I hate black metal I hate black metal For, there is no such thing as violence anymore Everybody is nice, everything is comfortable There is no fear, no real fear Practice, but do not practice what you preach And you are no better than those you oppose Hah! Oppose! I laugh. I cry. I smile in despondency There are no black metal bands any more But, oh yes, there are bands that play black metal MUSIC And that write lyrics of anger and hatred But real hatred? Ah, how can they feel real hatred when they come from these established homes. Comfortable. Cosy. Yes, let us oppose. Let’s raise some stir in our father’s glass. Let’s hate everybody. Let’s get some attention. Oh yes, attention. Isn’t that what everybody desires? 15 minutes of fame… But is there any black metal band? As in a BAND that is everything but nice, and that live by the laws of atrocity, or chaos, of opposing! There is Mayhem – musically dark but violent? There is Deathspell Omega – Satanic. But a band? There is Satyricon – black metal? Not even musically speaking… There is Malfeitor – ah, now we’re getting closer, but have they really killed anyone? There is Watain – perhaps the one getting closest! And if I am the judge, Watain is black metal There is Gorgoroth – chaos! There is Leviathan – but hey, how much harm does Wrath do?
And the rest of the bunch? Loads of great bands playing music which can be connected to black metal musically speaking, with lyrics that doesn’t give much hope to humanity. But no violence, no real hatred, no murdering. Does this mean that I want the bands to be violent? Not necessarily. I just want to get rid of the category black metal, or at least clean up the mess. And furiously spawn them to use the tag extreme metal, if any at all. For, when we speak of black metal we speak of violent music, we speak of anger and hatred, we speak of opposing. But do we speak of solutions? No, we do not. There’s no black metal philosophy! Or is there? Can anybody pinpoint the black metal philosophy? What I see is people drinking beer, listening to music, doing their drugs… …talking about life, economy, playing, instruments, looking for the next girl or guy, being nice, drinking some more. Is this black metal? It is now time to make a difference! To make people scared again. It is a thought of the former millennium, but there is something wrong when people buy so many copies of the new Mayhem that is enters the Norwegian charts. And “Ordo Ad Chao” is NOT a nice album. In fact, it makes me want to punch someone. It makes me want to cut the beard of every Muslim. It makes me want to cut the flesh of someone I don’t like. It makes me want to rip out the tongue of every Christian. No, I don’t do it because I’m no Satanist, I’m no black metaller. But if I were, I should do these things. Because if not, then I just like black metal. I don’t preach black metal, thus I have no need to practice it. And I do like black metal! Look at the extremist Muslim, extremist Christians – they practice what they preach, like it or not! So, black metallers. It is time to raise some fury. It is time to make people afraid again! And if you don’t mean it, then shut the fuck up! Gorgoroth is the Norwegian band today that is closest to the black metal tag. Inside this eerie creation there is chaos violence jail hopelessness angriness There is nothing nice concerning Gorgoroth. Read the band’s story elsewhere. In Imhotep you’ll only get a 7-part journey through the minds of the three members of Gorgoroth. What will the future bring for this seed of Satan? They will perform at 2008’s Inferno Festival, the King/Gaahl part that is.
But, does one have to be a Satanist to perform black metal? Infernus of Gorgoroth says: “According to how I view it, it is meaningless labelling any band not consisting of Satanists delivering Satanic music to Satanists and others as Black Metal!” Imhotep’s Alex had contacted Church of Satan to find out more, in an article that’ll be published in March 2008. |
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I love black metal I love black metal For, which genre is more varied? Many bands search for their own identity They investigate their dark emotions Musically speaking, there’s no doubt that The music is one step up, technically But is music alone darkness? Of course not, there has to be something more And with a chaotic, yet structured releases such as Deathspell Omega’s “FAS” or Mayhem’s “Ordo Ad Chao”, there’s no doubt about the darkness. Hatred? Probably, but if nothing else at least some fuel for misanthropy. You cannot listen to Watain’s “Sworn To the Dark” and feel love, can you? But love is a twisted thing. I love black metal with the whole of my heart, with our without violence or chaos. Watain’s latest is melodic, but it’s dark despite the melodic approach… Thus, you can feel darkness but still listen to the melodies. And in my case, I find the darkness within me. And that’s why I love black metal.
I love the darkness – which completes my light I love the chaos – which completes my structure I love music that challenges me – in contradiction to boringly produced underground shitties I love the underground production – though, production with a purpose I love “Ordo Ad Chaos” – because it’s Hell I love the discomfort – it comforts me I love Deathspell Omega – chaotic affection I love the negativity – because it completes my positivity, the yin to my yang Is black metal only about the music? The lifestyle of Gaahl is blacker than it of others, for he lives by his own rules. He has decided which rules he shall follow, and when it is necessary to follow them. What would happen if everybody followed their inner laws? Is black metal about laws, about lifestyles? Who decides what is correct? Personally I have a pretty modern A-4 lifestyle, and I’m content. However, the anti-life of many black metal albums does definitely interest me. And perhaps I wake up some day. And perhaps I realize that I love black metal because of the, at least originally, opposing approach on life, the dedication, the image, the fury, the will to power. And let us not forget the provocative issue, even though this is a rarer aspect of black metal these days. I love to drink a few beers, talk with my friends about metal and having a good time. But alone in my welcomed solitude I love to listen to black metal. This at times incomprehensible music attracts me. Is it perhaps simply a question about doing what is right for you, instead of caring about the so-called laws, the image, the attitude. I mean, you can shout Satan six hundred and sixty six time for all I care, but if you don’t really mean it, why do you then waste yours and my time? Black metal is, at least the best albums, individual releases that define the dark art. DarkThrone, Gehenna, Emperor, Deathspell Omega, ABSU, Leviathan, Watain, Marduk, Limbonic Art… None alike the other…
I’m no Satanist, nor a Christian of course. I don’t believe in God, nor do I believe in Satan. Nor Allah. Buddha. And so on… I believe in myself, and I know that I love black metal because it fulfils one aspect of myself, namely the darkness herein. I don’t smile when E. of Watain reveals that he’s sworn to the dark, I rather prevail. For in my world I am the chosen one, and I choose myself! And I think that you should choose yourself in your own world.
There’s no need to allow Gorgoroth, Watain, Marduk or any other band tell you what to do. Just listen to your voice within yourself because you rule your own fucking world. Read Gaahls words in The Feature Of The Month. He speaks of many things and he speaks well. It’s time to choose yourself instead of everybody else. If people cared more about themselves, if people loved black metal or any other music category and put their dedication into it… …then I’m sure life would improve. Use your dreams, fulfil them. Don’t watch all the TV, all the stupid series. Start to think, start to believe. When Deathspell Omega wrote “But if nothing has any meaning, there's no point in my doing anything”, I understood many a thing. There’s more to black metal than meets the eye. That’s why I love black metal. |