Lord Belial

Formed in 1992, the Swedish black metal outfit Lord Belial united singer/guitarist Dark, guitarist Vassago, bassist Bloodlord, and drummer Sin. Their earliest recording, the demo The Art of Dying, appeared soon afterward; its 1994 successor, Into the Frozen Shadows, earned the band a contract with No Fashion, which in turn enabled the 1995 release of their first proper album, Kiss the Goat. Mid-1997 brought the long-delayed Enter the Moonlight Gate, at a time when Lord Belial had already completed two Swedish tours and a German headline run; those activities followed earlier joint shows with Dismember, Disfear, and Satanic Slaughter and preceded the arrival of Unholy Crusade in 1999.