Dissection

Hailing from Strömstad, Sweden, Dissection are often considered the pioneers of melodic black metal, a style that combines the atmosphere, agression and blast beats of black metal with the melodies of melo-death. Their music is often considered part of the Gothenburg scene. The band is my personal favorite black metal band (yes Dissection is black meta through and through, fuck off if you wanna argue about it!) and i would consider all 3 of their albums to be some of the best in their respective genres. Let's get into it!

Dissection was formed in 1989 consisting of Jon Nödtveidt (who i would consider one of the most interesting figures in black metal), Ole Öhman and Peter Palmdahl. Jon had previously been part of a band called Rabbit's Carrot (what sorta name is that?) alongside Öhman, but the two wanted to shift the music in a darker perspective. In 1990 the band recorded their first rehearsal tape and sent it to fanzines. Their first concert was played alongside death metal legends Entombed. In December of the same year the band recorded their first demo, The Grief Prophecy which contained artwork done by now legendary artist Necrolord, who besides making art for Dissections first two albums also made the covers for Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse, Sacramentum's Far Away from the sun, Bathory's Blood on Ice and many more, as his style would define the Scandinavian metal scene. Seriously, if i named every album we'll be here all day!

In January of 1991 guitarist John Zwetsloot joined the band which completed the bands now famous dual guitar sound. Soon the band was approached by French record label Corpse grinder Records, with who the band recorded their EP Into Infinite Obscurity. April of the same year the band played Mayhem's Freezing Moon in honor of the vocalist Dead who commited suicide a few days prior.

In March of 1992 Dissection recorded and released a demo called The Somberlain which would soon become their first album, coming out in December of 1993.

The Somberlain (1993)

Recorded at Hellspawn/Unisound Studios in Sweden. The band moved to Gothenburg a bit after the album's recording and shared a rehearsal room with At The Gates. The album is 45 minutes in length and is full of melancholic riffs and frozen solos. Jon and Zwetsloot constantly weave melodies around one another, creating harmonized leads that feel just as influenced by Iron Maiden as they do Bathory. The lyrics are dark and carry a sense of malice with them. The production is pretty good and i would consider this album to be ahead of it's time. Necrolord returned as the cover artist this time around. The album was also dedicated to Mayhem's Euronymous who had been murdered the same year... I can't say he didn't have it coming. My favorite tracks: Somberlain, Mistress of Bleeding Sorrow

Storm of the Light's Bane (1995)

Now we enter the meat and potatoes!!! The band had to fire Zwetsloot and replaced him with Johan Norman of Satanized not long after The Somberlain came out. In 1994 Dissection signed onto the legendary Nuclear Blast Records and were already writing songs for their second album which they recorded in 1995 before touring with Cradle of Filth. Shortly after the recording Öhman left the band and was replaced with Tobias Kellgren. SOTLB was released in November of 1995 to critical acclaim. A bit shorter than it's predacessor the album is 43 minutes of darkness, frost, evil, and everything great about black metal. The legendary album cover depicts a grim reaper on a horse surrounded by eternal winter. The guitars have been developed further, carrying the album for it's entire runtime. The drums are also fast and brutal and there are many acoustic sections as well. The two instrumental tracks, At the Fathomless Depths and No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep, which are first and last on the album respectively are calm yet beautiful with the latter being a piano piece. According to Jon:"everything we do is connected through death in one way or another. This is not an album where all the songs follow a story. On this record, all the songs and music are different but still have that death theme within them to tie them in some form or another." The album is considered by many to be one of the greatest black and meloblack metal albums of all time. My favorite tracks: all of them!

After SOTLB and disbandment

The band would be at what many would consider the peak of their careers. They would tour across Europe and later America, being joined by legends Dimmu Borgir and Satyricon, and they would also release an ep called Where Dead Angels Lie which would also include covers of Tormentor and Slayer. But not everything is perfect... Nearly all memebrs would leave the band and Jon would be forced to make a new line-up. On July 22nd 1997 Jon and another member of the MLO (Misanthropic Luciferian Order, now known as Temple of the Black Light) an anti-cosmic Satanic organisation, murdered 37 year old Josef ben Meddou. The two were arrested and the band disbanded. A compilation album would come out but for 7 years nothing would come from Dissection

Reinkaos (2006)

Upon his release from prison in 2004 Jon started Dissection again, this time with a new line-up whose members he felt could live up to Dissections concepts. The band would release an EP and Live Album, and they would start touring again all over the world with fans who were eager to see them return. In 2006 the third and final album, Reinkaos came out. With a more melodic death metal sound the album wasn't as well received as the previous two. Many criticised the cleaner production and simpler guitar riffs, and many were mad after waiting for so long. Nonetheless the album sold well amongst fans. The lyrics this time around were based on the teachings of the MLO which were full of ancient gods, rituals and the disdain for the cosmos we live in. Talk about nonesense... Even with the somewhat corny lyrics the album is, in my opinion, full of bangers. My favorite tracks: Starless Aeon, Beyond the Horizon.

The split-up

Shortly after Reinkaos the band announced they would be disbanding, and Jon said he felt as if he did everything he could with his music. On August 13th, 2006, Jon would take his own life in his apartment. The description of the scene varies, with some saying he was in a circle of candles with the Satanic Bible next to him, while some say the book was not there. Now was it a religous act or the end of a troubled life, we'll never know. Nonetheless the band would never come back, though their albums would be reissued many times

Now for my personal thoughts on Dissection... They fucking rule! They're my favorite black metal band and I like all 3 of their albums equally. They're a great gateway into black metal, with their second album especially. I consider it a masterpiece. Now, for what Jon did and didn't do, that's a story for another day. He was delusional, insane, crazy, you name it. But he made some very good music and should be remembered for that. There is definitely some room to think what the band could've been had they never split up, but maybe it's for the best they went out with a bang and not make 10 more mediocre albums. However i would say they have a legacy most bands could only dream of

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