Seducer of Hearts - How Bölzer Rapidly Conquered the Underground

Few bands in metal have snatched the mass attention of the underground metal faithful as rapidly as Swiss black/death adherents Bölzer last year following the release of debut EP 'Aura'. Formed in 2008, the two-piece's first musical output was demo 'Roman Acupuncture' released in 2012. Fast-forward two years and Bölzer have already played or are booked tosome of the world's premier metal events (Hellfest, Maryland Death Fest and Party San to name but a few), effortlessly making it to almost every extreme metaller's best releases of 2014 list without the backing of a major record label or even an album.

Bölzer was conceived in 2008 when vocalist and guitarist KzR returned from New Zealand to his native Switzerland and met drummer HzR. The two formed a formidable friendship and an energy that was not shared with the two or three bass players that they attempted to collaborate with at their start. The word 'bolzer' translates in German roughly as a striker in a game of football or an individual that hits something at force. However, in Swiss German, the male noun 'bölzer' is infrequently used formally and has a more violent connotation. KzR chose this word as his band's moniker as: "...it was ambiguous in that sense. I could apply it to a lot of lyrical themes and my philosophy in general." [1]

Demo 'Roman Acupuncture' (its title "a bit of an avant-garde term for crucifixion", laughs KzR [2]) was the world's debut exposure to this Swiss act and created notable ripples in the subterranean metal scene. Despite having just two members, Bölzer's three song emission was gargantuan and defiant in sound, hybridising death metal violence with black metal's devouring thick atmospheres. Opening against anguished shrieks and shouts, the first song and title track propels its listener into a nightmarish soundscape, not to dissimilar to that of Antediluvian or Mitochondrion although nowhere near as suffocating or maniacal in approach. The death metal riffs are akin to Bolt Thrower's belligerent style and the black metal comparable to a more focused and caustic Blut aus Nord yet with a style that would become recognisably idiosyncratic. The lengthier 'Soul Eclipse' boasts dirty death metal rhythmic riffs and black metal's subtler sense of foreboding in the guitar work, while cymbals interestingly take precedence over the bass drum. Closing number 'Zeus - Seducer of Hearts' is the finest moment on 'Roman Acupuncture', unabashedly drawing on the lightning theme the band employ. Guitar leads are clean and memorable while the almost despairing clean shout emerges in their strongest form on this song among the rasped growls. The release ends abruptly, clocking in at fewer than fifteen minutes long.

The following year would birth 'Aura', the first of two conceptual EPs, thematically concerning itself with male energies. Like its predecessor, Bölzer's sophomore effort was another three-pronged attack but significantly more sophisticated and multi-faceted than their demo. The guitar sound is crushingly thick, their black metal sentiments now more restless and peppered with an abrasive sludge approach. The pained clean wails return to punctuate the songs alongside the familiar rasps and guttural growls. HzR's drum work is explored more on this release and its organic sound compliments the muscular guitar tone. 'C.M.E.' is a torrent of battery counterbalanced with haunting music at a slower tempo, while 'Entranced by the Wolfshook' positions extremely heavy riffs interspersed by shrill guitar flourishes during its verses and 'The Great Unifier' explores hypnotic territories in its ten minute duration. In short, 'Aura' and its expansive riffs and relentless blastbeats yield an unforgettable listening experience that is content with tracing its own path, demanding repeated listens and rightfully forcing Bölzer into the underground metal world's consciousness and the subject of envious reviews.

Given the runaway success of 'Aura', 'Soma' released this year had titanic shoes to fill in regard to expectation. Mirroring 'Aura' and dealing with themes concentrating on female energy, 'Soma' is bisected into two tracks - 'Steppes' and 'Labyrinthian Graves'. The EP opens with KzR's raspy shouts and fresh (for the band) riffing that is heavy enough to feature in a brutal death metal song, isolated tremelo picking, spoken word narration and drumming centred on the rhythmic all surface in 'Steppes'. 'Labyrinthian Graves' is an introverted and cavernous number espousing a negative mood and takes its time unweaving its musical tapestry, more cerebral than the opening song. On both songs, the atmosphere remains consistently crushing or sinister throughout, acknowledging all of Bölzer's signature moves and steeped in an almost tangible atmosphere. 'Soma' is certainly less active than 'Aura', going for a cerebral and calculate approach rather than the dynamism of the first EP. The mood is direction is different but the Swiss two-piece remain as dynamic as ever and this release was still universally lauded.

2015 will see Bölzer release their first full-length album and KzR says of it: "The intention is to make a not very long full-length. For me a perfect album length is like 40 minutes. We’re not going to make an hour-long record. No way. It’ll be around the six or seven song mark. And there will be an exciting cover in there as well." [3] Given the pair's consolidation of mass approval in the metal scene and their impressive ability to redraw the the pre-conceived limitation of extreme metal, it is likely this album will appear in many best releases of 2015 lists.


-----------------------------------
[1] Stereogum interview, 2014
[2] Noisey interview, 2014
[3] New Noise Magazine interview, 2014

Metal Evolution - Extreme Metal: The Lost Episode Review

Sam Dunn is the anthropologist behind the 2011 VH1 TV series Metal Evolution, eleven episodes that aim to inform an audience on the story behind metal's various subgenres. Unfortunately, only four of the episodes concern metal subgenres (NWoBHM, power metal, thrash metal, progressive metal) with grunge, shock rock and pre-metal among others pointlessly depriving the series of space on a topic that needs more than eleven relevant episodes.

Much like Dunn's 2005 feature length documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, the response from the uninitiated was fairly positive, whereas metalheads were frustrated about the overwhelming amount of inaccurate information and Dunn's ignorance to bands' paramount contributions to their genres (for example, the progressive metal episode unbelievably failed to mention the first prog metal band Fates Warning or latter day successors Opeth). One of the biggest points of contention for metal fans was the absence of any extreme metal genre besides thrash metal. Dunn stated that VH1 were not interested in these genres and went on to crowd-funded a project for this episode. Enter Extreme Metal: The Lost Episode.

The 50+ minute episode is certainly less offensive than other Metal Evolution instalments with fewer mistakes too, although saying France is not known for metal (despite pitching France's Hellfest as the backdrop for his documentary) is certainly a glaring one (Deathspell Omega, Alcest, Peste Noire, Mutiilation, Vlad Tepes, Belenos, Vokreist etc.). Positioning the narrative with Venom and Celtic Frost, Dunn goes on to interview a member or two from Napalm Death, Carcass, Death (although there is no mention of their seismic musical shift) Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Enslaved and Gojira. The inclusion of the latter two feels nothing more than a sycophantic excuse for Dunn to get some of his favourite bands on camera. Why these two acts were chosen instead of the more influential Opeth is a real glare (possibly because Dunn wrongly considers Opeth goth metal ala his Metal: A Headbanger's Journey flow chart). It also seems astonishing that Possessed are not even name-dropped as the widely accepted first death metal band.

