Crust groups, such as Amebix, took some influence from the early black metal of Venom and Celtic Frost. Crust was affected by a second wave of influence in the 1990s, with some bands emphasizing these black metal elements. Iskra is probably the most obvious example of second wave black metal-influenced crust; Iskra coined their own phrase "blackened crust" to describe this new style.
The german group Arsen AKA König Der Monster predates Iskra but
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Crust groups, such as Amebix, took some influence from the early black metal of Venom and Celtic Frost. Crust was affected by a second wave of influence in the 1990s, with some bands emphasizing these black metal elements. Iskra is probably the most obvious example of second wave black metal-influenced crust; Iskra coined their own phrase "blackened crust" to describe this new style.
The german group Arsen AKA König Der Monster predates Iskra but the term for the sub-genre had not yet been coined and their sound had prominent screamo influences besides the crust. Other groups such as Martyrdöd took crust's framework and played it through a melodic black/death metal lens with unrelenting d-beat and waves of powerful, raw yet catchy riffs. Whereas groups such as Downfall of Gaia injected their neocrust sound with prominent black metal influences as well as equal amounts of post-metallism/sludge, making use of dual male vocals in the form of both black metal shrieks and crust gutturals.
The group Vestiges had a notorious neocrust sound at its core, very inspired by the work of pioneering group Fall of Efrafa but was essentially a black metal version of them, not basing entire songs around d-beat galloping, but rather utilising it as a tool to create tension and release.
Likewise, in the same vein as Martyrdöd (but more metallic) groups such as Agrimonia make use of melodic riffing and black metal vocals and mix these elements with hardcore tempos and sludge crawling alike. In a similar way to Downfall of Gaia, Dead to a Dying World (but more post-metallic) add classical instruments to their overall sound (a common neocrust practice) giving it a very sober and depressing tone, making use of dual vocals (male and female) also in the form of black metal shrieks and crust gutturals.
Notable group Young and in the Way proposed a sound that was one of the most violent and energetic in the scene with even hints of sludge metal. Wolvhammer started in a similar way, however, later slowed down the tempo and added more black metal influences to their sound. On the other hand, Dark Circles created probably the most harrowing, disturbing and ghastly version of blackened crust yet with insane tortured screaming and intense psychological torment/depressive lyrics built around the backbone of unrelenting d-beat/blast beats.
Meanwhile, Bastard Feast was bordering stenchcore, sludge and death metal with their crust sound. Atrament took Bolt Thrower's stenchcore-infused death metal sound and mixed it with prominent black metal/d-beat plus some of the most hateful and misanthropic lyrics ever written. Moral Void took a hold of the infamous Entombed HM-2-created buzzsaw guitar-tone, mixed it with sludge/d-beat and At the Gates/Disfear/Skitsystem Tompa-styled screamed vocals.
Another notable group, Tempest put forth a very chaotic and intense mix of crust and post-black metal with high-pitched unintelligible shrieks for vocals. Abstracter put forth a d-beatless form of blackened crust copiously influenced by abysmal black, doom and death metal, thus constructing lengthy atmospheric songs that resemble atmospheric sludge/post-metal; coupled heavily with strong anti-human themes.
On the other hand, groups such as Dishammer and Kvlthammer displayed a far more old school approach, thrashy and hardcorish alike with the really obvious and classic Discharge/Hellhammer influence.
At the most metallic and intense side is Dumange who took Ictus's sound and completely overhauled it through a Vinterland-like melodic black metal lens, with waves upon waves of icy, cold and glacial riffage; built around a strong d-beat framework. Coming to add sludge metal and melodic death metal elements and even an intimate quiet post-rock/spoken work section before more metallic d-beat onslaught finishes up a single song of a 40 minutes blackened crust magnus opus displaying very personal pained hardships/struggles and intense suffering as lyrics screamed in an acetic black metal shriek, all in Spanish.
A new wave of bands is mixing black metal and crust with the more ethereal/dreamy sounds of shoegaze/dreampop. One of them being Autolith who initially proposed a very rough and harsh mixture of black metal, sludge and crust on their early releases, thus moving towards more Nothing-influenced sound spheres. Utilising heavenly melodies and shoegaze clean vocals seamlessly as well as dual male harsh vocals in the form of crust gutturals and black metal shrieks, accompanied by very personal, abject and despondent self-mourning/self-defeating/self-grieving themes/lyrics. Creating a thoroughly eerie, uncanny, pulsating and disturbing vision of blackened crust.
