Blasphemy (band)

Blasphemy
Blasphemy at the 2009 Black Flames of Blasphemy concert in Helsinki, Finland.
Background information
Origin	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Black metal, death metal, war metal
Years active	1984–present
Labels	Wild Rags, Osmose, Nuclear War Now!, Displeased
Associated acts	Conqueror, Antichrist, Tyrants Blood
Members	Members

Blasphemy are a Canadian extreme metal band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1984. The band released a demo titled Blood Upon the Altar in 1989 and their debut album, Fallen Angel of Doom, the following year through Wild Rags, a record label they had signed to while touring the United States. The band's vocalist later stated the label did not pay them as much as promised. Their second and so far last full-length studio album was the 1993 Gods of War released through Osmose Productions. In 1993, Blasphemy also took part in the "Fuck Christ Tour" and toured through Europe with Immortal and Rotting Christ. The band's July 2001 concert in Vancouver was released as a live album titled Live Ritual – Friday the 13th in 2002.

They were inactive until 2009, when they played two concerts; one in Montreal and one in Helsinki, in the Black Flames of Blasphemy festival, with Proclamation, Black Witchery, Revenge and Archgoat. In 2010, Blasphemy headlined the second installation of the Nuclear War Now! festival in Germany.

Blasphemy's song "War Command" has been covered by Beherit and the cover appeared on Beherit's 1999 compilation album Beast of Beherit - Complete Worxxx. Blasphemy's "Winds of the Black Gods" was the opening track on the 2004 compilation Fenriz Presents... The Best of Old-School Black Metal.

Fallen Angel of Doom, the band's first full-length album, is considered one of the most influential records for the war metal style.Behemoth frontman, Nergal, has acknowledged Blasphemy as a key influence and praised their song writing ability compared to "today's extreme metal scene...(which is) is all about making a lot of noise and just playing millions of riffs within one song".