德国的Bethlehem（意为耶路撒冷南方6英里的一个小镇，耶稣的诞生地）在1991年的晚夏，由团长 / BASS手Jürgen Bartsch和吉他手 Klaus Matton结成开始之前便已环绕在严重的悲哀自杀气氛之下。Bartsch自小便活在不快的死亡阴影中，从八岁目睹女友在他家上吊身亡之后身旁惨剧不断发生，经历亲戚好友兄弟姊妹等不断的因意外或自杀提早离开人世，Bartsch唯有组成Bethlehem以纾解死神在他四周环绕的痛苦压力和诅咒，以让其发泄心中累积的无限暗黑，愤怒的死亡压力以免步入其亲友的后尘。
Bethlehem 自称他们特有的粗暴中又带着无限哀伤的暗黑乐风为Dark Metal，这也是他们在1994年所推出第一张专辑的名称。便如同Venom的打出的’Black Metal’名号， ‘Dark Metal’ 也自此便成了金属流派里面的一支异类。 从此打着Dark Metal 名号的乐团层出不穷，但鲜少能有一团能够超过Bethlehem所达到的疯狂极限。Bethlehem 的乐风主要受到Black Metal 和 Doom Metal 的影响，更进而融合两者，并将其中的痛苦指数调至极致。虽说多半是以陈缓粘滞的感觉进行，Bethlehem诲暗的哀乐也可以从Doom般的阴暗缓慢哀伤突然转至黑金属般的愤怒爆发高速，而往复折磨不已。简单而低调的吉他和贝斯旋律常在一片寂静中非常有效的入侵听者脑海，如同死者亡灵在耳旁所奏出的死亡催眠曲。在Bethlehem音乐中占了最重要地位的当属主唱，也许困难度太高抑或是Bethlehem本身在音乐性或是环绕整团的死亡诡异气氛影响难以承受，为要能表达出音乐和歌词内的痛苦挣扎和疯狂的病态自杀倾向，几乎一张专辑便换一至两位主唱。这些主唱虽然各有专长和特色，但是不管男女皆具备能在平静时如自闭者般喃喃自语，抓狂时如丧考仳欲将心肺吐出般的嘶声力吼甚至尖声哭嚎的本事。不同于黑金属特有非人般的极端唱腔，Bethlehem特有的主唱群更曝露出了活在人世间无止境的折磨的痛苦和无奈。
组建时间： 1991年
by Ed Rivadavia
Having grown tired of their earlier joint project, Dark Tempest's thrash-based aggressions, and united by a morbid, almost pathological fascination with suicide and death, bassist Jürgen Bartsch and guitarist Klaus Matton (who as a boy lost his father to suicide and mother to cancer) founded Bethlehem in 1991. Along with vocalist Andreas Classen and drummer Chris Steinhoff, the duo proceeded to channel their rampant negativity into the moody, atmospheric brand of dark/black metal (punctuated by tortured shrieking) presented on 1994's Thy Pale Dominion 7" E.P., and 1995's aptly named full-length debut Dark Metal. Their spirits did not improve on subsequent, despair-drenched outings like 1996's Dictus Te Necare (translation: "Kill Yourself"), 1997's S.U.I.Z.I.D. (full title: Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irreliogiosen Darbietung) and 1998's Reflektionen Auf's Sterben E.P., and various vocalists, drummers, and keyboard players sifted through their ranks as well. Bethlehem also ran into quite a bit of trouble with German authorities over their perceived glorification of death, and, among many, tasteless self-promotion stunts, claiming that former singer Classen had 'offed' himself! The band managed to stay a few steps ahead of the law, however, and even endured the departure of leader-in-misery Matton to complete 2001's ambitiously avant-garde, industrial-tinged double-disc set Schatten Aus der Alexander Welt. Heading into 2002, the Bethlehem lineup consisted of founder Bartsch, Guido Meyer de Voltaire (vocals), Olaf Eckharst (guitar), Reiner Tiedemann (keyboards), and Steve Wolz (drums), and was hard at work on an interactive CD-ROM under the disturbing title Suicide Radio.
