Back in July when I kicked off this writing thing again, I came across a number of bands in my Twitter feed, many of whom had or were planning new releases. Countess, out of Rotterdam.eu, was one of them, with their last single “Pagan Man” being released on 7 August 2020 but, unlike many of the others, are a well-established act, having been producing their brand of music since well before even I was writing for the first time in the 1990s.
From their website: “Among the first Dutch black metal bands in the early nineties, Countess have always set themselves apart from other bands by a fierce loyalty to their old school influences …. while fashions came and went, Countess stayed true to their vision and thus earned a worldwide cult status in the metal underground”.
From “The Gospel of the Horned One” (1 August 1993), through 22 releases including “The Return of the Horned One” (1 December 1994), and “Revenge of the Horned One” part 1 (1 April 2001) and 2 (1 March 2001), Countess have delivered a unique brand of black metal. It was slow to build but, looking back from the vantage of January 2021, they have stuck to their guns.
I was introduced to black metal in the 1990s through the “Worst Case Scenario” (Underclass Records, 1995) and “Godspeed” (Rowe Productions, 1994) compilations, and the Cannibal Corpse album “Gallery of Suicide”. But Countess had the unenviable task of being pioneers, with many of the bands on these records fading into insignificance for various reasons. Countess are still here, through 23 releases, with release No.24 planned for the coming months as proof of tenacity, of growth, and of belief in what they stand for. From the rawness of “Gospel” through the higher production values of “Revenge 1” to their last album “Into Battle” (recorded live, released 24 February 2017, as testament that they slay on stage as well as, or better than, anything they’ve done in the studio), this band’s cult status is well-earned.
Their next album, after four years, should be killer and I very much look forward to hearing it. All I can say is- “Get. Into. It!” And don’t expect to be the same again afterward!