[1] Music historian Joel McIver called Satanic lyrics and imagery the defining characteristic of the first wave of black metal.

[1] PopMatters writer Craig Hayes specifically credited the legacy of Discharge as "crucial in black metal's development", recalling their influence in Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer and Mayhem.

[7][8] The band introduced many tropes that became ubiquitous in the genre, such as blasphemous lyrics and imagery, stage names, costumes and face paint meant to strike fear.

[16] Bathory's music was dark, fast, heavily distorted, lo-fi, portrayed anti-Christian themes, and included shrieked vocals that later became a common trait.

[22] Other artists that were a part of this wave included England's Onslaught,[1] Italy's Bulldozer and Death SS,[23] Japan's Sabbat[24] and Colombia's Parabellum.

According to writer Dayal Patterson in his book Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult, the early works of these four bands are still often considered a part of the movement.

[2][41][42] BrooklynVegan writer Kim Kelly calling it "a gigantic influence on black metal's sound, aesthetics, and attitude.

"[43] In Sweden, Mefisto, Obscurity and Merciless were some of the earliest bands to follow in Bathory's footsteps, combining their sound with influences from German groups like Sodom and Destruction.

[44] Their live performances became notorious for bassist Fredrik Karlén's reckless behaviour, including climbing up buildings and jumping off of balconies.

[49] During this time, other influential records in the genre were released by Von (from the United States),[50] Rotting Christ (from Greece),[51] Tormentor (from Hungary),[38] Mortuary Drape (from Italy),[52] Kat (from Poland),[38] Samael (from Switzerland)[53] and Blasphemy (from Canada).

[55] Mayhem guitarist Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth and Snorre "Blackthorn" Ruch of Thorns developed a style of riffing where guitarists played full chords using all the strings of the guitar instead of relying on power chords, which typically use only two or three strings, which would become a key element of the subsequent waves of black metal.

[60] The black-thrash genre is a revival of the sound of early first wave black metal bands such as Venom, Sodom and Sarcófago, with notable acts including Aura Noir[61] and Nifelheim.