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This article is about the musical genre. For the 1982 Venom album, see Black Metal (album). Venom are an English Black Metal is the second album by Venom, and the origin of the term " Black metal "
Black metal
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Scandinavia and Britain, early 1980s
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Underground; varies in parts of Scandinavia, South America and Asia
Subgenres
Melodic black metal - Symphonic black metal - Viking black metal
(see also: Unblack metal and NSBM)
Fusion genres
Blackened death metal - Black ambient - Black doom
Regional scenes
Major scenes found in parts of Scandinavia, Europe, Asia, South America
- Other minor scenes found globally
Other topics
Extreme metal - Bands - Black Metal Inner Circle - Les Légions Noires

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. Speed metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music originating in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was the direct musical progenitor of Thrash metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Melodic black metal is a style of Black metal. Much of the characteristics of "traditional" black metal are retained (shrieked vocals fast tempos high pitched Symphonic black metal is a style of Black metal that uses symphonic and Orchestral elements Viking metal is a subgenre of Heavy metal music characterised by its galloping pace keyboard-rich anthemic sound bleakness and dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology Unblack metal (also known as holy unblack metal It is viewed as an ideology rather than a subgenre since there is no method to play black metal in a Christian way National Socialist black metal (also known as NSBM or Nazi black metal) is a term used for Black metal artists who promote National Socialist Blackened death metal (also called "death/black metal" or "black/death metal" depending on which style is dominant is a Fusion genre of Extreme metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It often employs fast tempos shrieked vocals highly distorted guitars played with Tremolo picking, Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Extreme metal is an Umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s This is a list of Black metal bands, with the flag of the country of origin in front of the bandname The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. Les Légions Noires (also known as The Black Legions in English or simply abbreviated to LLN) is a group of French underground Black metal musicians Extreme metal is an Umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s It is typically abrasive and often uses fast tempos, high-pitched electric guitars played with tremolo picking, high-pitched shrieking vocals, and unconventional song structures. Tremolo picking or double picking describes the musical technique of picking on a Guitar or other String instrument in which a single note is It is prone to experimentation and certain elements typical to black metal are not always used by every band within the genre.

The first bands to pioneer the style were mostly thrash metal bands that formed the prototype for black metal in the early 1980s; they are referred to collectively as the First Wave, and consist of a few bands, such as Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression Venom are an English Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band formed by Quorthon in 1983 Hellhammer was an influential early 1980s Extreme metal band from Switzerland. Celtic Frost were an influential heavy metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. [1] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a Second Wave emerged, primarily of Norwegian bands like Burzum, Mayhem, Darkthrone and Emperor. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Although there is no well-defined Third Wave, modern black metal bands have incorporated new musical and lyrical trends into their music.

Black metal has been met with considerable hostility from mainstream culture, mainly because of the misanthropic and Anti-Christian attitude of many bands. Misanthropy is a general dislike distrust or hatred of the Human species or a disposition to dislike and/or distrust other people Anti-christian sentiment is a negative Bias against Christians or the Religion of Christianity. This iconoclastic ideology is typical of black metal bands. Additionally, a few black metal bands have been associated with church burnings, murder, and/or National Socialism [2]. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Black metal is generally seen as an underground form of music, in part because it does not appeal to mainstream tastes and because its musicians often choose to remain obscure. Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility

Contents

Characteristics

Instrumentation and structure

While black metal musicians are bound by some common traits, the genre can contain a variety of characteristics. Electric guitars are played with distortion at a fast tempo, often using tremolo picking. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO Tremolo picking or double picking describes the musical technique of picking on a Guitar or other String instrument in which a single note is Excluding vocals, the use of tremolo picking is the most obvious trait that distinguishes black metal from death metal, which emphasizes palm muting. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics The palm mute is a playing technique for the Guitar or bass. This technique is known as Pizzicato by Classical guitar players (see Classical

High frequencies are typically favoured over low or mid-range frequencies, resulting in a metallic or "scooped" tone. There is a frequent use of chromatics shifted up and down by semitones from a central tonic to create an uneasy atmosphere (commonly featuring the tritone interval). The chromatic scale is a Musical scale with twelve pitches each a Semitone or Half step apart The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal method of Musical composition. The tritone ( Tri - or three and tone) is a Musical interval that spans three whole tones. Pendulum strumming may be applied to fully voiced chords (usually minor or power chords, sometimes diminished) in a denser portion of a piece, and there may be an altering of already established scales for a more dissonant, "evil" sound. The perfect fifth ( is the Musical interval between a note and the note seven Semitones above it on the musical scale Additionally, of the three extreme metal subgenres, black metal is the only one in which technical ability is usually not taken as a given (Mayhem, for example, were known for their simple, power chord-based songs in their early career). Extreme metal is an Umbrella term, somewhat loosely defined for a number of related heavy metal subgenres that have developed since the 1980s As a result of this, guitar solos are rarely performed.

Drumming is also fast-paced, and is often performed using double bassdrum, blast beat, and D-beat techniques. A bass drum is a large Drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with Grindcore, although its usage predates the genre and has spread to many other forms of Extreme metal. D-beat (also known as Discore) is a style of Street punk developed in the early 1980s by imitators of Discharge, for whom the genre is named Some bands (usually solo artists) rely on drum machines instead of a human drummer. For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an

Song structures are unconventional, often devoid of typical verse/chorus segments, and contain extended or repetitive instrumental passages with very fast-paced rhythms, often exceeding the speed of many other genres of music. Black metal rhythms are often simplistic, though some bands employ complex rhythmic sections. Occasionally, electronic keyboards are used. An electronic keyboard or digital keyboard is a type of Keyboard instrument. The harpsichord, violin, organ, and choir settings are most common, which provides an orchestral or cathedral-like sound. Some bands use keyboards very frequently, as either a background instrument or the basis of their entire sound (see symphonic black metal). Symphonic black metal is a style of Black metal that uses symphonic and Orchestral elements Certain bands, such as Dimmu Borgir, have recorded with full symphony orchestras. Dimmu Borgir (ˌdɪmuːˈbɔːrɡɪr is a Symphonic black metal band from Norway. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well

Low-cost production quality began as a must for early black metal bands with low budgets. However, even as bands moved to increase their production quality over time, low fidelity was often intentional for some bands to remain true to the genre's roots and raw sound. "Lo-fi" redirects here For the music genre see Lo-fi music Lo-fidelity redirects here Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger is one of the better-known examples of this type of production quality. DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software Transilvanian Hunger is the fourth album by Norwegian Black metal band Darkthrone.