Opening with an appearance at Hellfest, an open air festival in France that covers all kinds of rock and metal music seems to foreshadow the haphazard approach that breathes through the remainder of the episode. Surely a festival that trades exclusively in extreme metal would have been more ideal with equally good interviewees (Party San Open Air, Neurotic Death Fest, NWN! Fest, Under the Black Sun, Hell's Pleasure etc.) but it seems unlikely that Dunn is even aware of festivals like this, much less has any experience at them. Close up shots of generic alternative subcultures at Hellfest is wrongly used to illustrate the physicality of a death or black metal fan.

The impression that Dunn gives is that death metal began to stagnate and Gojira are the saviours of the movement, which is ludicrous - particularly since the creation of technical death and progressive death metal are omitted from the documentary. It is understandable that all the subgenres of death metal and extreme metal cannot be listed due to time restraints but there would definitely be more film left if Dunn stopped referencing his feature length film, spending too much time on questions to bands/journalists that do not contribute to the core of the documentary (Cannibal Corpse's Ace Venture appearance comes to mind) and his idiosyncratic ego masturbation.

The conclusion drawn is incredibly thin and cuts the documentary off too abruptly. There is also a gargantuan contraction; Dunn states Enslaved and Gojira as two bands innovating in an otherwise largely stale extreme music scene but then he wraps the episode by saying that extreme metal is still highly creative.

Once again, Dunn proves his knowledge of the metal scene to be incredibly elementary (despite laughably describing himself a metal expert in the documentary). It appears he does not conduct any research before planning his episodes and thus delivers an episode that does not answer any interesting questions or even questions that have not been asked before. It feels as if Dunn considers himself the best metal authority in existence and nothing else can consolidate his knowledge. This was just another wasted opportunity, particularly considering the high quality production values.

Why Kampfar Respect Women

Originally written for Soundshock.com

Since signing to Napalm Records for their 2006 release ‘Kvass’, Norway’s Kampfar have received a significant deal of attention worldwide. In the last two years, the black metallers have managed to play prestigious metal festivals such as Wacken and Hellfest and soon they will embark on their debut North American outing. But despite the peaks they have accumulated, frontman Dolk considers these past two years the most strenuous and draining of Kampfar’s career since their inception in 1994.

“When a band gets more interest, in a way, you have to make new decisions every single day and it starts to become more like a job. It feels at least sometimes that it’s not good to be in a band any more.” It has been two years since

 Kampfar’s last comprehensive tour and Dolk is more than enthused to return to the road, delivering a stellar show to those in attendance. “I’m really happy to be playing again and I haven’t felt like that for the last two years. “ Drummer Ask submits the footnote: “We finally get the reward of the stress and the chaos.” This year marks the release of the Norwegians’ fifth album ‘Mare’, a mature release adding a bevy of variety to the black metallers’ catalogue. Naturally, Dolk is proud of the album but is more astounded by the attention the release has earned: “We sold as many albums of ‘Mare’ in the first five days as we did with our last album for two years. So it was like “Wow!”” Perhaps this impressive result can be partially attributed to Kampfar working with legendary metal producer Peter Tägtgren for the first time. “It was a natural choice. For me at least, it was very very important that he wanted to do this because we didn’t want to go into a studio because it’s a famous studio or it’s a famous guy doing the sounds. We wanted to take a new direction, of course, to create art. We needed someone who wanted to push the boundaries and limits to get with us. It was really important for me that he really wanted to do this album, not just “Yeah, I’ll do it,” but with passion. The last time I talked to Peter before we really decided to go that way, I asked him “Are you really up for this?” and he said “Fuck yeah!” The only thing we can say is in some ways it’s bad that we didn’t do this earlier.”

Ask highlights how important it was to have a producer who knew precisely what the band needed for their record and this kind of producer would have to be well-versed in all kinds of music as opposed to exclusively black metal. “We’ve always been a bit stubborn about keeping it a little on the low-fi. We’ve always taken thing away and this time we said “Fuck it, we’ll do everything. We’ll see what happens because if it doesn’t work you can always remove things.” So we choose to work with a producer who could do bigger productions and it’s very interesting how focused he is because we played Hellfest last year and he played there with Hypocrisy and the studio had been booked well in advance. We were watching Fear Factory play from the side of the stage because we both love the drummer and I’m talking to him and he’s well drunk. I’m explaining exactly what kind of sound I want for the studio and he remembered everything and had everything set up for that sound and he completely nailed it, exactly what I wanted. He thinks with a band. He doesn’t go in there and say “OK I’m going to give you my sound.” He says “I’m going to give you the sound that is best for you.”” Naturally, Kampfar will not consider anyone else when producing their next album.

‘Mare’ is something out of the ordinary for Kampfar and indeed black metal as a whole. The album is dedicated to all those women brave enough to subscribe to their own lifestyles and follow their own paths in life. This idea was inspired by the fate of women who were misunderstood by priests hundreds of years ago in Norway and were branded a witch and burnt. Ask sheds light on Kampfar’s only profound religious remark: “The thing is that to be a woman today and do what you want to do then maybe it’s a little harder than men but two hundred years ago, it was a lot worse. If you were a woman two hundred years ago and you said “No, I want to do my thing. I want to learn about what I want to learn,” [they set you on fire]. That’s our religious statement.”

Kampfar’s fortunes have not come without misfortunate. Late last year, founding member Thomas decided to part ways with the band on good terms. Thomas’ guitar work is instantly recogniseable and signature to Kampfar, carving a unique identity for the band. “The reason his guitar playing is quite different to other guitars is because he’s actually playing piano on a guitar. He thinks in piano. There were never two guitarists so he always played two melodies at once, basically, two harmonies at once. He plays deceptively simple. He’s actually an incredibly skilled musician,” Ask notes. Dolk is highly optimistic about Kampfar’s future with one of the founding members now absent from the line up: “We’re gonna nail it, without Thomas or not. We’re still brothers. When I go back to Norway, we’re having a barbecue party and he’s invited. We’re really connected but we just had to stop work with this kind of music together. We ended the line there, really.”

With the unhinged success of ‘Mare’, Kampfar’s position as co-headliners on tour with black metal stalwarts Secrets of the Moon and Vreid and a

highly anticipated North American tour, the band’s limits are not yet capped and they will continue to harvest a multitude of success that most black metal bands will never achieve. Kampfar demonstrate that persistence and artistic endeavour is the key to their outstanding results.

The End for Bal-Sagoth?

Originally written for Soundshock.com

Recently, black metal in the UK has truly developed a consistent scene with bands like Fen, A Forest of Stars and Wodensthrone acting as the vanguards of a new movement. However, before these bands, one of the most uttered names both at home and internationally in the UKBM scene was Bal-Sagoth. In the past few years, the fantasists have kept a low profile but why? Mainman Byron Roberts explains why he considers the band to be in semi-retirement.

