Bethlehem

德國的Bethlehem（意為耶路撒冷南方6英里的一個小鎮(zhèn)，耶穌的誕生地）在1991年的晚夏，由團長 / BASS手Jürgen Bartsch和吉他手 Klaus Matton結成開始之前便已環(huán)繞在嚴重的悲哀自殺氣氛之下。Bartsch自小便活在不快的死亡陰影中，從八歲目睹女友在他家上吊身亡之后身旁慘劇不斷發(fā)生，經(jīng)歷親戚好友兄弟姊妹等不斷的因意外或自殺提早離開人世，Bartsch唯有組成Bethlehem以紓解死神在他四周環(huán)繞的痛苦壓力和詛咒，以讓其發(fā)泄心中累積的無限暗黑，憤怒的死亡壓力以免步入其親友的后塵。
Bethlehem 自稱他們特有的粗暴中又帶著無限哀傷的暗黑樂風為Dark Metal，這也是他們在1994年所推出第一張專輯的名稱。便如同Venom的打出的’Black Metal’名號， ‘Dark Metal’ 也自此便成了金屬流派里面的一支異類。 從此打著Dark Metal 名號的樂團層出不窮，但鮮少能有一團能夠超過Bethlehem所達到的瘋狂極限。Bethlehem 的樂風主要受到Black Metal 和 Doom Metal 的影響，更進而融合兩者，并將其中的痛苦指數(shù)調至極致。雖說多半是以陳緩粘滯的感覺進行，Bethlehem誨暗的哀樂也可以從Doom般的陰暗緩慢哀傷突然轉至黑金屬般的憤怒爆發(fā)高速，而往復折磨不已。簡單而低調的吉他和貝斯旋律常在一片寂靜中非常有效的入侵聽者腦海，如同死者亡靈在耳旁所奏出的死亡催眠曲。在Bethlehem音樂中占了最重要地位的當屬主唱，也許困難度太高抑或是Bethlehem本身在音樂性或是環(huán)繞整團的死亡詭異氣氛影響難以承受，為要能表達出音樂和歌詞內的痛苦掙扎和瘋狂的病態(tài)自殺傾向，幾乎一張專輯便換一至兩位主唱。這些主唱雖然各有專長和特色，但是不管男女皆具備能在平靜時如自閉者般喃喃自語，抓狂時如喪考仳欲將心肺吐出般的嘶聲力吼甚至尖聲哭嚎的本事。不同于黑金屬特有非人般的極端唱腔，Bethlehem特有的主唱群更曝露出了活在人世間無止境的折磨的痛苦和無奈。
組建時間： 1991年
by Ed Rivadavia
Having grown tired of their earlier joint project, Dark Tempest's thrash-based aggressions, and united by a morbid, almost pathological fascination with suicide and death, bassist Jürgen Bartsch and guitarist Klaus Matton (who as a boy lost his father to suicide and mother to cancer) founded Bethlehem in 1991. Along with vocalist Andreas Classen and drummer Chris Steinhoff, the duo proceeded to channel their rampant negativity into the moody, atmospheric brand of dark/black metal (punctuated by tortured shrieking) presented on 1994's Thy Pale Dominion 7" E.P., and 1995's aptly named full-length debut Dark Metal. Their spirits did not improve on subsequent, despair-drenched outings like 1996's Dictus Te Necare (translation: "Kill Yourself"), 1997's S.U.I.Z.I.D. (full title: Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irreliogiosen Darbietung) and 1998's Reflektionen Auf's Sterben E.P., and various vocalists, drummers, and keyboard players sifted through their ranks as well. Bethlehem also ran into quite a bit of trouble with German authorities over their perceived glorification of death, and, among many, tasteless self-promotion stunts, claiming that former singer Classen had 'offed' himself! The band managed to stay a few steps ahead of the law, however, and even endured the departure of leader-in-misery Matton to complete 2001's ambitiously avant-garde, industrial-tinged double-disc set Schatten Aus der Alexander Welt. Heading into 2002, the Bethlehem lineup consisted of founder Bartsch, Guido Meyer de Voltaire (vocals), Olaf Eckharst (guitar), Reiner Tiedemann (keyboards), and Steve Wolz (drums), and was hard at work on an interactive CD-ROM under the disturbing title Suicide Radio.