Vocals and lyrics

Vocally, a distinct, harsh style is required, often a very guttural rasp or a high-pitched shriek. This style is nearly universal in the black metal genre, and is distinct from death metal in this respect, as death metal bands, for the most part, employ low-pitched, growling vocals. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Often there is a reverberation effect to make vocals sound cavernous and atmospheric. Some bands, particularly symphonic black metal bands, incorporate traditional ("clean") vocals, in part or entirely. Symphonic black metal is a style of Black metal that uses symphonic and Orchestral elements Some songs are complemented with choir-like vocals by males and/or females, much like a Gregorian chant ("Vikingland" by Satyricon, for example). History Gregorian chant was organized codified and notated mainly in the Frankish lands of western and central Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries with later additions Satyricon is a Norwegian Black metal band formerly known as Eczema

The most common and founding lyrical theme is opposition to Christianity and similar organized religions. Anti-christian sentiment is a negative Bias against Christians or the Religion of Christianity. As part of this opposition to Christianity, many bands promote atheism, antitheism, paganism and Satanism. Atheism Antitheism (sometimes anti-theism) is active opposition to Theism. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context Other themes that are commonly explored include misanthropy, nihilism, death and cold, dark environments. Misanthropy is a general dislike distrust or hatred of the Human species or a disposition to dislike and/or distrust other people Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing is a philosophical position that argues that Existence is without objective meaning Purpose Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Lyrical content may also be inspired by fantasy, mythology and the folklore of a band's country of origin. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" History The concept of folklore developed as part of the 19th century ideology of Romantic nationalism, leading to the reshaping of oral traditions to serve modern ideological The Austrian band Summoning focuses almost exclusively on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth for its lyrical content. For other uses of the word "summoning" see Summoning (disambiguation. Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J Other bands create their own fictional realms (for instance, certain songs by Immortal depict a fictional kingdom called "Blashyrkh"). Immortal is a pioneering Black metal band from Bergen, Norway. Bal-Sagoth's material is made up of various song cycles, and original fantasy narratives, inspired by writers like Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. Bal-Sagoth are a Symphonic black metal band from Yorkshire, England, formed in 1993 Robert Ervin Howard ( January 22 1906 &ndash June 11 1936) was an American pulp writer of Fantasy, Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy The Greek band Naer Mataron often makes references to Greek mythology. Naer Mataron is a Black metal band from Greece which draws on imagery from Greek mythology. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance

Imagery and aesthetics

Album covers are usually atmospheric or iconic; some feature natural or fantastical landscapes (Burzum's Filosofem, Emperor's In The Nightside Eclipse) while others may be violent, perverted, or iconoclastic (Marduk's Opus Nocturne). Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Filosofem ( Norwegian for Philosophy) is the fifth release by the Norwegian Black metal artist Burzum. Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 In the Nightside Eclipse was the first full-length album and fourth official release by Norwegian Black metal band Emperor. Marduk is a Black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1991 and released their first record that year placing them among the pioneers Opus Nocturne is the third Studio album by Swedish Black metal band Marduk. Inverted pentagrams and/or inverted crosses are symbols used prevalently to reinforce a band's anti-christian attitude. Early history Sumer The first known uses of the pentagram are found in Mesopotamian writings dating to about 3000 BC "Peter cross" redirects here For other uses see Peter Cross (disambiguation The Cross of St [3]

One of the most noticeable features in black metal is facial corpsepaint; black and white makeup (sometimes detailed with "blood") used to simulate a corpse-like appearance. Corpse paint (sometimes spelled corpsepaint) is a style of black-and-white or just white Makeup used extensively by Black metal bands during live In modern times, the concept has faded, with bands like Emperor claiming the image has lost its original meaning, which was to separate black metal bands from other types of performers. Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 However many bands still wear corpsepaint, such as Gorgoroth and Immortal. Gorgoroth is a Black metal band from Bergen, Norway that was founded by Infernus in 1992 Immortal is a pioneering Black metal band from Bergen, Norway.

Live performances

Unlike artists of most other genres, many black metal bands do not play live. Some bands (Burzum, Xasthur) are single-member bands that cannot or choose not to play live. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Xasthur is an American one-man Black metal band formed in 1995 by Scott Conner who goes by the Pseudonym "Malefic" However, other one or two-member bands (Nargaroth, Satyricon, Satanic Warmaster), perform with extra session musicians specifically for live performances (however, some bands with a full instrumental line-up, such as Darkthrone early on in their career, often refuse to play live as a matter of principle). Nargaroth is a German Black metal solo project lead by René "Kanwulf" Wagner Satyricon is a Norwegian Black metal band formerly known as Eczema Satanic Warmaster is a one man Black metal band from Finland. DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software

Bands that perform live often make use of stage props and theatrical techniques. Mayhem and Gorgoroth are noted for their gruesome and controversial stage shows, the former particularly well-known for severed pig heads which appear at many of their performances, and are often thrown to the audience as souvenirs. Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Gorgoroth is a Black metal band from Bergen, Norway that was founded by Infernus in 1992 Pigs, also called hogs or' swine', are Ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food leather and similar products since ancient times Many musicians adopt a 'neo-medieval' costume style that may include leather, spikes, bondage gear, armor and weaponry. In the context of BDSM, bondage involves people being tied up or otherwise restrained for pleasure Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons Some musicians adopt a stage name, often based in mythology or folklore (for example, Emperor's Bård Eithun referred to himself as Faust). A stage name, also called a screen name, is a Pseudonym used by Performers and Entertainers such as Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Faust or Faustus ( Latin for "auspicious" or "lucky" is the protagonist of a classic German Legend in which he makes