  

In 2006, Bal-Sagoth released their last studio effort, entitled ‘The Chthonic Chronicles’ on one of the biggest metal labels Nuclear Blast. The album was very well-received by the metal community and an international showcase of UK black metal.  “We haven't been writing any new material, because we have yet to decide whether to carry on for further albums. I think eventually you will see the other members of the band branching out into various other projects, as realistically Bal-Sagoth won't last forever. I suppose you could say that Bal-Sagoth is in a state of semi-retirement, which wouldn't actually be too far from the truth! So essentially, the band has just been playing a handful of shows per year since our last album "The Chthonic Chronicles" came out in 2006,” Roberts notes. “Over the last five years, we've played in countries such as Finland, Norway, the USA, Portugal, the Czech Republic, etc. It hasn't been a deliberate decision to avoid playing the UK, it's just that no suitable offers had really come in until recently.” 

Given the bombastic and grand sound Bal-Sagoth exude on record, it can be incredibly difficult to replicate the music live. Opinions on Bal-Sagoth shows vary widely, dependent on the quality of the sound and the knowledge of the sound engineers at the time. “It's impossible to accurately recreate the multi-layered sound of the albums in the live environment. We just have to settle for getting it as close as is humanly possible within the overall confines of the live show. That's partially why I've never been satisfied with our gigs over the years. I personally don't think there's any need to play this stuff live. Every time we play a show it perhaps erodes a little bit of the magic this band has. I would hope that the energy of the live experience might go some way to make up for it, but there's only so much you can do. Quite honestly, our material is not designed or written to be performed accurately live. Bal-Sagoth has always been more about the album experience; sitting back with the stereo on, booklet in hand, with the listener getting lost within the sonic universe of our discography.”

Unlike many metal acts, Roberts admits that Bal-Sagoth’s strength is not in the live show. The prominence of the lyrics in the band substitute for this though; each album is a conceptual piece, concerning itself with fantasy and sci-fi worlds conceived by Roberts himself. “The whole concept for the band was essentially built around the lyrical content. I had many of the lyrics written and the albums planned our years before I even met the people who would eventually end up being in the band. I came up with the band concept around 1989, but back then, seemingly no one was interested in being part of a high concept metal band with fantasy and sci-fi lyrics. That was the height of the whole socio-political thrash and death metal band surge, and it just wasn't "cool" to want to start a band dealing with mythological and fantasy topics. It was a real problem finding people willing to give the idea a chance. Eventually a guy I knew called Mac introduced me to some people he had been jamming covers within their bedroom. They were looking to start a serious band too, and to cut a long story short, Jonny and Chris ultimately agreed to be part of the Bal-Sagoth project. Only then did the music start being composed.”

With such dedication to the lyrics that are written over a period of years, it seems unusual that Roberts expresses these stories through music as opposed to a medium that would allow him to limitlessly narrate, such as a novel. “The reason I wanted to tell these stories via music was because of my love of black and death metal, and fantasy & sci-fi literature. Fusing those two loves seemed like a good idea at the time. The whole idea was that the band would be an extreme and symphonic musical project which would be underpinned by this elaborate lyrical universe. Originally, it was also driven by a desire to create the kind of music and lyrics that I myself would like to hear and read as a fan, because there wasn't much of that kind of stuff around back then. Pretty much everyone opposed the idea at some point, even people in the band itself, believe it or not! But eighteen years and six albums later, here we are.” Persistence is obviously the key for Byron. He states: “The other members aren't really reading enthusiasts, to be honest, and they certainly aren't big readers of fantasy, sci-fi or mythological books. I'm sure they eventually read the album booklets once they get copies of the CDs, but they generally don't take any great interest in the lyrical side of the band, and never have. And that's fine with me, because the lyrical side is exclusively my domain anyway.”

With a power-struggle between the music and the lyrics, it is worth considering how the songs are written and which aforementioned aspect is the priority. “When we write albums, I'll give the composers an outline of the kind of stuff I need for each song. Sometimes it will be a very broad outline, merely mentioning the overall mood required for a piece. Other times, for the "flagship" songs, it will be a much more detailed outline listing the events of the story and so forth. A lot of the time Jonny just comes up with something unconnected to an outline and just submits it to me, and I then decide which lyrics are best suited to that particular composition. More often than not, the actual final lyrics are kept a secret from all the other members of the band until the mixing process is underway! So, ultimately, our way of writing songs is a mixture of collaboration and isolation, and that's the Bal-Sagoth method.” A method that is unlikely to change if Bal-Sagoth decide to continue with new material but for now, it’s all up in the air and all dedicated fanatics should catch the live shows because nothing is set in stone for these symphonic black metallers.

In-Depth Analysis: Joyless' Wisdom & Arrogance

Not quite what one would expect from a band called Joyless.

Depression and experimentalism are two attitudes common in (modern) black metal but what happens when they are taken to their absolute limit? 

The short answer is that you leave black metal. Originally [1], black metal's primary motivation was hatred but in recent years suicidal black metal (also known as depressive black metal or DSBM (depressive suicidal black metal)) has leaped into good fortune with adherents of the subgenre. Bands including Shining, Lifelover and Xasthur have gained considerable recognition within black metal circles with their bleak attitude and self-destructive themes. It is not all positive though; many detractors think such misery is merely 'emo'. 

Regardless of attitudes, Joyless are are interesting study in black metal becoming so depressive that they waive the metal component of their music. The earliest origins of Joyless can be traced back to 1991 with the conception of Forgotten Woods in Norway. Alongside Buruzm, Forgotten Woods are considered the pioneers of DSBM. Penning two full-length albums before they initially split up at the end of the '90s, they played emotive, black metal, drawing influences from rock genres. It sounds very organic and melancholy without resorting to the post-rock overload that many contemporary DSBM acts employ. Influences include Celtic Frost, Bathory and European thrash metal alongside The Velvet Underground and The Doors [2]. They reunited in 2007 and released Race of Cain, a raw and intolerant release with memorable melodies.

Joyless' birth was in 1996 with a line up composed entirely from the then defunct Forgotten Woods and their first release was the full-length Unlimited Hate. Some of the songs are old Forgotten Woods ones, recorded between 1994 and 1996. Like Forgotten Woods, the metal on this endeavour is atmospheric, despairing black metal with a good sense of emotion and hints towards more general rock music.

By 2000, the rock influence took over in time for Joyless to release their sophomore album Wisdom & Arrogance. This album strips Joyless of their black metal casing in favour of a depressive rock stance with a pop mentality. Although they pre-date Lifelover by almost a decade, this release can be described as Lifelover's bipolar younger sister. The most striking asset of the band which appears to divide listeners is the voice of new singer Ida Helleboe. Her voice sounds juvenile, nearly whiny and on the spectacular 'Transpire', she practically launches herself into a vocal tantrum.  Theoretically, these vocals sounds challenging to endure but in reality, they compliment Joyless marvellously and sum up the attitude of the band succinctly. Her vocals are greatly varied but within the boundaries of pop music and inscribe accessibility on to the release. The spirit of teenage curiosity, angst and innocence is preserved flawlessly in her voice. The closing track, 'Room of Velvet Splendour', sees Olav Berland handle lead vocals and his deep, clean voice (no growls here) takes repeated listens to get used to, after hearing Helleboe throughout the release, but compliment the lengthy number perfectly. He sounds depressed but insightful. The vocal duet on 'Why Should I Cry?' is nothing short of sublime, with the different vocals bizarrely gelling seamlessly together.

The music is varied throughout the album and the entire release lacks unity, save for the introverted and/or sardonic lyrics. Sometimes the guitars play icy leads with the most subtle of guitar fuzz in the background (a hang-over from their black metal origins) as can be heard on 'Close to God' or 'Room of Velvet Splendour'; sometimes they bounce with a near-bluesy feel on the poignant 'Transpire'; sometimes they joust with post-rock such as on 'Stand'. The drums are usually simplistic but occasionally make a departure from this, promoting dynamic rhythms with a progressive flourish, 'Close to God' being a great indication.

Although the music is inherently depressing, the mood it harbours is not entirely melancholic at certain points: 'Divine' and 'Isn't It Nice' are edged with rich and decadent textures, much like The Velvet Underground while the aforementioned bouncing blues-cum-rockabilly guitar rhythms on 'Transpire' actually contradicts the frustrated vocals of Helleboe. 'The Nails' has no music; it is simply a recital of a striking and thoughtful poem by Helleboe in her thick Norwegian accent. In spite of these diversions, Wisdom & Arrogance is wholly miserable over all.

Lyrically, the band deals with poetic imagery, depressive/frustrated emotion, irony and inner struggles. The lyric for the entirety of 'Stand' are:

Happy be a face
Nobody understands.

Happy be a face

Nobody understands.

No, stand.

Stand, stand.

Happy happy happy happy

Happy happy happy happy

Happy be a face

Nobody understands.

Happy be a face

Nobody understands.

The last note is higher than the pentultimate one, turning the statement into a question, interestingly. Less subtle are the teen angst lyrics of 'Transpire'. The opening lyrics are:

Hey, do you know where I am going? (I can hear something has happened)
I'm going angry
On you (I can feel it)
It didn't matter anyway (Something is wrong)

Fuck off (Look where are you)
And still you are signing my song along
And that is (Everything)
Fuck off (I'm going crazy)
Did you understand me? At all, at all, at all. 

These lines are straight-forward and totally imperfect, marking them all the more human and genuine. 'Why Should I Cry?' opens by taking a typically poetic image and ruins it:

The swans appear
And they sing the loveliest song I’ve ever heard
I gently caress
I believe I broke their necks
My eyes no tear shed. 

My eyes no tear shed.

The chorus of the same song relinquishes any chance of hope:

I have reached the end (The End)
I've reached my earthly end. (The End)
And I do know that all I do is die
So why should I cry?


'Isn't It Nice?' has lyrics that would not be out of place on a modern DSBM band's album, expressing the disaffection of life and hatred of the world:

I am lost
And I feel so alone
But it really doesn't matter
There ain't a thing I can do.

Judgment day
Let me know when you are here
I want to see
The world go down

Drag me deeper down
I don't care
Down here there is nothing
Nothing but myself

and concludes with:

Point a gun at my head
Do you think I care?
Point it at yourself
And pull the trigger now.

Could you give me a reason to celebrate?


Throughout the album, there are plenty of references to the colour blue and velvet, particularly velvet shining. The latter could be a  reference to the Forgotten Woods song 'The Velvet Room' (which also mentions dying swans in its lyrics). The associations of the colour blue are quite obvious and Joyless have mentioned it poignantly a few times prior to the release of Arrogance & Wisdom; Unimited Hate debut had a song entitled 'Blå melankoli' (blue melancholy); the EP Blue in the Face, released 1999 [3] has 'Room of Velvet Splendour' and 'Room of Velvet Splendour pt. 2', divided by a track entitled 'Swansmile'. 


This is actually a beautiful record that finds some comfort in defeatism and solace. The title sums the music up perfectly. Its amalgamation of personalities and its flaws work in its favour, mirroring the human psyche. The music is recorded impulsive emotion. It is a struggle to find a band as raw, emotive and unrefined as Joyless. They have not recorded an album since but 2009 was a busy year for the band with three different splits and a compilation. It seems impossible to imagine a follow up to Wisdom & Arrogance but it would be wonderful to see such a release.

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[1] Referring to the second wave bands, not first wave.

[2] Mortem Zine interview with Forgotten Woods, 2007.
[3] But recorded in May 1996 and arranged in 1995.

The Evolution of Kampfar

Norway's Kampfar have a substantial fanbase now and have made festival appearances at premiere metal festivals such as Germany's Wacken, Party San, Norway's Inferno and after this year, Hellfest in France. With four full-length albums under their belt, Kampfar's journey from obscurity to their current position is a storied one.

Kampfar originally began life as the black metal band Mock in 1992. The three piece from Gressvik released a demo entitled Cold Winter in 1994, a split with the German band Tumulus in 1995 and the EP Vinterland in the same year on the highly acclaimed (at least in underground circles) Hammerheart records. Musically, Mock sound like a primitive atmospheric black metal band ala early Burzum but less aggressive (although it does feature Dolk's recognisable, vicious rasps which sound unchanged compared to modern Kampfar) with more commendable drumming. 'Call the Eternal Winter' even has an eerie organ in it which divulges an element of gothic mystery to the music. Lyrically, the band avoided Satanic/anti-Christian cliches and opted for talking about freezing temperatures and Winter, much like Immortal. Mock actually became defunct in 1994 - the three band members were interested in pursuing radically different kinds of music (one member went on to join the EBM band Apoptygma Berzerk) [1] - before the EP was released and mainman Dolk (Norwegian for 'dagger'. His real name is Per-Joar which translates to 'mountain warrior' [2]) went on to conceive Kampfar. Fortunately, however, in 2007 Agonia Records re-released the tracks from the split and the EP in the compilation 'Mock', limited to 1000 copies.

Kampfar (which is an ancient Norse word for Odin or Wotan that warriors would cry before entering battles to heighten their performance [2]) was to be Dolk's continuation of his vision that Mock incited. In 1994, Dolk was seeing a girl whose brother was Thomas. Thomas originally played the piano and has a strong background in classical music. Dolk desperately needed a guitarist, having written the song 'Kampfar' on his bass and needing a guitarist to record it, and Thomas satisfied the position [3]. Dolk has stated that he has always attempted to distance Kampfar from the abundance of Norwegian black metal bands that were spawning at the time. The band designed a logo that did not immediately resonate the symetric, gothic type-face or illegibility of other black metal bands and they dropped the corpse-paint of Mock, "It was really a strange thing because people didn't understand the concept of black metal without corpse-paint." [3] Dolk evades labelling Kampfar black metal, which he considers relates to the Satanic; he opts to dub his band 'Norse pagan folklore metal'.

