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
  

...of 2008

As the year comes to a close, I find it fitting to do one of my own 'Best of 2008' style polls that so many are inclined to do. Unfortunately, due to no longer having all the time in the world, several key albums were completely ignored by me this year (the new Shining, Evergrey, Lifelover, Origin, the debut Jeff Loomis, to name but a few). Other albums just didn't get a profound enough listen to provoke an opinion (the new Edguy) and I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the more obscure releases I listened to so this list is far from substantial but I feel I must pen something down before the close of the year. Naturally, only bands I enjoy (or enjoyed) have been nominated here.


Best Release of 2008:
Opeth ~ Watershed

2008 was a poor turnout in regards to high-quality metal albums. I cannot help but feel that Opeth win by default. Watershed was fairly outstanding, with the band pushing their own boundaries in terms of experimentation ('The Lotus Eater' especially). The opening number, 'Coil', featured a female vocalist in its brevity and it seems near suspicious that a band like Opeth have not employed a female guest singer in the past. However, I felt 'Derelict Herds', one of the bonus tracks, was probably the strongest song on the album. It was wild, convincingly heavy and more colourful than the other songs on the opus. Why this is not on the main body of the album seems like a mistake. Nonetheless, Watershed is an aggressive piece of progressive art, another step in the right direction for Opeth.

Honourable mentions: Unleashed ~ Hammer Battalion; Cynic ~ Traced in Air


Best Song of 2008
Opeth ~ 'Coil'

It is a gentle track, completely acoustic with female vocals. For Opeth, the song is incredibly concise and indeed leaves the listener begging for more but this track acts as a prelude to the remainder of the album. There is a folk feeling here, no doubt produced from the acoustic method utilized. The song is dense in atmosphere and sweetly sung by both Akerfeldt and the female vocalist, two voices that compliment each other in an unconventional way. It sounds pure and untainted but there is a sense of foreboding woven within.

Honourable mentions: Moonspell ~ 'Scorpion Flower'; Kampfar ~ 'Vansinn'


Best Cover Art of 2008
Amon Amarth ~ Twilight of the Thunder God

This is certainly the most striking image from cover art this year. I feel that most modern album arts seem to be some thoughtless and supposedly mature Photoshopped image which could have been produced by anyone with the program, or some 'minimalist' piece of forgettable art. I believe the cover art should be a visual representation of the music and Amon Amarth's Twilight of the Thunder God actually harvested some interesting musical techniques which saw the Swedes' melodic death metal progress, rather than stick to the same old tried and tested formula the band are more than comfortable with. The album art sticks out more than anything pictorial the band have released as part of their discography too. This picture of Thor battling Jormungand after he fished him up, lifted directly from Norse mythology, is nothing short of powerful, probably to underscore the potential power of the CD. The colours are bold and dark but the use of white is what makes it so tenacious to behold. The attention to detail makes the realism that much more compelling even though the average person knows such a tale could never be true. Some may complain about the image being over the top but when you're dealing with (melodic death) metal centred around Vikings...well, nothing more needs to be stated.

Honourable mentions: Asmegin ~ Arv; Darkthrone ~ Dark Thrones and Black Flags


Best Lyrics of 2008
Opeth ~ 'Coil'

Again, Opeth steal this victory by default because I have not really had the time to digest the lyrics of much else this year. Over the years, I feel Opeth's lyrics are denaturing in quality. Most of the lyrics on Watershed seem banal for a band such as Opeth but the lyrics belonging to 'Coil' stick out, probably because its too short to be ruined by slap-dash work. I suppose this is a biased call again because the lyrics remind me of far too many personal situations and make me nostalgic. They seem somewhat arcane (who is the man and who is the woman), completely clouded by mystery. It seems vaguely stylish the way the words of the man are mirrored for the woman's use. Above all, the lyrics corroborate the mood of the music. Well chosen stuff.