The First Wave

The First Wave of black metal refers to the bands during the 1980s who first influenced the black metal sound. They were often thrash metal bands. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression [3]

The term "black metal" was first coined by the British band Venom with their 1982 sophomore album Black Metal. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Venom are an English Black Metal is the second album by Venom, and the origin of the term " Black metal " Although the band was part of the NWOBHM and their musical style was speed metal or thrash metal, their lyrics and imagery focused on Satanic and occult themes more so than any band before. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (frequently abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a heavy metal music movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain, and achieved Speed metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music originating in the late 1970s and early 1980s that was the direct musical progenitor of Thrash metal. Thrash metal (sometimes referred to simply as thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized by its fast tempo and aggression For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Their music was unpolished in production and featured very fast-paced guitars and raspy "unclean" vocals that relied less on melody than they did on raw, shrieking screams. Venom's members also adopted pseudonyms (the original lineup being Cronos, Mantas, and Abaddon), something uncommon for metal bands at the time, a practise which would later be adopted by many other artists in the genre. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Conrad Thomas Lant (aka Cronos) born in London UK in 15 january 1962, is a musician who is the vocalist and bass player of the influential Black

Another band that can be considered pioneers of the genre was the Swedish band Bathory, led by Thomas Forsberg (under the pseudonym Quorthon). "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band formed by Quorthon in 1983 Ace "Quorthon" ( February 17, 1966 – June 3, 2004) was the founder and song writer of the pioneering Swedish Black metal Bathory used furiously fast tempos, high-pitched shrieking vocals and suboptimal production standards; as heard on early albums such as The Return. The Return Of The Darkness And Evil is the second album by Bathory. Later they would also become known as the first band to add elements of Norse mythology in their lyrics and imagery. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland This was a concept that would become influential enough to spawn an entire ideological off-shoot known as viking metal. Viking metal is a subgenre of Heavy metal music characterised by its galloping pace keyboard-rich anthemic sound bleakness and dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology

Other early influences include Switzerland's Hellhammer and Celtic Frost, early work of Brazil's Sarcófago and Sepultura, Italy's Bulldozer and Death SS, and Denmark's Mercyful Fate. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Hellhammer was an influential early 1980s Extreme metal band from Switzerland. Celtic Frost were an influential heavy metal band from Zürich, Switzerland. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Sarcófago (Portuguese for "sarcophagus" was a Brazilian Extreme metal band Sepultura ( Portuguese: Grave) are a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, formed in 1984 Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Bulldozer is a speed / Black metal band from Milan, Italy that was active from 1980 until 1990 Death SS is an Italian heavy metal band Throughout their career they have played Thrash metal, early Black metal, and on more recent albums Industrial The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Mercyful Fate is an influential Danish heavy metal band often cited among the influences in the Black metal, Thrash metal, Power metal King Diamond of Mercyful Fate was also one of the first to frequent the use of corpsepaint, alongside Sarcófago, which metalstorm. King Diamond (born Kim Bendix Petersen, June 14, 1956, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Grammy Award nominated heavy Corpse paint (sometimes spelled corpsepaint) is a style of black-and-white or just white Makeup used extensively by Black metal bands during live ee magazine claims were the first band to sport "true" corpsepaint. [4] Additionally, Euronymous of Second Wave band Mayhem also mentioned Germany's Sodom and Destruction as underestimated influences and "masterpieces of black stinking metal". Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Sodom are a German Thrash metal band from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1982 Destruction are a German Thrash metal band from Lörrach, in southern Germany. [5]

The Second Wave

Main article: early Norwegian black metal scene

The Second Wave of black metal emerged in the early 1990s and was largely centred on the Norwegian black metal scene. The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. During 1990-1992 a number of Norwegian bands began performing and releasing black metal music; this included Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal, Darkthrone, Satyricon, Enslaved, Emperor, Thorns, Ildjarn and Carpathian Forest. Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Immortal is a pioneering Black metal band from Bergen, Norway. DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software Satyricon is a Norwegian Black metal band formerly known as Eczema Enslaved is a progressive Black metal band formed in 1991 in Haugesund, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Thorns is a Norwegian Black metal band that formed in 1989 and was part of the Early Norwegian black metal scene. Ildjarn was a raw Black metal solo project from Norway that formed in 1992 Carpathian Forest is a Norwegian Black metal band formed by Nattefrost and Nordavind in 1990 As seen below, some of these bands would be responsible for a rash of criminal controversy, including church burnings and murder. This wave also introduced atmospheric and classical elements and popularized the genre for a growing underground audience. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Philosophically, an aggressive anti-Right Hand Path sentiment became a must for any band to be finalized as "black metal". The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a Dichotomy between two opposing Belief systems whose meanings have varied In fact, bands that didn't exemplify such beliefs through actions beyond their music were often criticized by extremists within black metal's subculture. Ihsahn of Emperor believes that this trend may have developed simply from "an opposition to society, a confrontation to all the normal stuff. Ihsahn (born 1975 as Vegard Sverre Tveitan) is a Norwegian Composer, Guitar, bass, keyboard player and Vocalist "[6] A dark, misanthropic mentality was complemented visually with the use of corpsepaint, which was also most prevalent during this wave as a statement to separate black metal bands from other rock bands of the era. Corpse paint (sometimes spelled corpsepaint) is a style of black-and-white or just white Makeup used extensively by Black metal bands during live

 Music sample:

"De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"

The title track of Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994)
Problems listening to the file? See media help. Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is the fourth official release and second studio album by the Norwegian Black metal band Mayhem.

