For all its bluster about being evil, black metal after the Norwegians is the exact opposite. The genre welcomes any newcomer, and will immediately immerse them in a world where everyone is unique if they use the right combination of trite blasphemous cliches. It's the only place where you can scream "I want to kill everyone and everything" and get a group hug. You can also take Garage Band, four chords and a fifteenth-rate imitation of the truth, pop out a demo, and quickly have people calling you a genius. Even with the imagery of violence and hatred, black metal is very sweet. The black metal Nazis don't mind if you're black, as long as you want to be a black metal Nazi. Black metallers don't even care if you want to listen to black metal, as long as you're cool with it, they're cool with you. It's like a big emo community, dedicated to making Satan cute and the apocalypse amusing. But no one has yet dared use the word "twee" in public to describe it.
You don't like the cliché's in a lot of black metal bands? That's fine with me, but can you stop exaggerating so retardedly. I guess they'd love to give you a group hug since they have their arms covered in metallic nails. Why would the scene itself not be 'sweet'? I think sweet is kind of the wrong word though, they're friendly yes. And more so to their fellow scene musicians who do things they like. Wow, that's really strange huh. You thought they'd stab all their collegues who did a good cliché black metal album and sacrifice them to satan just as in their lyrics? Boohoo. Anyway, I guess you don't like were the genre musically is going and how some bands get appreciated for doing some typical black metal things and not exactly anything new. If this is the case the twee thing is a bit of a strange way to make your point. I like my black metal mostly how it was done in the 90's and have no problem with bands doing kind of the same thing as long as it rocks my socks off. Seems lots of black metal musicians like it as well. So there's no problem at all. Especially not since there are also other black metal bands who are trying new things. It's not a one kind genre anymore so this generalization of you counts only for a certain kind of black metal, which should make you happy so there's also black metal for you that you can indulge in without getting grouphugs for cliché behaviour.
I don't know if I'd describe certain black metal scenes as "twee", probably more "pathetic" if they keep running their mouths off at how evil they are. Ain't nothing wrong with clones if they're having fun, so long as they're recognised as that. Grabbing onto the newest clone and hailing it as original is kinda shit. One thing I wanna know, is if a genuinely sweet black metal band, one that genuinely espouses love and cuteness and puppy dogs, would become "twee". They certainly wouldn't get hugs from the evil crowd, and it is a little bit original for black metal (don't quote me on this), so where would it stand?
If this love is expressed in their music it would not be much appreciated, if it's not connected to the music I think most of the scene would not care. They're not all idiots in black metal and they certainly don't have the same opinion on everything. Some people always seem to forget with these questions that with a music scene there's a difference between the music related things like lyrics and image and non-music related things. They are generally not their evil corpsepainted stage image, people. Maybe you have seen one black metal artist took it a bit too far but it doesn't count for most of them. Damn man, what a shitty generalization to take serious.
Yeah, that's right. To be honest, I was kinda reacting to an interview I saw in a magazine from some underground black metal band (can't remember who), in which they just repeated the whole tired shit of beating up posers and being true. Things like that just irritate me. we need more Fenrizes and Abbaths
I think black metal has evolved very interestingly. I'm talking especially about the French and French Canadian scenes. I don't give a fuck how gay you might think it is, I like Nuit Noir.
Yeah, same here. My favourite kind of black metal is still the cliché 90's one though, the heavy ones but also the kind that added some more melody and already had a bit more atmosphere. I think some of the new black metal bands can overdo it sometimes in the atmospherical department but occasionally there's a band who sounds just right , like Lifelover or Urfaust.
I recently figured out that I prefer black metal that still has a human element to the way its written and presented. I know a big part of the genre is about generating other worldly atmosphere but sometimes thats just an excuse for monotony and a creative void.
i dont like black metal but some bands i do like CCR for instance relied n 3 chords alot of early rock bands did--so your 4chord theory is weak
I'm actually on the lookout for black metal bands that don't do the whole "kill / worship satan" thing, there's gotta be loads out there that I don't know about. Preferably a little bit musically different, too. I've been getting into Lugubrum, and they seem like they're a bit different from the norm. I've got their album Heilige Dwazen, and it's really quite something. I mean, look at the lyrics. A Kiss on the Anus A kiss soft like moonlight On a volcano crater Unleashed hellfire into my face Scorching my beard and eyeballs Merging time, space and matter There was only the smell of Uranus There I held the world in a grain of sand Like the masturbating fish I abandoned all hope. I don't quite know what it means, but I'm liking it.
Lyricwise I also like when it merges with scandinavian (and recently also sometimes east-european) folklore and stuff. :biggrin:
Krallice (I'm not a fan but they fit the criteria) Wolves in the Throne Room (Black Cascade is great) Temnozor (if you can tolerate a little racism uke You probably already know them but, Burzum, always a classic. They may have a song or two about killing or worshipping Satan but most of his best material isn't written in English anyway. Black Metal was pretty much perfected by Varg in the early - mid '90s. At least that particular style of it. If you dig WitTR you should check out Leech. Check out Leech even't if you don't. Lurker of Chalice is good, much better than Leviathan, Wrest's other, more well-known, band. Not really black metal, but you might like Moonsorrow. And Ikuinen Kaamos. Ikuinen Kaamos sounds like early Opeth (Orchid / Morningrise), but is more closely related to black metal. Can't think of any more right now.
Thanks for the recommendations. And it's bloody strange, I was just listening to Lurker of Chalice as I was reading that post, very cool stuff. And by cool, I mean depressing, which is cool. I've also found out about RABM - Red Anarchist Black Metal. Makes a nice change from the nazi bands. I've been listening to a band called Jarost Marksa, and the music's good but I think the vocals are kinda shit. Shame.
That sounds right up my alley man, I'll check it out. There's an anarchist black-metal/crust band called Iskra worth checking out. Last time I checked most of their stuff was available for free download on their website.
Do you guys know the band Lifelover? Not your typical black metal band but really awesome in my opinion. I also recommend Urfaust for the atmosperical black metal lover and not just because it's from my country
I adore Lifelover, their music is so upbeat Recently ive been listing to Darkestrah, They are an Epic pagan BM band originally from Kyrgyzstan and incorporte folk intruments, cello, tradidtional throat singing, odd time signatures and middle eastern scales into their music.
I love it when black metal and traditional folk mix well. :cheers2: I do not know that band yet, but Storm and Isengard are two of the most intriguing black/folk projects I've ever heard Ah well, Isengard may not even be really folky when it comes to details but I just love that stuff hehe
Yes man, I love old Enslaved. I saw them at least 3 times (last time at Roadburn 2009) but nothing beats the first time I saw them in a small venue. I was stoned and they had a lot of strobe lights on stage, and of course they played lots of the older stuff. I think it was after Blodhemn or Mardraum. :cheers2:
