. I usually stick to the root notes, but do more when the occasion demands it.

[@jostonpowell1346]

I have played bass since 98 and NEVER played just root notes for any metal song I have written on. Crazy to think some people do think that's all a bassist needs to do. Not saying every song needs a Ryan Martinie sounding bass to it but for god sack add emotion

[@Madi-dw9ib]

Darkthrone imo always had cool bass that you could actually hear on a lot of their stuff

[@faszerowanykot7530]

always the bass in the 3rd part of the kekhts arakhs between eerly howls of wind impressed me

[@dogbiscuits752]

Opeth’s Morningrise album, while not exactly black metal, has quite the black metal influence (especially on songs like Advent and Black Rose Immortal), and have amazing and tasteful bass lines.

[@honeycomblord9384]

In terms of bass in black metal, one of my favorite albums would have to be "Estrangement" by Drudkh

[@Poemwriter_Angelo]

I like the bass in the gorgoroth song. Its really cool. Dimmu borgir is really good at using piano while these ice cold riffs play too. It ads more depth znd can bring a moee hypnotic ethereal feeling to the song

[@michaelo.gerrits829]

I believe it was Fortex from Dimmu Borgir, phenomenal bassplayer, interesting lines, great singer as well. But what concerns the topic; fantastic bass that ended well in the mix.

[@dannysoler05]

Bass is essential

[@Zeitgeist6]

Agreed Bass is underrated. Heard Urkraft by Kampfar a couple months back (they were opening for Abbath and never heard of them before) and the bass in that is so effective and dark

[@RustyDarlington]

My favourite band in the world wouldn’t exist without the bass player 🤘🏻

[@Dru2Sick]

Leviathan has a lot of great audible bass lines, especially on the tentacles of whorror album

[@karlogrady4907]

*imediatly starts a BM band with just bass and drum set*

[@lordodium3872]

The bass in most Grand Belial's Key and Peste Noire songs sound fuckin badass

[@Akinohotarubi]

The lack of bass is what kept me for gerting into black metal for the longuest time. Even now I tend to gravitate towards newer band of the 3ish wave of black metal, the ones that tend to wear black face mask instead of corpse paint and have a mix with low freauencies.

[@TheWatcher_82]

I love the black metal bass in And Justice For All