Outside of the Norwegian scene, a black metal scene also emerged in Sweden and Finland during the early 1990s. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This was fuelled by the popularity of Swedish bands like Marduk and Dissection, and Finnish bands like Beherit and Impaled Nazarene. Marduk is a Black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1991 and released their first record that year placing them among the pioneers Dissection was a Blackened death metal band from Strömstad, Sweden. Beherit was a Black metal band from Finland. The band was formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto (Marko Laiho Black Jesus (Arjo Wennström and Sodomatic Slaughter Impaled Nazarene is a Finnish Blackened death metal band that incorporates elements of Grindcore in their sound and Punk rock in their aesthetics

An abraded, very low fidelity recording style was common in most black metal at the time, and was often intentional to preserve the underground quality of the genre. "Lo-fi" redirects here For the music genre see Lo-fi music Lo-fidelity redirects here Sometimes artists would branch off into related subgenres, such as death metal, keeping their Satanic and occult mentality intact. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Mayhem's career, for example, began mostly in the death/black metal style, transitioned to pure black metal, then towards progressive black metal in their later career. It was experimentation like this that aided black metal's growth, but would ultimately mean the end of the Second Wave by the mid-1990s, as newer black metal bands began raising their production quality and introducing new instrumentation such as synthesizers and full-symphony orchestras.

Historical events in black metal

First black metal label

Main article: Black Metal Inner Circle

Øystein Aarseth's independent label, Deathlike Silence Productions, became the first label to dedicate itself purely to black metal. The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels Deathlike Silence Productions was an Oslo, Norway based Independent record label founded in the late 1980s that focused primarily on Black metal Deathlike Silence only released records by bands "that incarnated evil in its most pure state". The label would become home to Aarseth's own band, Mayhem, as well as other black metal acts like Burzum. Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Aarseth also opened his own record store, Helvete (Norwegian for "Hell"), as a prime outlet for black metal records. The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. [7] With the rising popularity of his band and others like it, the underground success of Aarseth's label is often credited for encouraging other record labels that previously refused black metal acts to then reconsider and release their material.

Church burnings

Headliners of the black metal scene claimed responsibility for inspiring (if not necessarily perpetrating) over 50 arsons directed at Christian churches in Norway from 1992 to 1996[7]. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Many of the buildings were hundreds of years old, and widely regarded as important historical landmarks. The most notable church was Norway's Fantoft stave church, which the police believed was destroyed by Varg Vikernes of the one-man band Burzum[7]). Fantoft Stave Church (Fantoft stavkirke is a reconstructed Stave church in Fana, Bergen, Norway. Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" However, Vikernes would not be convicted of any arson offences, until his arrest for the murder of Øystein Aarseth in 1993 (see below). Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal The cover of Burzum's EP Aske (Norwegian for "Ash") portrays a photograph of the Fantoft stave church after the arson; it is still unconfirmed whether or not he took this picture himself. Aske ( Norwegian for Ashes) is the second release by the Norwegian Black metal artist Burzum.

Today, opinions differ within the black metal community concerning the legitimacy of such actions. Guitarist Infernus and vocalist Gaahl of the band Gorgoroth have praised the church burnings in interviews, with the latter also opining "there should have been more of them, and there will be more of them. Roger Tiegs (born on June 18, 1972) better known by his stage name Infernus, is a Norwegian Black metal musician and Satanist Kristian Eivind Espedal (born August 7, 1975) better known by his stage name Gaahl, is a Norwegian Black metal vocalist known Gorgoroth is a Black metal band from Bergen, Norway that was founded by Infernus in 1992 "[3] However, Necrobutcher, one of the founding and current members of Mayhem, was quoted as saying "I think it's ridiculous, especially the people that lit up our old fuckin' churches. Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. They don't realize that these were actually Heathen churches, before Christianity. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings So they fucked themselves in the ass by doing that. "[3]

Ohlin's suicide

In 1991, attention towards black metal increased when Mayhem's frontman Per Yngve Ohlin (stagename Dead) committed suicide via shotgun blast to the head, which followed a series of self-inflicted lacerations to his arms. Per Yngve Ohlin ( January 16 1969 – April 8 1991) better known by his stage name Dead, was a Swedish Black Per Yngve Ohlin ( January 16 1969 – April 8 1991) better known by his stage name Dead, was a Swedish Black A shotgun (also known as a scattergun) is a Firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number His note simply read "Excuse all the blood" and contained an apology for firing the weapon indoors. Some sources say that he explicitly said "The knife was too dull, so I used the shot gun". The ammunition was supplied weeks prior to the incident by Varg Vikernes, who played bass for Mayhem on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer Dead's body was discovered by fellow bandmate Øystein Aarseth (also known as Euronymous), who, instead of calling the police, ran to a nearby convenience store and bought a disposable camera to photograph the corpse, modeling the body in various positions. Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal The pictures were later stolen and one was used as the cover image for an infamous bootleg Mayhem album, (Dawn of the Black Hearts). Dawn of the Black Hearts is a bootleg Live album by the Norwegian Black metal band Mayhem. Claims that Aarseth took pieces of Dead's brains and made a stew out of them eventually surfaced, as well as claims that the members of the band made a necklace from the bone fragments of their friend's skull. Although the band declared that the former claim was false (but was indeed planned), the latter, they claimed, was true. They additionally claimed to have given pieces of the necklace to different bands they deemed "worthy". [3]

Murder in Lillehammer

In 1992, Bård "Faust" Eithun of Emperor was in Lillehammer to see the newly constructed Olympic park. Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Lillehammer is a town and municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1994 According to Faust (in Lords of Chaos), a homosexual man named Rhys Adamec approached him and suggested that they go together in the nearby forest. Lords of Chaos The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground is a book by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind Faust claims he agreed and that, once in the forest, the man made potent sexual advances on him. Faust retaliated and stabbed the man to death with a hunting knife. The case went unsolved until late 1993, when police began to investigate the church burnings and murder surrounding Varg Vikernes; such investigation of the black metal scene led police to Faust, and he served just over 9 years of a 14 year sentence before being released in 2003. Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer

Aarseth's murder

In 1993, Øystein Aarseth (Euronymous) of Mayhem was murdered by Varg Vikernes during a late night confrontation at Aarseth's home. Øystein Aarseth ( March 22, 1968 - August 10, 1993) Born in Egersund was a guitarist for the Norwegian Black metal Mayhem is a Black metal band formed during 1984 in Oslo Norway. Varg Vikernes (varg 'vikeɳes born Kristian Vikernes on February 11 1973 near Bergen, Norway) is a Black metal musician convicted murderer According to official reports, Øystein received a total of twenty-three stab wounds: two to the head, five to the neck, and sixteen to the back. The circumstances of the murder are not entirely clear, and numerous stories have surfaced as a result. Rumors stated the act was merely Varg's attempt at "out doing" the stabbing committed by Faust in Lillehammer the year before [8]. Other sources attribute the crime a power struggle between Vikernes and Aarseth. The closing of Aarseth's record store (Helvete) may have alluded to a financial dispute over the profits from Varg's records as Burzum (Burzum, Aske). The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Burzum is the self-titled debut album by the Norwegian Black metal artist Burzum. Aske ( Norwegian for Ashes) is the second release by the Norwegian Black metal artist Burzum. Despite this, Vikernes himself claims the murder was not premeditated and was an act of self-defense, and that Aarseth had conspired to videotape the torture and eventual murder of Varg as a result of jealousy. Varg asserts that he had been informed of this plan by friends whom Aarseth attempted to conspire with, and that Aarseth attacked him first upon their visit that night, resulting in the murder. [9] Additionally, Vikernes defends that most of the cut wounds found on Aarseth's body were caused by broken glass shards he had fallen on during the conflict. [9]

Regardless of the circumstances, Vikernes was arrested within days, and in 1994, was sentenced to 21 years in prison in conjunction with a few arson charges. In a controversial display, Vikernes actually smiled at the moment his verdict was read [9], an image that was widely reprinted in the news media during the following weeks. Varg has since released two ambient music albums (Dauði Baldrs, Hliðskjálf) but implied in interviews that he would write material similar to his older works upon his release from prison. Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Dauði Baldrs ( The Death of Baldr or Baldr's Death) is an album by the Norwegian Black metal solo project Burzum. Hliðskjálf (in English Hidden Opening into Asgard or Secret Ritual-Site) is an album by Norwegian Black metal solo project While granted a short leave in 2003, Vikernes attempted to escape his bounds in Tønsberg, Norway, resulting in another arrest, during which he was caught with a stolen vehicle and various firearms [10]. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. is a town and municipality in the county of Vestfold, Norway The town of Tønsberg was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see Formannskapsdistrikt) As a result, his request for parole was denied in 2006, and he is currently awaiting another chance in April 2008 [11]. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

As for Mayhem, the murder of Aarseth almost put a stop to new material. However, the band continues to perform to this day, lead by drummer Hellhammer and original member/bassist Necrobutcher. Controversy still follows the band, albeit not nearly as much. In 2003, a concert-goer in Norway received a fractured skull as a dead sheep's head flew from the stage while band member Blasphemer was cutting the head away from the torso [8][12].

Conflict between scenes

A brief conflict known as the "Dark War" between Norwegian and Finnish scenes had gained some media recognition from 1992 to 1993. Part of this was motivated by seemingly harmless pranks; Nuclear Holocausto of Beherit started to make prank calls in the middle of the night to Samoth of Emperor and Mika Luttinen of Impaled Nazarene. Beherit was a Black metal band from Finland. The band was formed in 1989 by Nuclear Holocausto (Marko Laiho Black Jesus (Arjo Wennström and Sodomatic Slaughter Samoth (born Tomas Thormodsæter Haugen on June 9, 1974) is a prominent musician and Multi-instrumentalist in the Norwegian Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Mika Luttinen was born in Oulu Finland in 1971 In 1990 Luttinen formed the Finnish Black metal band Impaled Nazarene, where he is the singer and main Impaled Nazarene is a Finnish Blackened death metal band that incorporates elements of Grindcore in their sound and Punk rock in their aesthetics The calls were mainly just babbling and playing of children's songs,[13] however, Luttinen somehow got the idea that the language babbled was Norwegian and most likely death threats. These speculations were probably made due to the tensions between Finnish and Norwegian scenes at the time, as Euronymous wanted to lead his movement towards a more cult-like status (see Black Metal Inner Circle), where as the Finnish scene continued with the more easy going attitude of LaVeyan Satanism. The was a group of Norwegian Black metal enthusiasts in the early 1990s which was identified by some as a Cult – The Black Circle. For other uses of the word see Satanism and Satanism (disambiguation.

Notably, the album cover of Impaled Nazarene's Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz contains texts like "No orders from Norway accepted" and "Kuolema Norjan kusipäille!" (Death to the assholes of Norway!). After their first LP, Impaled Nazarene disowned the label black metal and redefined their style as "Satanic death metal" (or "Nuclear Metal") despite little to no change in actual musical style. They did this simply to disassociate themselves from the church burnings in Norway. The Finnish band Black Crucifixion also became known to criticize Darkthrone once or twice as "trendies" due to the fact that Darkthrone began their career as a death metal band. DarkThrone is a Massive Online Text Based Game developed by Lazarus Software [14] Beherit didn't participate much in the conflict, yet in Norway there was a band called Fuck Beherit which released two demos mocking the band.

Many recall a strong Swedish death metal and Norwegian black metal rivalry during the 1990s. It was common for black metal enthusiasts in Europe to terrorize notable death metal bands that were touring their country or neighboring countries, on the basis of their lack of apparent "evilness". Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Street fights at shows (and even an attempted fire bomb at a 1992 Deicide show in Stockholm [15]) had been reported before tensions eventually calmed. Deicide is an American Death metal band formed in 1987 The band has sold close to 500000 releases in the USA since the SoundScan era making them ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the

Modern black metal

During the mid 1990s, many black metal bands began to take new directions and increase their production quality. This, and the introduction of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, signalled the end of the Second Wave. An electronic musical instrument is a Musical instrument that produces its sounds using Electronics. The controversy surrounding black metal also faded, although some bands, notably Gorgoroth, have been the subject of some recent controversies, such as a live show which featured animal blood, ram heads, and four naked men tied to crosses. Gorgoroth is a Black metal band from Bergen, Norway that was founded by Infernus in 1992