A demo restricted to 250 copies was released in 1995 on the respected Season of Mist, recorded between 1994-1995. In the same year, the pair's debut self-titled EP was recorded. Bearing the colourful image of a Norwegian landscape on its front cover, the release could be disregarded as black metal, considering the archetypal black and white covers of black metal bands in the mid-nineties. With Dolk handling vocal and drumming duties and Thomas covering guitars and bass, the EP is undeniably the foundation for Kampfar's modern sound, with thick organic atmospheres contrasted sharply with aggressive buzzing, both created by the guitar. The song 'Kampfar' clocks in at over nine minutes, beginning rather relaxed before launching itself into more violent passages akin to a more thoughtful early Bathory, escalating towards icy highlights and concluding with proud, warrior-esque clean vocals, similar to what Fenriz does with Storm whose sole album was released in the same year as this EP. 'Hymne' sounds distinctively Norse and with subtle clean vocals used sparsely for the intro: "Hymne til Odin", it is clear that this song pays homage to the Norse god Odin, often considered a clichéd theme in contemporary metal. The final track is 'Hjemkomsten' (which translates to 'The homecoming'). Laden with synths, 'Hjemkomsten' subtracts the black metal guitar, reducing the frosty atmosphere, and focuses on melody with a simple yet complimentive drum beat. The music evokes images of exploration, folklore and of course nature. This track displays Thomas' classical influences best and tottering over the two minute mark, the song retains the listener's interest throughout as well as underscoring that Kampfar are more than a simply a black metal act.

In 1997, Kampfar released their debut full-length album 'Mellom Skogkledde Aaser' (which translates along the lines to 'across wood-covered hills') on Malicious Records, recorded in X-ray Studio in September and October of 1996. All of the songs extend beyond six minutes and there is no confirmation of stagnation. Opening with piercing female screams, the album stings into 'Valdogg' with an incredible multi-dimensional guitar sound, previously unknown to Kampfar but destined to become their trademark, unique sound. Melody is married with the abrasive guitars as heard on the self-titled observation, forming what is now popularly described as pagan metal (Viking metal meets black metal). There is no overt use of keyboards or any component that can be classified as folk metal, which is certainly one of the many prominent strengths of this album [4]. The atmosphere is substantiated further with seething guitar rhythms and the melodies adorn it with the icy temperatures Kampfar usually employ, only they sound more accentuated. A cleaned up version of 'Hymne' makes an appearance on the album with a few additional seconds. The structures feel natural as opposed to forced or splintered. Even in modern times, this stands as one of the greatest contributions to black metal.

The following year, the band released another EP named 'Norse' on Hammerheart Records. The title-track is noticeably more upbeat than anything captured on 'Mellom Skogkledde Aaser', having been written in a major key, making it significantly more accessible. Interestingly enough, although this song is less atmospheric in the traditional sense, it comes across more vividly. This is also Kampfar's first musical venture into the English language, although the other songs are in Norwegian. On the whole, the guitar leads have progressed greatly and the melodies are easier to pick out. 'Troll' is an inferior song to 'Norse' which is relentless in its progression, but 'Troll' is still earns repeated listens with its acoustic introduction and the addition of synths later on. Closing track 'Tæring' serves as an outro, coming across as fairly uplifting and closer to folk than the previous songs.

After the 'Norse' EP, Kampfar unleashed their sophomore album on the metal world. 'Fra Underverdenen' (which translates as 'from the undergrowth') was released in 1999, again on Hammerheart records. It picks up from the EP; 'Norse' is on the tracklisting. Kampfar experiment more on this album, moving at various tempos, drawing out their ductile guitar melodies into a bevy of alternative styles, all while ignoring the use of archetypal or tacky synths. The atmosphere is different - thick and suffocating at times yet unlike anything they band has previously committed to record. The inclusion of a digeridoo can be heard on 'Troll, Død Og Trolldom' and a cello on 'Svart Og Vondt' too which illustrates how far Kampfar have come in a such a brief amount of time. The Norwegians still attain their aggressive roots with 'Mørk Pest' juxtaposing visceral passages with melodic ones, typical of Viking metal but Kampfar are certainly one of the first to employ it so brazenly. This is a sublime example of Kampfar's innovation.


Unfortunately, events ground to a halt after 'Fra Underverdenen' when Thomas and Dolk went through personal issues that set Kampfar on a lengthy hiatus. These problems would have to be solved before the pair could return to making music together. During the years of inactivity, Dolk received several letters each week from fans questioning what happened to Kampfar. These served as an inspiration for Dolk to continue with Kampfar at some point. Three years later, the Norwegians reactivated Kampfar and were given two options: to continue the band as before or to get more members and expand into a live band. Previously, the band had received offers to perform live but always refused due to only being a two-piece [1]. However, they selected the latter option with ease and found suitable musicians in two years; Kampfar were now joined by drummer 1113 (who now lives in the Netherlands) and bassist Jon Kabber in 2003, the latter of whom Dolk met while doing session vocals for the black/death metal band Gruesome [2].

The new Kampfar line up

Kampfar joined the Austrian label Napalm Record's roster who Dolk has had intense links with since the mid-nineties. The label showed the most interest in the band, as opposed to money which suited Kampfar impeccably. In 2006, Kampfar's first two albums were re-released by their new record label who bought the rights for the full-lengths. The Napalm pressing of 'Fra Underverdenen' comes with the 'Norse' EP as an extra. Both of these albums had been sold out for almost five years so the re-release was a positive action from Napalm. The first pressing of 'Mellom Skogkeldde Aaser' sold over 6,000 copies, yet Thomas and Dolk received nothing [1]. It was sold to Century Media and Napalm original bought the rights from them and Kampfar are now benefiting richly. The self-titled mini-CD has not been re-released because Season of Mist refuse to sell it as it still sells so well.

2006 also saw Kampfar's hotly anticipated return to the studio with 'Kvass' (translated as 'sharp') coming out and receiving universal praise. It was a difficult album to create, considering 1113 and Kabber had to adapt to Dolk and Thomas' personal style but eventually they did with optimum results. The release showcases crystal-clear production which compliments the music remarkably, illuminating all of its attributes. 'Ravenheart' is the token English song, conveying the spirit of Kampfar to non-Norwegian listeners and due to its English language, this track is frequently considered the best on the album. The album utilises impressive rhythms and the inclusion of trance-inducing and dreamy states shares common ground with other Viking metal bands. The trademark coupling of melody and abrasion is still present, marking this album Kampfar's. The album seems colder and moodier than 'Fra Underverdenen' but not completely; 'Gaman Av Drømmer' is in a major key and ends the album in an upbeat manner. This is the album that secured a brand new fanbase for Kampfar, their breakthrough album.

'Kvass' was succeeded by 'Heimgang' in 2008. Recorded at Silvertone Studio, the same studio used for 'Kvass', Dolk wanted 'Heimgang' to be a return-to-roots album as he believes the band lost atmosphere over the years. The album is closer to analogue than digital and Dolk had the intention of making it sound more honest and genuine; the drums on 'Inferno' were recorded on the first take. With 1113 and Kabber more familiar with the workings of Dolk and Thomas, it was much easier to write this CD as a cohesive unit. Lyrically, the album deals with crossing over into the Underworld of Norse mythology, a topic that has fascinated Dolk since he was young. Some of the topics discussed occurred locally to Dolk; 'Antvort' is about a priest supported by the Norwegian state as someone spreading the word of God who dabbled with both the light and the dark. The priest originally lived very close to where Dolk lived, about 200 years ago [6]. Unlike the last two studio efforts, there are no English songs on this release, which secures Kampfar's integrity in terms of searching for commercial success. The album is consciously more stripped down and more of a straight-forward metal release.'Inferno' hits like a blazing hammer; 'Vettekult' illustrates maturity as the band's most emotive track; 'Vansinn' is Kampfar at their most refreshingly folk metal sounding with a particularly insistent rhythm while avoiding the clichéd monotony of bands such as Finntroll, Ensiferum and Korpiklaani. This is a very intensive release for Kampfar, pushing them to their limits in spite of their back-tracking to a more atmospheric sound.

