The Dark Genre of Black Metal
Origins, History and Influences of Fast, Orchestral Metal Music
Mar 8, 2008
Black Metal is one of the least understood genres of metal. Black metal musicians have often been critically reduced to violent noise makers. However, the genre is also a powerful blend of classical, thrash metal, folk metal and literary influences. Contemporary black metal can range from the dirty old school sound of a band like Darkthrone to the highly sophisticated, keyboard driven melodies of the later Emperor releases.
Beginnings of Black Metal in the 80s
Black metal is a more orchestral, ritualistic and intense genre of death metal. However, the genre emerged from a range of darker thrash metal bands. Bathory, from Sweden, Venom, based in Florida and Hellhammer (later Celtic Frost) from Switzerland were among the originators of black metal. The early sounds of the genre were more underproduced and focused on fast, grungy guitars and incessant blast beats.
Bathory added the mythic element with lyrics based in Nordic folklore. Other bands such as Possessed emphasized the deep Satanic aspects of the genre. Demonic screaming vocals were characteristic. Mayhem, from Norway, became the world's most notorious blackmetal band. Their history is one of murders and church burnings; their emotive speed and gore-based drama is legendary.
Blackmetal's Rise in the 90s
Mayhem remained a key band in the blackmetal underground throughout the 90s, even after their singer Dead, killed himself, and their founder, Euronymous was stabbed to death by a rival, Varg Vikernes. Darkthrone and Immortal, who later gained fame for spoofing the genre through their over the top videos, were also powerful presences.
As death metal was becoming slovenly and commercialized, black metal became increasingly dramatic and liminal. Early black metal bands wore black, but by the 90s they were also donning black and white corpse paint and spikes on stage. Various kinds of medieval armour also became prominent. Tremolo picking and the tritone interval gave blackmetal its evil resonance. Guitar solos were rare. Potent themes, as well as Satanism, included Nordic myths, Viking imagery, nature worship and the preeminence of the solitary, fearless individual.
Thrash metal became associated with fun and beer drinking while blackmetal became connected with the serious, dark side of existence, the occult and the elite. Controversy haunted the genre. Other significant bands to emerge at this time were Burzum (with Varg at the helm from prison), Emperor, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir, Dissection and Ulver.
Contemporary Blackmetal Bands
Blackmetal's core revolutionary impact occured in the 90s, but many black metal bands still exist all over the world, especially in predominantly Christian nations. The genre has diversified with the inclusion of keyboards, samples, and cleaner production values.
Dimmu Borgir, and particularly the British goth-style band Cradle of Filth have attained world-wide popularity. In opposition to such superficial theatrics and slick sounds, bands like Belphegor, Celestia, Drudkh, The Martyrium, and Tsjuder have returned to a grittier, murkier version of blackmetal. Lyrics can often be incomprehensible in such bands, ritualistic elements abound and songs are often epic in length and composition. with the inclusion of operatic vocals. All female blackmetal bands include Astarte (Greece), Ebonsight (Turkey) and Melancholia Estatica (Italy). Influences stem from the Bible, both Satanic and Christian, philosophers like Nietsche, books such as The Lord of the Rings, and, as always, cold, unyielding natural environments.
Women have also made their mark on blackmetal
Blackmetal is a genre of metal for the fiercest listener and musician.
Sources
The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal by Ian Christe (Harper 2004)
Heavy Metal: The Music and its Culture by Deena Weinstein (Da Capo Press 2000)
Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Ries of the Satanic Metal Underground by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind (Feral House 1998)
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