Beginning in the mid 1990s an Eastern European black metal scene began to develop. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Many of these bands were from the former Soviet Bloc and recorded material in the deliberate low fidelity style of early Norwegian bands. During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were "Lo-fi" redirects here For the music genre see Lo-fi music Lo-fidelity redirects here There was also a tendency to glorify the pagan roots of their home countries and incorporate indigenous folk music. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Prominent bands among this scene include Graveland (from Poland), Trollech (from Czech Republic), Sear Bliss (from Hungary), Nokturnal Mortum (from Ukraine) and Negură Bunget (from Romania). Graveland is a Polish Black metal band which was formed in 1992 by Rob Darken (born Robert Fudali Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Trollech is a band from Plzeň in the Czech Republic that produces Black metal music The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Sear Bliss is a Black metal band from Szombathely, Hungary, formed in 1993 by bassist vocalist and now also keyboardist András Nagy Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Nokturnal Mortum is a Black metal band from Ukraine. History Previously known as Suppuration, then Crystalline Darkness Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Negură Bunget is a Black metal band from Timişoara, Romania. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Elsewhere in Europe, other prominent "traditional" black metal bands have emerged, including 1349 (from Norway), Marduk, Naglfar and Watain (from Sweden), Lucifugum (from Ukraine), Arkhon Infaustus and Antaeus (from France), Enthroned (from Belgium) and Moonspell (from Portugal). Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Marduk is a Black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1991 and released their first record that year placing them among the pioneers Naglfar is a Swedish Black metal band formed in 1992. The group was formed by Jens Rydén and Kristoffer Olivius originally under the name Uninterred Watain is a Swedish Black metal band from Uppsala, formed in 1998 "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Lucifugum is a Black metal band from Ukraine. History Lucifugum is one of the bands who have formed Ukrainian black metal scene Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Arkhon Infaustus is a four-piece Black metal band from Paris, France. http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/ImageHerkules_und_Ant%C3%A4us_(Mantegna This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Enthroned is a Black metal band formed in Charleroi in 1993 by Cernunnos The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Moonspell is a Portuguese Black metal / Gothic metal band with Death/doom metal elements formed in 1989 as Morbid God Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

By the beginning of the 21st century, black metal bands and scenes had begun to emerge in many countries outside Europe. New styles of black metal also emerged. The United States black metal scene has been strongly associated with the black ambient (or ambient black metal) style, performed by bands such as Velvet Cacoon and Xasthur. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Dark ambient is a subgenre of Ambient music that features foreboding ominous or discordant overtones Velvet Cacoon is a so-called Artist collective and multi-genre band from Portland Oregon, USA. Xasthur is an American one-man Black metal band formed in 1995 by Scott Conner who goes by the Pseudonym "Malefic" Others such as Blut Aus Nord and Spektr have included industrial elements. Blut aus Nord are a Black metal band from Mondeville in France who have incorporated elements of the avant-garde. Spektr is an experimental Black metal duo formed in 2000 in Paris France Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. Additionally, a style known as black doom was pioneered by Dolorian and Forgotten Tomb, and has since been adopted by the prominent Japanese band Gallhammer. Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal Dolorian are a Doom metal band from Oulu, Finland. Their early recordings are viewed as some of the earliest examples of blackened doom metal Forgotten Tomb is an Italian blackened doom metal band formed in Piacenza in 1999 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Gallhammer is a Japanese Extreme metal group that draws on Black metal, Doom metal, and Crust punk. Some modern black metal bands like Finntroll and Pagan Sea add a folk element to their lyrics and instrumentation. Finntroll is a Folk metal band from Finland. They combine elements of Black metal with Finnish Polka, called Humppa However, this is generally mistakenly called viking metal. Viking metal is a subgenre of Heavy metal music characterised by its galloping pace keyboard-rich anthemic sound bleakness and dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology

Stylistic divisions

Melodic black metal

Main article: Melodic black metal

Melodic black metal is a style of black metal that is less abrasive, more melodic and thus more accessible for mainstream audiences. Melodic black metal is a style of Black metal. Much of the characteristics of "traditional" black metal are retained (shrieked vocals fast tempos high pitched Electric guitars are often played with much less distortion and guitar solos are more common. Guitar solos are a melodic passage section or entire piece of music written for an Electric guitar or an Acoustic guitar. Songs are often written in conventional structures and there is more usage of keyboards and other instruments. A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a Musical instrument, particularly the piano However, despite these differences, much of the characteristics found in "traditional" black metal are retained. Melodic black metal is often confused with symphonic black metal, as the two styles overlap.

Symphonic black metal

Main article: Symphonic black metal

Symphonic black metal is a style of black metal that uses symphonic and orchestral elements. Symphonic black metal is a style of Black metal that uses symphonic and Orchestral elements A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well This may include the usage of instruments found in symphony orchestras (piano, violin, cello, flute and keyboards), "clean" or operatic vocals, guitars with less distortion, and song structures inspired by symphonies. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member The violoncello (abbreviated to cello, or 'cello, plural cellos or celli —the c is tʃ The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its Symphonic black metal is often confused with melodic black metal and gothic metal, as the styles overlap. Symphonic black metal bands include Emperor (Norway), Cradle of Filth (UK), Dimmu Borgir (Norway), Graveworm (Italy), Old Man's Child (Norway), and many others. Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991 Dimmu Borgir (ˌdɪmuːˈbɔːrɡɪr is a Symphonic black metal band from Norway. Graveworm is a Melodic black metal band with extremely heavy influences from Gothic metal, Doom metal, (on older albums and Death metal Old Man's Child is a Melodic black metal band from Norway. History The band was founded in 1993