Best Newcomer of 2008
The Rotted ~ Get Dead or Die Trying

I cannot think of many outstanding bands that made their debut this year (I know there is Trinacria but frustratingly I cannot get my hands on their album at all). Alas, I am cheating by putting The Rotted as best newcomer, seeing as they changed their name from Gorerotted but nonetheless, their 'debut' album Get Dead or Die Trying is a great slab of death metal. The presence of punk-sourced riffs is prevalent throughout the entire release, making it gritty and raw compared to straightforward death metal or even most standard grindcore acts. The catchy nature of Gorerotted remains, which marks songs like 'Kissing You With My Fists' and 'Angel of Meth' more memorable. Songs like 'The Howling' and 'The Body Tree' are unexpectedly aggressive and literally smack the listener in the face. This album is far more commendable than Gorerotted's final album A New Dawn for the Dead and should be picked up by anyone who thought Gorerotted were, at the least, amusing. The tongue-in-cheek element of Gorerotted has been severely eroded in The Rotted but Get Dead or Die Trying seems more so than A New Dawn for the Dead.

Honourable mention: Warrel Dane ~ Praises to the War Machine


Best Live Show of 2008
Queensryche, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, 15th June

Usually, I take my camera to every live show I attend, however, this abnormal hike to Leeds to catch Queensryche live forced me to forget it. Of course I would pay for it, this being the best gig of the year! There was no support act and the band proceeded to perform both of their Operation Mindcrime albums back to back. The albums were acted out so it was more akin to watching a musical than the average metal spectacle. I was completely blown away. Geoff Tate's voice was on top form, despite circulating comments about how poor it is these days. The costume design, the stage design, the acting ~ it was all superlatively executed, culminating in a compelling watch. The only way it could have been improved was if Dio himself was there to perform his guest vocals (and the backing vocals were distributed more effectively). The encore was composed exclusively of Empire tracks, that being my favourite Queensryche album and one of my favourite releases of all time. This was the first time I had caught Queensryche live (various impediments obstructed me in the past) and it was mind-blowing. I had to see them in Leeds because the London show clashed with Hellfest and there was no way I was missing Queensryche this time. There was the option to pay an extra £30 or so to obtain the VIP package, which gave you a few Queensryche stickers, earlier access into the venue by fifteen minutes and an opportunity to meet the band. I had no interest in any of this but the thought of the VIP purchasers getting right at the front and taking up all the best positions was frustrating. However, being up North, there were barely any VIPers and they spent their extra fifteen minutes at the bar or cloakroom, it seemed. The front row was entirely void of life when I got in there. It certainly would have been a different story in crowded London, not to mention the stage would have been larger and less intimate. Great stuff.

Honourable mentions: Helheim, Purple Turtle, London, 10th March; Sabaton, Purple Turtle, London, 5th December


Best Festival of 2008
Hellfest Open Air 2008, Clisson, 20th ~ 22nd June

The 2007 edition of Hellfest was a total disaster in terms of organisation and general appeasement of the audience and bands. With clashes, poor toilet (even for festival standards)and camping services on top of the uncontrollable weather conditions, many a fan and band swore to never return to the festival again. I was lured back with a stellar line-up and the promise of an improved festival over all. Everything was drastically improved, flawless in fact. There were more fatal clashes this year compared with last but I had already seen the bands I was forced to skip. The line-up crushed all the other European festivals especially when you factored in the clash deficiency that other festivals cannot avoid (take that, Wacken!) and the number of attendees was very small for a weekend long open air metal festival in a place as easy to reach as France (around 12,000 per day). Everyone I conversed with who attended the 2007 and 2008 editions of the festival agreed that this year was far superior and in terms of festivals, it was amazing too. I caught some of my personal favourite bands, including Helloween and Katatonia, caught live bands I'd never bother to see headlining now in London like Motorhead, and caught talent that would never come across to England for various reasons such as Alchemist and Haemorrhage. Of course I did the obligatory discovering new bands and talking to some of the ostensibly craziest people on the planet.

Honourable mentions: Bloodstock Open Air, Catton Hall, 15th ~ 17th August; Damnation Festival, Leeds, 22nd November


