"Stormwarning / Blood and Souls" by NME - very early black metal (1986) song about Elric

When NME's album Unholy Death came out in 1986, there weren't the hard-line distinctions between black metal, thrash metal, death metal, etc., that there are today. I think it's best described as a combination of thrash, black metal, and hardcore punk, but many now recognize it as one of the first black metal albums.

I first got this album about 20 years ago. I recently saw a documentary episode (from the series Into the Void) about the band detailing how the guitarist and main songwriter, Kurt Struebing, had a psychotic break as a teenager and murdered his mother. He later got married and had a child, but then committed suicide.

After watching, I listened to the entire album for the first time in many years. As it happens, I've been reading Elric lately, so the song title "Stormwarning / Blood and Souls" caught my eye. I looked up the lyrics, and they did not disappoint! Sure, they sound like they were written by a teenager, but they were! And isn't that part of the charm?

One can't help but observe some sad similarities between Elric's life and Kurt's.

*Out of the beauty born with destiny Elric's the lord of a dying land Doomed from the start was weak in his heart Dealt the hand of a losing man Upon the ruby throne Elric having grown Fell victim to an evil plan

As the struggle grew both the cousins knew The king must hold an evil demon blade From beyond the gate Elric challenged fate Slaying his lover the legends were made Elric's the dealer of the soul stealer Everywhere he goes he brings misery and woes Those he calls his friends soon meet their bitter end

Looking for his fate the power was too great All the wise men saw war, chaos versus law Those who saw, all saw of Elric's fall Blow the horn of fate as all the gods await You are stormbringer ripping them apart*

https://youtu.be/xCMpW7HCJlQ

For more obscure sword-and-sorcery tidbits of the audio and/or visual variety (movies, comics, video games, etc.), join us at the Sword & Sorcery A/V Media Arena on Discord: https://discord.gg/CJ4485qDmg