wylton
Naim and Mana member
The viking/pagan thing is where I start to get uncomfortable tbh.
Agreed, though as far as I can tell, the link is largely a case of history having been re-written, which is often the case.
The viking/pagan thing is where I start to get uncomfortable tbh.
Well, not surprisingly, I don't agree with that!
He Will Fall - Lidaverken Del I: Att I Vådeld Förgås
The viking/pagan thing is where I start to get uncomfortable tbh. Not because I have anything again pagans(!) but for some bands it seems to be about a pre-christian white ethnic nationalist worldview that can cross over into anti-semitism and the far-right - see Graveland etc. (see also some neofolk!)
As soon as I see a band doing the pagan bit I find myself asking whether they're racists. Crazy. But I'm not alone - I just found someone posting online asking for a list of non-nazi pagan metal bands. Indie rock or jazz funk fans don't have to tread so carefully!
Darkthrone are/were great (I still have an original test pressing of A Blaze In The Northern Sky) but as I'm sure you know Transilvanian Hunger initially had 'Norwegian Aryan black metal' printed on the sleeve and came with an anti-semitic press release that Peaceville distanced themselves from.
Fenriz has since said he held racist views at the time and now regrets it. A number of the classic Scandinavian bands said some very stupid things early on. I see a difference though between the ignorance of small town teenagers in a pre-internet age and grown men holding racist/fascist views in 2021.
So I agree - the vast majority of black metal bands aren't total nazis, and nether are the vast majority of the listeners. So why do they put up with the badduns? Why is a label like Nuclear Blast putting out records by a band that had to fire it's guitarist for repeatedly giving nazi salutes on camera? I don't get it.
..it is shite.
Your opinion on Back Metal or any similar genre, isn't relevant to the point in question tbh; as ever, it's purely a matter of personal taste.
that NS seems to be the mode of youthful rebellion in some parts of the world, and (IME especially in Eastern Europe) that can somehow tie in with BM in those kids’ minds.
Yep. That's true. I lost interest in almost everything which might come under the heading of 'metal' or 'heavy rock' many many years ago.. apart from some residual interest in some of the pioneers, ranging from the Kinks through Hendrix, Cream, etc.
Still.. something is going on here with this particular sub genre of a sub genre of ..etc... I have this theory that all new and initially 'subversive' musical and other cultural expressions eventually become stylised and rule bound. Which of course also means formulaic. YMMV
There are numerous genres of music which don't appeal to me, such as 'free' jazz, most funk, all of Rap, most Hip Hop and no doubt many others which I couldn't even name. I do however sort of understand how most can appeal to some folks. What I can't understand is how this 'Black Metal' appeals..since I've now listened to three or four recommended samples which all sound the same..in ways I've already described. But I'll just leave the fans of this stuff to continue.. whilst I wonder if they are the folks I see wandering about in full length leather coats and 'rock' boots.
Opeth, "The Drapery Falls."
Black Metal at its finest...
Technically Death Metal rather than Black Metal? But they are a fantastic band.
These days they are probably a Heavy Prog band.
I'm left wondering....
Did 'rock' leave me behind.. or was it the other way around?
Bloody hell! Are they still going? I loved their stuff 30 years ago, never knew anything about their politics, just the sound.The noise/industrial scene also seems to be now calling out dodgy nazis - see Skullflower.
Splitting Hairs here, but I agree.
Yes, sad imv, I love the HEAVY Opeth, Ghost Reveries and what went before.
It’s not splitting hairs really, calling Opeth a BM band is like calling Dream Theatre hard core punk - they just simply aren’t.
What worries me more is that in many Eastern European countries, Nazi inspired 'youthful rebellion', seems to be closely aligned with Govt. thinking and is therefore less 'youthful rebellion', and more exploitation..in the same way that the far right in the UK happily exploits a certain kind of thug.
They can't be BM because you can actually make out the letters in their name in the band logo.