Biggest Release Disappointment of 2008
Judas Priest ~ Nostradamus

Judas Priest are one of my favourite bands and when I heard they were creating a full-length that would spread across two CDs, I was apprehensive. The problem with bands doing this is the possibility of not having enough ideas to spread across two discs, like Therion and their Gothic Kabbalah album. Priest fell into this category. I love Angel of Retribution but when I heard the song 'Nostradamus', the first track the band officially released for audience consumption, I was concerned that the band might be recycling Painkiller stylings to satiate the high expectations they were anchored to. When I got the album, I listened to both discs numerous times before concluding that the shade of Painkiller were absent but the album spent all of its tracks building up to some kind of overwhelming climax which did not really surface. On the first disc, the 'climax' arrived in the form of 'Persecution'. It was a decent track but certainly not worth the wait. On disc two, the high point was the title track and this was followed by 'Future of Mankind', a song that stretched to over eight minutes when it could easily have been condensed. Disc two was certainly inferior to disc one. Disc one had some highly commendable solos. Another issue with Nostradamus was that the sub-songs that essentially linked the proper full-length songs together were far too common and only isolated the songs and dislocated the flow of the album over all. It was like watching a film with far too many intermissions in between. This was worse than all those brutal death metal bands who insist on having a sample at the start of every track. I hope Judas Priest can pull out something more impressive next time round. This album was hotly anticipated for a couple of years. A real disappointment.

Honourable mentions: Keep of Kalessin ~ Kolossus; Psycroptic ~ Ob(Servant)


Most Embarrassing Release of 2008
Cryptopsy ~ The Unspoken King

Cryptopsy's legacy as one of the greatest technical death metal bands was horrendously besmirched when the band released their new album with their new vocalist. Animosity was stirred when the new growler, Matt McGachy, was announced as Lord Worm's replacement before this album was released after a simplistic vetting process informed the death metal scene that McGachy's past endeavours were for that of a metalcore band. Rumours flew about that Cryptopsy would turn metalcore but I reserved my opinion for when the album was released. The addition of a female keyboard player into the band's line-up additionally raised eyebrows. The first song the band released was 'Worship Your Demons' and it was deathcore! Sure, Flo Mounier's drumming was top form but the song was undeniably deathcore, complete with metalcore boat-ruddering growls. When The Unspoken King was officially released the entire Cryptopsy fanbase was in utter dismay. 'Worship Your Demons' was actually the best song on the album. The rest of the pestilence included metalcore/death metal hybrid guitar riffs, an insignificant bass and worst of all clean vocals in the whiney emo style. Everybody hated it and by everybody, I mean every metal fan. For most universally detested metal albums, I generally come across at least one defendant whether online or in person but I am yet to meet the individual willing to stand up for this reprehensible effort. Cryptopsy continued to grave-dig for themselves; the female keyboard player they recruited was dropped from their ranks because they did not use the keyboards enough on The Unspoken King. This was a smart move even though it got them ridiculed by their fanbase further for making such an indescribably questionable decision in the first place but all the promotional pictures had her marketed more so than the vocalist. A grasp towards sex appeal to sell more? Mounier would deny it. I conducted an interview with him at the close of the year where he denied he had ever heard metalcore, even though over the past few years, Cryptopsy have been touring North America with countless metalcore bands. Mounier's fall from grace continued before my interview with rant after rant, proclaiming all The Unspoken King detractors were George Bush supporters among other childish insults. The band eventually went as far as recording the track 'Dinner Time' which begins with an apparent ex-Cryptopsy fan ranting about how the band have sold out and how their new effort is a disgrace to death metal. His monologue is interrupted by his mother who vehemently knocks on the door, wailing at her son to get off the Internet because it's dinner time. Mounier just needs to learn to ignore the people that make him feel bad. Not even Metallica reacted as violently to their fanbase after releasing St. Anger.

Honourable mentions: Kataklysm ~ Prevail; Communic ~ Payment of Existence


Most Overrated Release of 2008
Krisiun ~ Southern Storm

I don't really converse with metalheads much but it seems that Krisiun's Southern Storm is commanding attention. I cannot understand what people see in this release; I have a theory that most of those worshipping it have not heard any previous Krisiun efforts prior to this one. Krisiun are doing nothing new in the slightest with this full-length, severely lacking variation between songs and doing nothing new for their discography. I could handle AssassiNation but this release is totally redundant as far as death metal goes. The Sepultura cover is the best part of the album, simply because it is discernible among the rest of music here. Generic brutal death metal at its finest (after that inaudible static-guitar rubbish).

Honourable mention: Eluveitie ~ Slania


These are all the categories I can care to compose at the moment. If I think of anymore, I will post them here but I doubt it.

~ ~ ~

I look forward to hearing the releases of 2009. Hopefully it will be a superior year to this one. The forthcoming Pain of Salvation, Megadeth, Katatonia, Freak Kitchen, Scythe, Kreator (which has already leaked), Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation among countless others will at least give me enough material to reproduce an updated version of these 'awards'. Fingers crossed anyhow.