Kampfar are currently working on new material and it is tricky to predict what kind of direction they will move in. Either way, expecting a disappointing release would most likely be a terrible mistake.

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[1] Soundshock's Kampfar interview, 2009
[2] Sheol Magazine's Kampfar interview, 2007
[3] Heathen Harvest's Kampfar interview, 2009
[4] but the design and cover art is interestingly enough by Season of Mist
[5] Perhaps it should be noted that this album was released around a similar time that folk bands such as Ensiferum and Finntroll were being constructed.
[6] Living for Metal's Kampfar interview, 2009

Agallochganic - How Agalloch Usurped the Metal World

Agalloch are impressing metallers on an international scale.

Since the 2006 release Ashes Against the Grain, America's Agalloch have substantially widened their audience and, in addition to this, most of their fans are indeed fanatics. The band's name is on everyone's lips in the metal world. Even their reviews on Metal Archives praise the band in unison (with one exception but this seems petty considering there are nearly twenty reviews for each album, upon writing). With three full-length opuses and a number of harder-to-obtain releases, Agalloch have rewritten the rulebook concerning natural and organic metal.

Defining Agalloch is a challenge firstly because their music encompasses a variety of influence and secondly because their sound has developed over the years. In terms of mood, Agalloch paint the same natural picture as bands such as Opeth [1], Novembers Doom and early Katatonia. Genre-wise, Agalloch side towards the folk/doom metal side of styling, predominantly with black metal and post-rock embellishments although the magnitude of these individual genres varies over the band's discography.

The band members of this Portland, Oregon based act place a substantial emphasis on their aesthetic. In an interview with Metal Rules, guitarist Don Anderson states that he wishes for the band to be remembered "For having excellent aesthetic sense and original, quality music." Notice that aesthetic sense is mentioned before the music. It would be presumptuous to state that the band cherish their imagery over their music but one can infer it is an imperative aspect to Agalloch. Interestingly enough, in the same Metal Rules interview, the band claim to be influenced by film as opposed to other bands. Anderson explains: "I think its unproductive to be directly influenced by something within your medium, so we really rely a lot on cinema." Interestingly enough, Swedish director Ingmar Bergman is cited as an influence.

Lyrical themes throughout the band's career pertain to typical natural imagery, drawing images of wilderness, snow, birds and woodland. Rather than simply describe scenery, the band positions a narrator, generally exclaiming their despair via the nature, into the lyrics. Such a lyrical theme is befitting of the music and the cover art of their releases.



Unlike their lyrical theme, the music of the band has shifted considerably since their demo days. Agalloch's first release was their demo From Which of this Oak and Anderson states in an interview with Metal Invader "On the demo we were very typical Swedish Death/Black Metal, aside from 'As Embers Dress the Sky'- we had yet to even begin tapping into what our sound would come to be." The sound is reminiscent of early Katatonia and early Ulver. It is a rather melancholy death doom metal composition with black metal and folk meddling and a quicker tempo. Of course the band's own ideas have been incorporated into the release sublimely.


The first album entitled Pale Folklore was released in 1999 on The End Records, which deals with various unique metal bands, including Subterranean Masquerade with whom Agalloch bassist Jason William Watson has worked with in the past. This release is musically more refined than From Which of this Oak, possibly due to the reduction of black metal, substituted with gothic metal sounds. Some of the clean vocals strike as amateur but the growls are commendable. Although the whole album is emotively charged, there are heavy passages and lighter ones, such as the gentle 'She Painted Fire Across the Skyline Part I'. The use of whispers really underscore the beauty of the track and question the necessity of the sung vocals throughout. The second part of this song reminds me of The Gathering's Always album with its use of gothic ethereal guitar which converses with the final part of 'She Painted Fire Across the Skyline'; the third part is a heavier affair, more rhythmic than its previous pieces and utilizing black metal most poignantly and concluding with a humble piano exit. 'The Misshapen Steed' is truly testament to the band's interest in cinema and film soundtracks for the song sounds like it is emphasising a cinematic quality.


Of all of Agalloch's non-album works, I feel Of Stone, Wind and Pillor to be the release worth mentioning above all others. The title track is the centrepiece of the expression and combines acoustic guitar with electric in such a moving manner. Compared to the band's previous efforts, this song finds itself becoming quite gritty at times. It also moves similarly to something from Katatonia's Dance of December Souls with a retreat to melodramatic doom metal laden passages as frequented on their demo. The black metal is kept to a fair minimum here providing envious results. The two instrumentals a sweeteners to this release and the Sol Invictus cover 'Kneel to the Cross' features an improved use of vocals compared to their other releases.


The Mantle is the album where the post-rock sound Agalloch have come to incorporate thoroughly into their music beings to manifest itself only in miniscule measures. 'In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion' is a curious piece of music, wondering through almost progressive passages. There are several guitar leads that express a new direction in the band's compositions and the drumming sounds thoughtful and introspective. The song sounds indescribably refreshing. The effect of resonating guitars, especially on 'Odal', works on a similar basis to progressive bands who use the same technique and sounds introspective. However, the album suffers the clean vocals of John Haughm. It would be more beneficial of the band if they were completely omitted. They sound far too relaxed and one-dimensional to be performing on music such as this and contradict the mood. Whilst the growls remain fairly average, they are significantly less trifling than the clean vocals.


Ashes Aganinst the Grain garnered the band worldwide attention, or so it would appear. The black metal element is barely audible. There is a modern gothic metal moment that echoes Lacrimas Profundere's modern material and the post-rock sound makes no effort to appear inconspicuous. There is a fine line between post-rock and the jangles of indie and indeed 'Fire Above, Ice Below' strays into this territory and the upbeat mood leaves the piece slightly confused but fortunately, these indie scrapings are not bountiful. The three seperate parts of 'Our Fortress is Burning' could quite easily have been condensed into a much more succinct tune and the third part that concludes the album sounds contrary to the rest of the music that preceded it, leaving the disc ambiguous at its tail end. The folk element of Agalloch is almost wholly eradicated, probably in submission for the post-rock. Agalloch used neo-folk elements in their music perfectly and its reduction for this releases seems tragic considering the amount of scope that remained within their capacity to position it and how to utilize it in their music. Another negative feature, again, is the vocal shortcomings mentioned previously.