Black ambient

Black ambient (sometimes referred to as ambient black metal) is generally viewed as a style that combines elements of black metal and ambient/dark ambient music. Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Dark ambient is a subgenre of Ambient music that features foreboding ominous or discordant overtones However, emphasis may be placed upon one or the other. The electric guitar and bass guitar are often used in conjunction with electronic instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines, or may simply be played in an ambient, atmospheric style. An electronic musical instrument is a Musical instrument that produces its sounds using Electronics. For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an The infamous Norwegian artist Burzum may be considered a pioneer of black ambient, particularly for the album Filosofem. Burzum is the musical project of Varg Vikernes (under the pseudonym "Count Grishnackh" Filosofem ( Norwegian for Philosophy) is the fifth release by the Norwegian Black metal artist Burzum. Other prominent artists who have performed in this style include Velvet Cacoon (US), Wolves in the Throne Room (US), Xasthur (US), Leviathan (US), Nortt (Denmark), Abruptum (Sweden), Blut Aus Nord (France), Summoning (Austria) and Striborg (Australia). Velvet Cacoon is a so-called Artist collective and multi-genre band from Portland Oregon, USA. Xasthur is an American one-man Black metal band formed in 1995 by Scott Conner who goes by the Pseudonym "Malefic" Leviathan is an experimental/ambient Black metal band formed in 1998 by main man Wrest (Jeff Whitehead Nortt is a Danish one-man black Funeral doom metal band formed in 1995 Abruptum was an avant-garde Black metal and Dark ambient band from Sweden. Blut aus Nord are a Black metal band from Mondeville in France who have incorporated elements of the avant-garde. For other uses of the word "summoning" see Summoning (disambiguation. Striborg is an Australian ambient Black metal one-man band formed by Sin Nanna in 1994

Black doom

Black doom (also known as blackened doom metal) is a style that combines elements of black metal and doom metal. Doom metal is a form of Heavy metal music that typically employs very slow Tempos low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal Typically, vocals are in the form of high-pitched shrieks and guitars are played with much distortion, which is common in black metal. But there is also a focus on slow tempos and dissonance, which is common in doom metal. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO Lyrics often involve themes of nature, nihilism and depression. The early work of Dolorian (Finland) and Katatonia (Sweden) are generally regarded as the foundation of this style. Dolorian are a Doom metal band from Oulu, Finland. Their early recordings are viewed as some of the earliest examples of blackened doom metal This article is about the band Katatonia not to be confused with the Welsh Pop-Rock band Catatonia. Pure blackened doom bands are fairly rare, but Forgotten Tomb (Italy), Barathrum (Finland), Bethlehem (Germany), Nortt (Denmark) and Gallhammer (Japan) have performed in this style. Forgotten Tomb is an Italian blackened doom metal band formed in Piacenza in 1999 Barathrum is a word meaning 'an insatiable person' or 'an Abyss' and is the name of a Finnish black doom band Bethlehem is a German band from Grevenbroich that formed in 1991 Nortt is a Danish one-man black Funeral doom metal band formed in 1995 Gallhammer is a Japanese Extreme metal group that draws on Black metal, Doom metal, and Crust punk.

Blackened death metal

Main article: Blackened death metal

Blackened death metal is a style that combines elements of black metal and death metal. Blackened death metal (also called "death/black metal" or "black/death metal" depending on which style is dominant is a Fusion genre of Extreme metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics When compared with "traditional" black metal, there is more usage of down-tuned guitars, palm muting, and complex blast beats. The palm mute is a playing technique for the Guitar or bass. This technique is known as Pizzicato by Classical guitar players (see Classical A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with Grindcore, although its usage predates the genre and has spread to many other forms of Extreme metal. Vocals are often in the form of relatively high-pitched death growls. cf Death rattle, a sound sometimes made by the dying A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, gutteral vocals Bands of this style often focus on themes common in black metal, such as anti-Christianity, Satanism and Occultism.

Ideology

Any attempt to lay out the ideology of a musical genre is bound to generalize to the extent that some traits are unfairly emphasized with respect to certain artists, while others are laid out which do not apply to all. An ideology is a set of beliefs aims and Ideas especially in politics Nonetheless, there is a clear pattern which can be sketched out to capture the fundamental elements behind black metal. To a large extent, aesthetics are visual manifestations of ideology. Black metal is generally held to embrace anti-Christianity, misanthropy, nihilism and individualism. Anti-christian sentiment is a negative Bias against Christians or the Religion of Christianity. Misanthropy is a general dislike distrust or hatred of the Human species or a disposition to dislike and/or distrust other people Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing is a philosophical position that argues that Existence is without objective meaning Purpose Alongside their opposition to Christianity (and organized religion in general), many bands promote atheism, antitheism, paganism and Satanism. Atheism Antitheism (sometimes anti-theism) is active opposition to Theism. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world For other uses of the word see Satanism (disambiguation. Satanism can refer to a number of belief systems depending on the user and context As an extension of misanthropy, there is often a link to nature emphasized, with an emphasis on mortality and the unknown aspects of death.

In some cases, black metal bands have promoted nationalist views, although the majority of those involved in the scene are not outspoken with regard to this, and prefer to let their music speak for itself. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Nonetheless, many black metal bands are proud of their culture/nation, but do not deny the right of people from other nations to be proud of theirs. Many see cultural assimilation or cultural homogenization as something to be avoided, and one way to avoid this is to take pride in being a representative of one's own culture, and produce art that is distinct to it. A region or society where several different groups are spontaneously assimilated is sometimes referred to as a Melting pot. Homogenization (or homogenisation) is a term used in many fields such as Chemistry, Agricultural science, Food technology, Sociology These ideas are sometimes realised musically by the incorporation of folk elements to their works.

National Socialist black metal

Main article: National Socialist black metal

National Socialist black metal (NSBM) is a term used for black metal artists who support National Socialist beliefs in their music and imagery. National Socialist black metal (also known as NSBM or Nazi black metal) is a term used for Black metal artists who promote National Socialist Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German NSBM is viewed as an ideology, not a subgenre, as there is no distinct "style" to play black metal in a National Socialist way. Bands labelled as such use lyrics supporting ideas of white supremacy, racial separatism and antisemitism. White supremacy is a racist ideology based on the assertion that White people are superior to other racial groups. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility Many also support various forms of paganism, but this is common among "traditional" black metal bands. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world It should be noted that NSBM bands are a minority within the black metal genre.

