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satanic metal heads
by Psycho Vanzetti (mza@disinfo.net) - October 18, 2000

They wear black clothes, pray to Satan, burn down churches, and murder people.The music? Blistering speed, battering percussion, hissing, inhuman vocals, occasional eery synths, and dark psychedelia. Welcome to Armageddon's Rock underground.

The media's baseless link between the Trench Coat Mafia and Marilyn Manson was not only irresponsible journalism; these people have no idea how mild their scapegoat is in comparison to groups in the Scandinavian Black Metal scene. Starting in the early Eighties as a gimmick-flavored synthesis of classic Metal's dark, horror-film aesthetics with raw thrash music, Black Metal has evolved into a widespread, harsh-sounding subgenre whose lyrics and imagery invoke occultism, misanthropy and severe anti-Christian sentiments.

When the initial wave of evil thrash innovators, including Celtic Frost and the mighty Venom, declined and subsided, a new generation of fiercely dedicated fans took up Satan's mantle, and this morbid vision of youthful rebellion mutated into something like an ideology. In Norway, a small but fervent underground Black Metal scene quickly grew violent around 1992, as members of well-known bands in that country became involved in a wave of church burnings, suicide, and murder. At the same time, some image-conscious scene kingpins incited the media with unapologetic messages of hatred, nihilism, and, in many instances, racist sentiments. Since this time, similar events linked to the Black Metal underground have taken place in Germany, the US, Russia and elsewhere. In Lords of Chaos, an excellent book documenting the phenomenon in great depth, Michael Moynihan reports that, to date, nearly a hundred churches worldwide have been burned or desecrated by fanatical Black Metalers.

Needless to say, the infamy and record sales of the musicians involved in such bizarre sociopathic behavior have only increased. Despite losing various members to the Reaper or the jailer, all of the seminal Norwegian bands of the 1992-1993 era continue playing to this day.

The music produced by these Satanists and fringe dwellers is cold, fast, and ugly. The symbolism (inverted crosses, 'corpse paint', and spikes) is unsurprising and almost laughable. Lyrics are thematically dense, mystically obscure, or beligerent, depending on the band. Many Scandinavian Metal acts identify heavily with their Viking ancestry, so there's ample Odinism, Tolkien, and mythological references for the thoughtful 'metal head'.

Groups as incongruous as Rastsfarians and White Power Skinheads have clearly defined styles of music that serve as an aural sacrament for their chosen subcultural statement, but the scope of Black Metal's anger is alarming. Whether your interest is sociological or musical, the sites below depict a dark and menacing tableau of contemporary youth culture.

Lords of Chaos
Michael Moynihan's history of the EXTREME "black metal" Satanists in Norway is an instant classic --it's hard to image this book ever being topped. Recommended highly!

Dimmu Borgir Homepage
Norwegians Dimmu Norgir rock big arenas and occassionally cover Accept with a dramatic, ballad-esque Black Metal that is extremely funny to listen to. Their lyrics are battle crys for vampirism, Satan, and Armageddon: "We offer you a chalice of poisoned blood! See you next time."

Jailhouse Rock
Prison interview with one Count Grishnackh, Black Metal musician, incarcerated for the murder of a fellow scenester.

Dismembered Fetus
Official site of Denver, CO based Dismembered Fetus. Man, these guys are into it!

Emperor Gig in Helsinki
What's it REALLY like at a live in concert Black Metal extravaganza you ask?

The Metal for Jesus Page
Scary stuff.

Sigh Home Page
Official site for Japanese Black Metal band Sigh, who originally came out on Euronymous's label, Deathlike Silence.

The Ring of Black Death
Worldwide Black Metal links.

'Satan's Cheerleaders'
This article from Spin magazine is a good starting point for the background of the insane Norwegian metal scene.

SCREAM!
Black Metal, Doom Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, and more!!! Links for scores of Norwegian death-kitsch bands.

Death Metal.com
One of the top Black Metal/Death Metal sites on the WWW, featuring Death Metal Radio in Real Audio.

Death Metal Links Page
Very fine death metal links page via the Dark Legions Archive. It's evil!

Mortiis
Ladies and gentleman of America and the world, we give you zany Black Metal god, Mortiis.

ChristCore Christian Metal Ministry
Too fucking funny.

The Official Web Empire of Emperor
The evil children all say Hail! to Emperor. Hissing vocals, eery synths and ambient production create a sonic mix of rage and triumph. Their former bass player, Faust, is in prison for a 1992 murder. Their NYC gig this summer was once of the most brain-scrambling rock shows I've witnessed.

Khaos A.D.
This is a fine online radio show and 'zine dedicated to extreme Metal. Listen to it at work, everyone will think there's a demon in your cubicle.

Century Media US
Century Media is the best American record label for this kind of music; if you can't find Mayhem, Ulver, Emperor, Gorgoroth, or Dodheimsgard at your local record store, you can buy their CD's here. This site also has Mp3 and RealAudio samples from new bands.

Dark Legions Archive
Megasite devoted to 'Death Metal, Black Metal, the Satanic and the Obscure.'

Official Burzum Page
Burzum is the one-man musical project of Varg Vikernes, aka Count Grishnackh, an Odinist Black Metal Nazi terrorist and nature lover who proudly started the aforementioned wave of church burnings. Vikernes is currently in prison for the murder of Euronymous, guitarist for Mayhem and the guy who got the scene going. Varg remains entirely unrepentant, and continues to produce records and tracts (all available here) from the Big House. The people who put this site together write about their hero in such hallowed tones that he seems to have taken on a messianic character. Also has loads of info about the bizarre and expansive Russian Black Metal scene.

Extreme Subterranea
Excellent resource for ordering CD's, profiles of bands, etc.There is a large sound gallery with offerings from key groups, and a weekly online radio show. This should give you some idea what you're getting into, musically speaking.

Digital Death
This is where Metal lives on the web. There are dozens of MP3 samples, each about 600k, representing every critical True Norwegian Black Metal band (Mayhem, Emperor, Burzum, Ulver, Gorgoroth, Dodheimsgard, Immortal, etc.) as well as every other kind - Cradle of Filth (Gothic), Exhumed and Cannibal Corpse (Gore/Death), Suffocation and Obituary (Florida Death Metal) Dimmu Borgir (Vampiric Power Ballad Metal), you get the idea. For many bands there are tracks from multiple CD's, so this is the nuts as far as smart shopping goes. I guarantee your co-workers, parents, and whoever will be either heartily amused or terrified if you turn them on to this site. Also includes up-to-date news, band interviews and more. Proof that the World Wide Web can be useful.

Homage To Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost, originally called Hellhammer, didn't actually worship The Beast, but they played the best morbid thrash Metal I've ever heard. All the original members of Mayhem chose the names of Hellhammer songs for pseudonyms, which should give you an idea of how influential they were for the Norwegians.

Black Metal
Excellent, excellent. Complete songs in MP3 by seminal groups like Venom, Darkthrone, and Immortal, as well as new underground groups.

Ulver - The Authorized Web Page
Finally, an authorized site from Ulver ("wolves" in Norwegian), one of the most innovative contemporary bands in any genre. Their first two albums burn in the standard Black Metal mode. The most recent is Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" set to music, and it's fucking WEIRD. Check out the interviews, these guys are no Burzum.

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