Belzebubs

Belzebubs emerged in the late 2010s as a fictional melodic blackened death metal outfit embedded inside a popular webcomic bearing the identical title, devised for both print and audiovisual formats by Finnish artist and author J.P. Ahonen.

Ahonen originated the strip as an "improvised therapy project" amid personal upheaval, deploying it to mock the bleak solemnity of the black metal milieu through the over-the-top exploits of bassist Hubbath, lead guitarist Obesyx, vocalist/guitarist Sløth, and drummer Samaël. Taking cues from Dimmu Borgir, Rotting Christ, and Immortal to shape the ensemble’s greasepaint-heavy visual style and brooding sound, Belzebubs moved into the recording studio—its actual musicians staying anonymous—and issued a debut album titled Pantheon of the Nightside Gods in 2019 through Century Media.