Black metal bassists

[Jeffbo]

where are you? What's your set up?

[vegas532]

I don't know of too many "Black Metal" guys in effects. However, talkbasser eyvindwa is in a KILLER Prog Death Metal band out of Norway called Diskord.

One of the most unique bands I've heard in the genre, IMHO.

[nickrs540]

Not in a band right now, but I do the occasional black metal jam. People are just not very "Grim and Frostbitten" out here in Sunny San diego.

But for the question, I don't really use too many effects. I have a line 6 bass pod for the occasional distortion. Most of the time I just use a little bit of overdrive and thats it.

[MSUsousaphone]

I did black metal, once. It was....eh....I mean, I like the music...but one show I hit a wrong note...and never heard it...so I kept hitting wrong notes....and no one ever heard it. We tuned to drop A. I realized they didn't even need a bass player and left pretty quick after that.

Fuzz. fuzzy,fuzzyness. Lots of fuzzy destruction. A ss/bs TAFM....something REALLY gnarly. Maybe even a tubey overdrive like the Swell B-TOD or Darkglass B3K. The B7K even had DI. Pretty sweet.

[rratajski]

There's bass in black metal? #drownedout #kvlt

Yeah, usually BM dudes just plug in and slam, man. If you're trying to get nice gear to sound kvlt, I'd find a boss hm-2 and turn every knob up.

[BKBassDude]

My band is more prog/folk than pure BM, but we have some BM influences as well.

I use two pedals which otherwise never made it to my board for any other projects, and they're nice and cheap! Boss ODB-3 and Boss CE-5.

Never thought I'd find a use for that ODB but it's the perfect gnarly tone for what I'm looking for, and it's nearly always on outside of clean passages.

[Josh Pelican]

I love me some black metal, but I've never really focused on the bass as much as I focused on the guitars and drums. A lot of people have a misconception that when you're playing black metal, you can use anything that's available. I've heard people say "any sh**** amp will do."

I've never played in a black metal band, but I am familiar with a few rigs out there. Unfortunately, most of the rigs I know are the guitarist rigs.

I know for sure Tomasz (Behemoth) uses a Mark Bass rig and I don't think he uses any effects. I don't like Behemoth so I haven't really looked into it.

I believe Vrangsinn (Carpathian Forest) played through an Ampeg rig. Again, I'm unsure of effects (if any).

Conrad (Venom) used/uses Marshall amps and no effects. I know that for sure. I've looked it up quite a few times to see what basses he's used. I believe he played clean on the 10+ Venom albums he's been on.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I can't think of any bassists using effects, but like I said, I don't know what many of them are playing!

[vegas532]

Originally Posted by Josh Pelican

Conrad (Venom) used/uses Marshall amps and no effects. I know that for sure. I've looked it up quite a few times to see what basses he's used. I believe he played clean on the 10+ Venom albums he's been on.

Definitely not live. He plays dirty as hell and most definitely has a fetish for Flanger and Delay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NPHJ1_cCak

[Jeffbo]

I truly appreciate all these responses! It's mere curiosity. I play through svt-350 with a j-bass. Only a rat and big muff get in the way of the cleanliness. I keep it clean when our jams shift to the blacker side of the spectrum. Also, Hugh Steven James mingay aka skoll from Ulver, plays a serious accompaniment in their earliest records (Nattens madrigal, Bergtatt). You guys should check him out

[Steveaux]

Hot, thick, plenty of bottom ...

[fatherjohncough]

lol

[Josh Pelican]

Originally Posted by vegas532

Definitely not live. He plays dirty as hell and most definitely has a fetish for Flanger and Delay.

Venom (London 1985) [06]. Bass Solo (Cronos) - YouTube

Weird. I could have sworn I've seen live videos where he's playing clean. I'm going to have to go double check on the albums now.

Maybe he was using a Malekko B:Assmaster.

Originally Posted by fatherjohncough

lol

Good input.

[Phormlyss]

I go clean and eq for a thicker tone to fill out the bottom end under the treble-filled hiss that is the distorted guitars. I actually like hearing the bass in black metal doing counterpoint against the guitars rather than just playing root notes, unless root notes are more suited to the riff of course, so that's how I play and write.

[Funkinthetrunk]

I used to play metal, and I'm black.

[zaten]

Played a few BM gigs. Enjoyed every one of them. Key in my arsenal was the Ibanez PH7 pedal. It gives out dirty distortion that is very metallic, hollow and with a strong attack (even without pick)- brings to mind the sound of dry bones crashing in a icy-cold catacomb

Funkinthetrunk you're awesome! Thanks for kicking a stupid stereotype in the face \m/

[odin70]

I dont play BM but im Norwegian

[bigchiefbc]

Austerity Program "Black Madonna" promo - YouTube

[EskimoBassist]

I was just about to post that ^^

[G.Bisson]

EBS MultiDrive pushing a Sansamp Bass Driver with the 'drive' and 'bass' cranked gives me a tight massive distortion tone.

Originally Posted by MSUsousaphone

but one show I hit a wrong note...and never heard it...so I kept hitting wrong notes....and no one ever heard it. We tuned to drop A. I realized they didn't even need a bass player and left pretty quick after that.

I feel your pain. But, ultimately, those guitarist can't go as low as us bassists and can't shake the room like us bassists. The guitarists rarely noticed a wrong note, but they always noticed when the bass stopped playing so they were still hearing/feeling something other than their own egos.

Originally Posted by Funkinthetrunk

I used to play metal, and I'm black.

Previous guitarist in my group was black. A project before that had a black drummer. It has becoming fairly common in the local metal scene to see black guys throwing down onstage. Oddly enough, a few local metal venues book rap and hip-hop groups to help fill up all time slots. And, for the most part, both sides enjoy each others music. Guess what we all have in common is we all like music with ATTITUDE .

[TomA1234]

Originally Posted by Steveaux

Hot, thick, plenty of bottom ...

Is it just me or do Digitech seem to copy most DOD pedals.