With the limited release of The White, it feels like Agalloch released this EP to console those who missed the emphatic folk elements on their last album. This EP is an acoustic release playing neofolk and ambient tunes. For this reason alone, it is best not to consider this a precise indicator of future paths to be pursued by the band. Nonetheless, the melodies and rhythms of The White reminds me of neofolk bands like Of The Wand And The Moon and of Green Carnation's Acoustic Verses. Acoustic albums are a common part of a band that appear influenced by nature's repertoire (Opeth, Borknagar, Green Carnation etc.) so it is natural for Agalloch to produce a similar working.

Agalloch's main shortcomings are certainly the vocals. Haughm should drop them entirely and new talent should be enrolled. I feel a cross between Novembers Doom's Paul Kuhr and Kim Larsen from Of The Wand And The Moon would suit Agalloch's music most ideally. Alternatively, the music would sound better if the were no clean vocals and the listener was treated to more instrumental passages. Additionally, Agalloch are a band that produces lengthy songs but at times, some of these songs would be more compelling if they were cropped to a shorter length and would not reduce the atmosphere evoked.

Obviously these weak points will not deter others. It seems like Agalloch are an inspiration to bands world wide. The fusion of post-rock in many of the younger suicidal black metal bands may be a casual link to Agalloch. The UK band Fen clearly draw inspiration from these Americans with their brand of atmospheric black metal peppered with post-rock and are highly enthralling to many. However, The Morningside, hailing from Russia, are a poor man's Agalloch and early Katatonia with only the vocals setting them apart from either band. Needless to say, The Morningside leave significantly more to be desired.

In a world where Opeth and Ulver reached an audience beyond the realms of angsty and supposedly romantic metalheads to a high level of acclaim, it does not seem unreasonable for Agalloch to clamber up the same ladder. They are yet to release the same release twice, opting to carve unique music and progress their sound with each release. Detractors are scarce and the fans they attract are dedicated and passionate about this band from Oregon. The band maybe overrated slightly but they are certainly worthy of investigation.


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[1] In an interview with Earache, bassist Jason William Watson denies that Opeth were ever an influence on Agalloch but claim Katatonia were. The sounds of early Opeth and early Katatonia have several similarities and this clarifies the notion of Opeth considered an influence on Agalloch by some.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Black Metal

Black metal is metal's most controversial genre, predominantly due to events that occurred in Norway in the early '90s involving murder, suicide and church burnings. Black metal imagery has been linked to Satanism, suicide, Nazism and other far right beliefs, creating a following of rejected mainstream society and social expectation. Musically, black metal is an articulation of despair and hatred with either an admiration for nature or complete nihilism. The definition of this genre's ideology varies depending on the person.

The original second wave Norwegian bands shared the value of poor production. One reason for this was supposedly a reaction to the death metal movement prominent in Florida and neighbouring country, Sweden. Interestingly some of these second wave acts, such as Satyricon and Mayhem, moved on to create a clearer sound in regards to production on later releases. These bands were labelled sell outs. Fans argue that raw production adds an otherwise unattainable arcane atmosphere to black metal. Darkthrone, another second wave act, have kept their gritty production to this day in spite of progressing their sound to a punk influenced one, currently playing black 'n' roll. The raw production certainly does have its charm but sometimes this idea becomes exaggerated and the result is low-fi black metal that completely usurps the guitars and drums audibility. Often, the music is unlistenable and becomes termed 'bedroom black metal' - as if it had been hastily recorded in someone's bedroom with basic equipment and the help of a computer.

Darkthrone

Returning to Darkthrone's progression from traditional black metal into black 'n' roll, black metal has spawned a variety of subgenres. Symphonic black metal, suicidal black metal, romantic black metal, raw black metal, black 'n' roll and melodic black metal are just some of the genre labels that are attached to albums. This is in addition to the merging of black metal with other metal subgenres for example progressive black metal, black thrash metal etc. [1] The opinion of the black metal fanbase appears somewhat polarized on black metal expanding its musical ideas. Many expect black metal to remain raw and primitive, seeing any fusion of melody or catchiness as a grasp towards mainstream acception and thus 'selling out'. Satyricon has been accused of selling out for trading their medieval black metal sound for the black 'n' roll road [2] and creating catchy numbers such as 'Fuel For Hatred' and 'K.I.N.G.' alongside creating music videos for these songs. Their real reason for losing fans (the band were not so detested around the time of their Volcano release which was strictly black 'n' roll and included 'Fuel For Hatred') was signing up to Roadrunner Records, the same record label that houses big rock acts such as Slipknot and Nickelback. Similarly, Cradle of Filth from the UK suffered a similar fate a few years earlier, signing up to Sony Music and then settling down with Roadrunner Records for their 2004 full-length Nymphetamine. Their music morphed from their symphonic black metal to an extreme gothic metal sound borrowing elements from various other metal subgenres. Dimmu Borgir, a Norwegian act, also began their early days spawning symphonic black metal before giving into an extreme gothic metal sound like Cradle of Filth and often receives the same criticism as Cradle of Filth.

If black metal were not to expand beyond the realms of its raw or symphonic sound, it would be a very limiting genre. New bands would be performing old music. This explains the decision to expand black metal's musical capabilities. Suicidal black metal (also dubbed depressive black metal) is a popular and fairly modern alternative, utilizing depressing tremolo picking black metal sometimes with a subtle and seething melody, often with quieter post-rock passages interspersed between the black metal, using screams and whispers. Lyrically, the focus is on suicide, self-harm and depression as opposed to the usual anti-Christian themes. In recent years, this has become somewhat of a trend in black metal circles with bands such as Shining, Silencer and Lifelover increasing their fanbase. The post-rock in Lifelover and Shining songs make the band significantly more accessible than second wave Norwegian band Mayhem's debut album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, a highly-regarded black metal classic. Suicidal black metal has come under fire with insults, with tormentors claiming the association with suicide and self-harm is identical to the 'emo' phase enjoyed by the mainstream at the time.

Shining

Experimentation within black metal has led to some truly outstanding music, particularly with avant-garde bands such as Arcturus [3] who began making black metal and moving towards the more conceptual and unique. Norway is home to numerous avant-garde bands who have at least a smidgeon of black metal creeping into their sound: Ulver, Solefald and Ved Buens Ende. Additionally, Norwegian black metal musicians teamed up to create the avant-garde band that draw more influence from the progressive side of metal - Age of Silence. Age of Silence can be compared to Winds (both bands share the drummer, Hellhammer, of Mayhem fame), also from Norway. However, Winds play neoclassical progressive metal and their interesting component is that most of the band members play in black metal bands.

Progressive metal occasionally seems like a logical progression from black metal particularly with the inclusion of avant-garde. Emperor frontman, Ihsahn, created a solo project which was progressive metal exclusively [4]. This seems hardly surprising considering the post-black metal direction Emperor pursued with their later material. Before Ihsahn, progressive metal and black metal had been married together numerous times. Vintersorg, Enslaved and Borknagar were certainly proactive in merging these genres into their Viking metal with great success. Akercocke from England incorporated progressive metal passages into their death/black metal hybrid as their discography accumulated. Finland's Moonsorrow play black/folk/Viking metal but are sure to embellish their music with progressive metal influence, being fans of progressive rock. All of these bands have contributed something worth listening to in the black metal genre. In Enslaved's case, it appears their progressive metal has significantly overtaken their black metal; with each release, the band become less black metal and more progressive. Black metal purists hail abuse in Enslaved's direction, concerning the reduction of black metal in their music. Akercocke receives similar distaste.

