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Dario Cecchini, The Butcher of Panzano

Dark Metal

History of the Term
Prior to 1994, journalists and writers were using the term "dark metal" to describe a style of metal or classify the somber or negatively-themed music of certain bands. . At this time, the term "dark metal" was almost always used in a negative or derogatory way. For instance, heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath attracted the label due to their horror and occult-themed lyrics and imagery.

In 1990, Robert Palmer, rock critic for the New York Times, called metal with themes of horror and violence dark, using the bands Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer and Danzig as examples. In their books, Robert Walser and Richard D. Barnet wrote that dark metal is music oriented towards the occult.

Dark Metal as a Musical Genre
In 1994, Bethlehem released their first full length studio album Dark Metal. It had a melancholy and depressing sound, distinct from songs by other metal bands. This album has led Bethlehem to be credited with creating the metal sub-genre of dark metal. After 1994, many metal bands with a sound similar to that of Bethlehem were classified as dark metal. This includes such bands as Celtic Frost, My Dying Bride, and Cathedral (band)

Musical characteristics
Dark metal songs have a melancholy tone, describe by such writers as Ian Christe, music journalist Chuck Eddy, Sara Pendergast, Tom Pendergast, Natalie J Purcell, Brian Reesman, Jeff Wagner, and Steven Wilson. This tone has been variously described as "morose beauty", "broody", "beautiful and romantic", "sorrowful and haunting", "goth-tinged", and "gloomy".