Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band formed in 1998 in Uppsala by Erik Danielsson, specializing in an orthodox style characterized by raw aggression, anti-cosmic Satanism, and themes of Luciferianism, chaos-gnosticism, and death worship.[1][2]
The band has released seven studio albums, including Rabid Death's Curse (2000), Casus Luciferi (2003), Sworn to the Dark (2007), Lawless Darkness (2010), The Wild Hunt (2013), Trident Wolf Eclipse (2018), and The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain (2022), establishing themselves as influential figures in the black metal genre through their blend of primal force and ritualistic solemnity.[2][1]
Watain's live performances, conceptualized as Satanic rituals, feature the use of animal blood, fire, and carcasses to evoke a transformative, hostile atmosphere, which has led to notable controversies such as the 2014 Brooklyn show where pigs' blood was splashed on attendees, resulting in vomiting and media scrutiny.[3] The band embraces such backlash as integral to their philosophy of uncompromised expression, rejecting societal boundaries while influencing the scene's ongoing provocation.[3]