Enslaved

Black metal did create an entire new genre of metal, named Viking metal due to its narrow lyrical themes. This genre began when Bathory decided to cease creating black metal and offered the metal world a slab of thrash metal paired with a new sound unprecedented in metal with their 1990 opus Hammerheart. Viking metal is an ambiguous genre to some; bands who merely vocalise about Viking history or mythology are mistakenly label so such as Unleashed, a Swedish death metal band. Lyrical themes cannot decide a band's genre. Viking metal is punctuated by its staccato rhythm and atmospheric (usually tinged with a black metal sound) guitar riffs, symphonic metal keyboards with vocals ranging from black metal growls to clean singing full of pride. It borrows influence from black, thrash and folk metal predominantly. Many classify it alongside folk metal for its lack of defining substance. As it has very few signature features, Viking metal can easily be welded with other metal genres. Black and folk metal seem the most popular pairings with Viking metal. Popular examples of Viking metal include Kampfar, Thyrfing, Manegarm, Svartsot and Myrkgrav. If black metal did not exist, this experimental genre would not have surfaced.

It should be emphasised that black metal was conceived by teenagers and with its exclusive subculture, flamboyant image and the events that surrounded the Norwegian 'Black Circle', this genre went against its own objectives and became mainstream, receiving more media attention than any other metal genre. It is simplistic to play resulting in a multitude of people worldwide forming black metal bands with no actual creativity, new ideas or progression of old ones. Black metal remains the most highly populated metal subgenre after death metal. Needless to say, there are countless imitations of the second wave bands. It is not challenging to play and it retains an image of supposed evilness which is what makes forming a black metal band so attractive and easy. Black metal fans usually take themselves so seriously and project over-the-top humours imagery that they are frequently ridiculed by other members of the metal following.

Another runt of the black metal litter is the imitation church burnings, grave desecration, murders and suicides that have occurred worldwide under the influence of this genre by its fans. This simply results in more media exposure and exploitation of the genre. It dully informs people of black metal misconceptions, resulting in negative opinions. With black metal experiencing so much controversy, various people have found an opening to make money out of its image. There are numerous documentaries on the genre but none of them focus on the music itself; they are far more concerned with the murders, church burnings and suicides of the genre, churning the genre into nothing more than scandal and gossip for the general public to digest. What is covered in the documentaries is considered common knowledge among black metal fans. Potentially worse are books like Lucifer Rising and Lords of Chaos which slander and exaggerate incidents in black metal and are generally considered unreliable sources. Burzum mastermind Varg Vikernes has released in-depth criticisms on both of the aforementioned books on his website.

After Vikernes was arrested following the murder of Mayhem guitarist of the time Euronymous, he spent some time adhering to Nazi ideology. One print of Darkthrone's Transylvanian Hunger CD has the phrase 'Norsk Ǻrisk Black Metal' on the back, which translates as 'Norwegian Aryan Black Metal'. This was removed on future prints following a disclaimer from the band denying that they are affiliated with any far-right movement. The website www.norsksvartmetall.com states: "I have old letters/photos from both Shagrath [from Dimmu Borgir] and Mortis before they became artists of note. Mortis is scribing a swastika into a tree trunk and Shagrath signs his letter with a swastika. This is more teenage ignorance than blatant fascist idealism, but all the same it is a very real glimpse into the minds of the early band members, and their one dimensional ethos of Norse pride merging with Anti-Christian hatred." [5] Black metal is associated with Nazism although most black metal bands are not connected to Nazism in anyway.

Naturally, the subterranean acceptance of far-right ideologies has certainly brought black metal to a new demographic. NSBM (ironically, Eastern Europe hosts a large NSBM scene) enjoys some popularity, no doubt exclusively because of its lyrical theme to some. Musically, it fails to show any defining trademarks save the strong punk influence (far more raw and unrefined than black 'n' roll); the link is solely lyrics relating to national socialism. NSBM bands of note include Aryan Terrorism, Absurd, Kataxu and Der Sturmer. Often, folk black metal is played by some of these NSBM bands which has led several folk/Viking metal bands such as Tyr, Moonsorrow and Eluveitie, to denounce any political beliefs articulated in their music.

With its rebellious lyrical content, the black metal scene does have a questionable fanbase more so than any other metal subgenre. Far too many Internet pretenders listen to black metal exclusively to enhance their social status, unable to differentiate between bands and like every black metal band they hear. Many explore only the 'kvlt' or underground black metal acts and pounce at the opportunity to heckles those who listen to more popular bands (apparently more popular bands are not 'true') or accessible styles of metal or music. Such an attitude is frequently ridiculed and black metal is becoming increasingly less popular as people begin to grow out of the trend. It seems like not many take black metal seriously predominantly due to the desperate portion of its fanbase. As a metal genre, it was unique as the subculture was in place before the music.

Now black metal sometimes feels like it has fallen from its former glory (if it ever existed) with key figures in the scene distancing themselves from it, including Burzum's Varg Vikernes and the members of Ulver and Darkthrone. Abbath from Immortal does not taking black metal seriously at all. It seems less arcane and organic than, with many vapid bands appearing in rapid succession. Most of the original second wave bands no longer play the exact type of black metal/music they started with [6] Do black metal's disadvantages outweigh its positive points? Black metal seems to be something more cosmetic than mystical nowadays with people opting jokily to try out with black metal vocals on televised singing competitions, American photographer Peter Beste releasing his photographs of Norwegian black metallers for a book available for purchase, countless tactless documentaries relating to the genre exploiting its controversies and a particular jewellery company releasing a tacky supposedly 'black metal inspired' range of jewellery. Perhaps black metal was meant to be nothing more than what it was initially. I doubt the original black metallers had the intention of using black metal to make money. But simultaneously, they are probably not complaining that they are making money out of it either.

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[1] Other loosely used terms are employed to describe certain variants of black metal, but not for musical discernability: USBM (United States Black Metal), TNBM (True Norwegian Black Metal), NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) and UGBM (Underground Black Metal).

[2] It seems unexplained that bands like Darkthrone and Satyricon who get penalised by the black metal scene for converting to black 'n' roll (before signing up to a major label as in Satyricon's case) whereas a band like Carpathian Forest who have been playing black 'n' roll since their inception do not receive noticable universal detraction.

[3] Interestingly, some consider Arcturus part of the original Norwegian second wave, having started life, like many of the other second wave components, playing death metal.

[4] His second album angL features a guest vocal performance by Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth, one of the most well-known progressive metal bands.

[5] http://www.norsksvartmetall.com/history.htm

[6] Some examples:

• Burzum: from black metal to ambient;
  
• Darkthrone: from raw black metal to black 'n' roll;
  
• Enslaved: from Viking/black metal to progressive/Viking/black metal;
  
• Emperor: from symphonic black metal to post-black metal;
• Mayhem: from raw black metal to post-black metal to black metal