Judas Iscariot

American multi-instrumentalist Akhenaton launched Judas Iscariot in 1992 as a solitary venture aimed at producing misanthropic black metal modeled on the stark minimalism of Norway’s Darkthrone. Observing the style’s visual codes, Akhenaton appeared in corpse paint and black robes while equipping the project’s first album, 1995’s The Cold Earth Slept Below, with stark monochrome artwork that portrayed the bleak winter scenery of Illinois. Comparable releases followed in the form of Thy Dying Light (1996), Of Great Eternity (1997), Heaven in Flames (1999), Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten (2000), and To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002), all separated by a steady stream of EPs and mini-CDs whose quality proved inconsistent. Still, the endeavor stands out for its persistent, unaltered focus and for song titles of extraordinary length and flair, among them “Where Eagles Cry and Vultures Laugh,” “Helpless It Lay, Like a Worm in His Frozen Track,” and “Benevolent Whore Dethroned for Eternity.”