Welcome To Hell

Intro: Benedikte and Kirsten (Edited)

Part 1-Intro: Benedikte and Kirsten

1995

"Benedikte I cannot handle the scene anymore. Gry and Alva are already gone. I cannot stay in this band anymore." Kirsten yelled to Benedikte.

Her eyes swelled with tears and her face was growing red. She turned her face away.

"Kirsten we can release one more album and then quit." I said touching her arm.

"No, no more. You always say one more album but it never ends. If you ever step out of your fantasy world and understand what is really important, then come find me." Kirsten said.

She turned away and walked out the door.

I stood there stunned as she left and slammed the door shut. How the hell did I manage to lose my best friend, band, and sanity all at one time?

1984

I had just turned fourteen and I went to a concert with my cousin Sophia. When we walked in, I noticed mostly large men with long hair. The air felt hot and humid making me feel claustrophobic.  I felt very small and scared to leave my cousin's side. It was a band named Bathory from Sweden she told me. We made our way to the front of the stage, mumbling 'excuse me' to the crowd.  The band walked onstage, and I had never seen anyone like them.

The guitarist/singer was skinny with muscular arms, strong abs, and spikes on his arms. His hair was long to his mid-back, black, and a little frizzed from the humidity in the room. The drummer had the same hair but only to his shoulders. He was a bit bigger than the singer but still muscular. Lastly the bass player had light blonde hair. His hair was past his shoulders and straight. He had muscular arms like the singer but bigger shoulders.

The guitar hummed to life and the drummer started with a heavy beat. My ears hummed from the noise. So loud I could feel it thundering in my chest. The minute I heard the singer's voice I was amazed. It was almost inhuman but enticing.

I stood the whole concert slack jawed and a dazed expression on my face. I barely noticed the bodies knocking into me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and it was a much different music then I was used to.

At the end of the concert my ears were ringing while my eyes were still mesmerized. I turned to my cousin as she took my hand.  The crowd filed out slowly and we shuffled along with them.  We made it outside with the cold air hitting my face.  Shivering slightly, I turned to look at my cousin.

"Sophia where did you find this band," I asked perplexed.

"That part is a little tricky. You have a lot to learn little one." My twenty years old cousin teased.

I saw Bathory for my birthday on April fifth. Every weekend I went to Sophia's to listen to new bands. I was so excited to start on this journey and I really got into everything I heard. I took a liking to Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Mercyful Fate. Not much later I was into Black Metal, Thrash, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM).

At fifteen I met my best friend, Kirsten. She was so different from my other friends because she was into the same things I was, and I became immersed the metal scene. We dressed in darker colors, wore underground band t-shirts purchased at concerts, and most people thought we were freaks.

In late 1985 Kirsten revealed to me that she played drums. I was super excited because I played bass and could sing. Since the Bathory concert all I've ever wanted was to play in a band.

"Benedikte, I have a preposition. Would you like to start a band with me?" She asked.

The question brought me to the first time I learned a song on bass and sang along with Bathory's frontman Quorthon. I learned the bass line to the song "Smoke on the Water" and the voice by screaming along to metal albums.

"I love that idea, but we have to get some other people to be in our band." I said.

I knew we needed more people to fully put our band together.

"Of course, but let's get some songs together first.  So, we can pick the right people for the sound we want."  Kirsten said excitedly.

We both decided we wanted to play black metal.  I looked to other bands for inspiration.  The lyrics easily flowed through me once I started.  I thought writing the lyrics would be easy but that was far from the truth.  Writing about the darkness I felt and the emotions I couldn't let out otherwise.  Sometimes I would substitute themes about Satan, so I didn't seem like I was singing about my feelings.

By age sixteen we had songs written, drum, bass, and vocals recorded on a four-track cassette recorder I borrowed from my cousin. Finally, it was time for us to find others to play music with us.  The quality of the recordings was something to be desired, but it was a start.

"Kirsten what did you have to tell me.? I asked as we walked into her house in January 1986.

"I found some girls to play music with us. They live five minutes away from us and they both play guitar."  Kirsten said quickly.

"That sounds great and..." I was interrupted by her twin brothers coming into the room.

They were really adorable and full of energy.  With their flaxen colored hair, bright blue eyes, and button noses it was hard to be annoyed by them.

"Kirsten, can you come play with us?" They asked, her smiling brightly.

Kirsten was very close to her younger brothers. She always had time for them even when we were working on things.

"Of course, but Benedikte has to come too."

"Okay," they both agreed.

They both grabbed us by the hand and pulled us out of the room.

We walked pass her 17-year-old sisters' room. It was painted pink with posters of the latest pop sensations and celebrities.  She sat on her bed with her head in the latest magazine.

"Elisa, do you want to play with Benedikte, Joshua, Jason, and I," Kirsten inquired.

"Not really," she said not bothering to look up at us.

Elisa and Kirsten were not close. Elisa tolerated her sister and did all she could to stay away from her.

When I finally got back home, I was exhausted. We had run around so much outside that my legs felt like jelly. My sister rushed to the door to greet me. She was ten with a cascade of chocolate brown curls.

"Benedikte what did you do today?" She asked.

I told her everything like I always do and rushed up to go to bed. I hated having a two-story house. I was always exhausted going up the stairs.

My parents had long gone to bed even though it was only ten o'clock. Once in my room I lit a cigarette. No one but Kirsten knew I smoked but it always calms me down. A friend offered me a cigarette once when I was nervous, and I had been hooked ever since. I sighed as I flicked my cigarette outside.  I closed the window and made it to my bed exhausted.  I fell asleep rather quickly, thinking about tomorrow.

The next day after school I met our new band mates and was not expecting the two girls, I saw standing in front of me.