Some black metal bands have made references to Nazi Germany for shock value, causing them to be wrongly labelled as NSBM. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Shock value is the potential of an image text or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of Disgust, shock, Anger, Fear, Several popular black metal musicians, such as Frost of Satyricon and Ihsahn of Emperor, are opposed to NSBM, in part because of the false accusations of racism directed at such artists. Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad (stage name Frost) was born on June 28 1973 in Øyer, Oppland, Norway, and is the drummer in the Satyricon is a Norwegian Black metal band formerly known as Eczema Ihsahn (born 1975 as Vegard Sverre Tveitan) is a Norwegian Composer, Guitar, bass, keyboard player and Vocalist Emperor is a Norwegian Symphonic black metal band formed in 1991

Viking black metal

Main article: Viking metal

Viking metal, or more specifically Viking black metal, is a term used in reference to black metal bands whose lyrics and imagery emphasise Norse mythology, Norse paganism and the life of Scandinavians prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia. Viking metal is a subgenre of Heavy metal music characterised by its galloping pace keyboard-rich anthemic sound bleakness and dramatic emphasis on Norse mythology Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Norse paganism is a term used to describe the religious traditions which were common amongst the Germanic tribes living in Nordic countries prior to and The Christianization of Scandinavia refers to the process of conversion to Christianity of the Scandinavian people starting in the 8th century with The style is closely associated with folk metal. Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s Bands typically seek to create a romanticized, epic, or warlike atmosphere. They may also incorporate Nordic folk instruments or use keyboards to mimic those instruments, such as Pagan Sea, who uses extremely distorted guitars and a synth to mimic various woodwinds as well as fiddle. A folk instrument is an instrument that developed among common people and usually doesn't have a known Inventor.

The origin of the style can be attributed to the Swedish band Bathory, with the release of their fourth album in 1988, Blood Fire Death. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Bathory was a Swedish heavy metal band formed by Quorthon in 1983 Blood Fire Death is the fourth album by Bathory, which continued the transition towards more epic songwriting begun on the band's previous album The album blended black metal with an atmosphere of war and Norse mythology. Since then, many black metal bands (Enslaved, Satyricon) have borrowed such concepts to further elaborate on anti-Christian sentiment. Enslaved is a progressive Black metal band formed in 1991 in Haugesund, Norway, and currently based out of Bergen Satyricon is a Norwegian Black metal band formerly known as Eczema Some death metal bands (Amon Amarth, Unleashed) have also adopted Viking metal aesthetics. Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs fast tempos heavily distorted guitars deep growling vocals morbid lyrics Amon Amarth is a Viking -themed Melodic death metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992 Unleashed is a Swedish Death metal band that was formed in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund after he left Nihilist.

Unblack metal

Main article: Unblack metal

Unblack metal (also known as Christian black metal) is a term used in reference to black metal bands whose lyrics and imagery depict Christianity positively. Unblack metal (also known as holy unblack metal It is viewed as an ideology rather than a subgenre since there is no method to play black metal in a Christian way Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Such bands are controversial, as black metal itself was developed with the intention of encouraging anti-Christian sentiment. Anti-christian sentiment is a negative Bias against Christians or the Religion of Christianity. Like National Socialist black metal, it is viewed as an ideology, not a subgenre, as there is no distinct "style" to play black metal in a Christian way. The style emerged in 1991, when Antestor released their demo The Defeat of Satan. Antestor is a Norwegian Black metal band that formed in 1990 The group is credited for starting the whole northern European Christian Extreme In 1994, Horde also gained wide recognition with their own anti-Satanic themes, as evidenced by song titles like "Silence the Blasphemous Chanting" and "Invert the Inverted Cross". Horde is the single-album Christian black metal project of Australian musician Jayson Sherlock, formerly of Mortification and Paramaecium Several bands adopting the concept have emerged since then, but it should be noted that they are a minority within the genre, and are often opposed by "traditional" black metal bands.

Media

Films on black metal:

References in media:

See also

Literature

References

  1. ^ Dunn, Sam (Director). (2005, Aug 5). Metal: A Headbanger's Journey [motion picture]. Canada: Dunn, Sam.
  2. ^ National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM) SPLC Intelligence Report Rebuttal
  3. ^ a b c d e Dunn, Sam (Director). (2005, Aug 5). Metal: A Headbanger's Journey [motion picture]. Canada: Dunn, Sam.
  4. ^ On the Role of Clothing Styles In The Development of Metal - Part I - Metal Storm
  5. ^ http://www.fmp666.com/moonlight/mayhem.html
  6. ^ Ihsahn Interview
  7. ^ a b c Grude, Torstein (Director). (1998, Jan 1). Satan rir Media [motion picture]. Norway: Grude, Torstein.
  8. ^ a b Mayhem Biography on Yahoo! Music
  9. ^ a b c Varg Vikernes - A Burzum Story: Part II - Euronymous
  10. ^ Police nab 'The Count' after he fled jail - Aftenposten.no
  11. ^ Burzum and Varg Vikernes news and updates
  12. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Sheep head fractures fan's skull
  13. ^ "The End of a Legend - Isten smokes Holocaust Vengeance out of Beherit" (1995). Isten 6: 44-45.  
  14. ^ "The Oath of the Goat's Black Blood" (2003). Sinister Flame 1: 28-32.  
  15. ^ Deicide: Information and Much More from Answers.com
  16. ^ YouTube
  17. ^ MySpace.com - Until The Light Takes Us - 99 - Garçon - BROOKLYN, New York - www.myspace.com/blackmetalmovie
  18. ^ Until the Light Takes Us (2008)
  19. ^ - Billzebub.com
  20. ^ Ian Christe (2001). Sound of The Beast: The Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, 289.  
  21. ^ YouTube - Brian Posehn - Metal By Numbers
  22. ^ YouTube - Broadcast Yourself

Dictionary

black metal

-noun

  1. (music) a subgenre of heavy metal emphasizing the hatred of God and humanity
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