Black Industrial Metal

[Untergangfarbe]

I can highly recommend the Norwegian band Utarm. I would not say that they exaktly fit in the description of Black Industrial Metal, but I think that their very original mixture of BM, Noise/Industrial/Drone and Experimental sounds/elements leaves many bands in the same genres/styles far far behind. It´s very atmospheric and at the same time very unpleasant and malign. 


Sten Ove Toft of Roggbiff records is related to this formation in one way or the other.

http://www.myspace.com/utarm
http://www.utarm.net

[Goat93]

The Problem is the Masses at those Combinations. If there would be some real interested People, who make Black Metal Industrial, thats fucking great. But i see more some Neofolk/Noise/Alternative People who jumps on the Black Metal Train and on the other side lots of Black Metal Guys wanna be cool with some stupid Drumsounds in the Music to impress a bunch of Kiddi Girlies. I miss the Impression and Vision behind the Music on that. I don't think that everybody can be all. There are Crosspoints, but as a Black metaller i think you can't be at the same time a HipHoper for example.

[Dom America]

Denmark's own SexDrome has gotten quite a rep in that scene, but I know for a fact that they put much emphasis on still being a Punk band, that may just draw on some ildjarn influence, Seeing them play will BTW cancel most of the BM connection as the live situation will remind you a lot more of something like The Stooges or Eyehategod.

My band played with them in Denmark, and I was surprised to hear something more akin to a slower Birthday Party sound then the "night of Black Metal" that the gig flier promised. I don't know if the band labels themselves BM or if that's the fault of others, but I didn't detect a single note of Black Metal at that show or on the recording.

[RyanWreck]

And then the hipsterized raw bm, which is pretty much like crustpunk meets harsh noise, yet carries very little if any real connection to black metal other than marketing tactics and lazy reference to Bone Awls and Ildjarn

Yeah, what's up with that? Any specific bands you refer to?
Would be interesting to hear the melodic side of BM fused with industrial noises, but to manage that would require a musician to master not one but two very different genres, which in itself is quite rare... Anyone can punch out a three-tone Ildjarn-primitive riff, but something like Transilvanian Hunger takes compositional skills.

..

I was personally little annoyed by Darkspaces backstabbing behavior against other bm bands. Like refusing to play at same shows, since they consider some band "nazis", even if there is no such content in their songs. Simply out of wishes to semi-mainstream success, you stab other bands of your tour on their backs. Does this affect the music? Don't know, but it does make me wonder if exclusively space themed 80's synth muzak combined with some "shoegaze" (?) is black metal? Perhaps it can be, but at least when band played in Finland, I think 2 hours set was praised by some, insulted by some. Warm up bands included more kraut/psyche rock band and one suicidal bm band and kind of indicates the severe cross-over nature of project. Being my subjective impression.

And then the hipsterized raw bm, which is pretty much like crustpunk meets harsh noise, yet carries very little if any real connection to black metal other than marketing tactics and lazy reference to Bone Awls and Ildjarn

Yeah, what's up with that? Any specific bands you refer to?

Well, you take the followers of Bone Awl, the whole new scene of "black punk"/"blackened crust" type of stuff. I try to do my best to not get involved in it. I think we'd need someone... perhaps mr. Hum of The Druid who may have had displeasure to see more of that to remind some of the names?

I may be able to name off a handful. Bone Awl and of course Ildjarn are the two leaders of the group, so it seems, but their is some decent to great stuff besides them which doesn't get mentioned much and some of it features members right in our own backyard. For example bands such as Sump and White Medal (featuring George of Mutant Ape), Ride At Dawn which has Ryan Bloomer, Akitsa who's older stuff dips around in Noise a lot (features the sole member of awesome Noise machine know as Ames Sanglantes) and Roman Cross and Devils Dung both of which have Dom from Prurient. As someone else mentioned Denmark has been pumping plenty of material like this out in the past year, I would point to Luciation and Garrotte first and foremost.

For melody you can't go wrong with all Torture Chain material and Furdidurke's November Reh as well as their 2010 cassette.

I've said it many times, and I do say it still, that if someone would do GOOD combination of nordic bm & deathindustrial/power electronics, I'd be glad to hear it. Like Con-Dom JESUS PENIS meets TRANSILVANIAN HUNGER. Unfortunately, I have never heard, and doubt I will. It would be hard to keep industrial side being more than intro/special effect. And metal to sound somehow interesting when buried in layers of fierce noise.

Not really "Nordic styled BM" but you should check out Dead Times who do some amazing Industrial, with hints of PE and BM mixed in: http://www.myspace.com/thislifehasfailedus

Also Pogromnacht who, in my opinion, pulled it off except they mixed lo-fi Power Electronics, Harsh Noise and NSBM and it sounds great. Bands like Wold (who are almost 100% Noise now), Drifting Collision, Venowl, Torturkammer and Altars should also be mentioned just for those who are interested in hearing the wide spectrum of Noisy BM. Whether they care if it is "hip" or not, if you like the sounds then that is all that should matter.

[Goat93]

With Noise it is no real problem after all. Take a Fourth Degree Black Metal band and record in their local rehearsal room, you have for sure a nice Noise Tape. But mostly its labeled with "Industrial" and thats where i wonder about.

As example, its what i found just in time:

http://www.myspace.com/weltbrand

Where is this Music "Industrial"?
Hear Song :
End of Transmission
Beginning of Channeling Black Energy

[SKY BURIAL]

The Axis of Perdition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27LFm9zHhp8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1TAlK7kFIs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9zIDD9dOcs&feature=related

[Andrew McIntosh]

No one's mentioned MZ-412 yet?

In any case, I'd propose NDE, which, from what I can hear, cross over Industrial and BM elements quite successfully.

Was listening to Wold's L.O.T.M.P. today and think that can also qualify. The factors being the vicious, crude-as-sin distortion on both guitar and synth and the loose, abrasive use of vocals. It leans more to BM than Industrial but has a nice, rough and gutteral feel that fits a lot of the kind of Industrial/Noise/PE I prefer. My only misgiving is I don't think it lasts the distance; very samey throughout.

[drunk]

No one's mentioned MZ-412 yet?

There is no metal (as in metal music, not metal junk/industrial noises) in Mz.412's music. I can think of only 1 track which has some bm elements: Feasting On Khristian Blood, and it's one of their shittiest tracks imho.

I think the idea of mixing industrial noise/power electronics with black metal is terrible, and I can't even begin to imagine any scenario where something good can come out of such mix, especially if it's norsecore kind of bm.

Perhaps something like Revenge or Bestial Warlust with some feedback abuse and some minimal heavy electronics... but I guess that wouldn't work either.

And I'm with F.A.F. in regards to the punk/crust stuff passing as bm, that shit is like the hipster noise of black metal. Only Ildjarn is real!

[Zeno Marx]

I think the idea of mixing industrial noise/power electronics with black metal is terrible

[Andrew McIntosh]

There is no metal (as in metal music, not metal junk/industrial noises) in Mz.412's music. I can think of only 1 track which has some bm elements: Feasting On Khristian Blood, and it's one of their shittiest tracks imho.

The track itself is garbage. But if we're going to even think about a mix between Black Metal and Industrial, MZ.412 have to be acknowleged as being one of the main instigators. Doesn't matter what you think of the project.

The possibilities for mixing Black Metal with Industrial, PE and/or Noise exist, and what I've heard of the attempts, I've liked. Once can pick nits out of which project "doesn't have enough metal" or "enough Noise" or what have you, but mixing genres and styles doesn't have to be completely clear cut. I would think the feeling and ethos of either style can be used as much as actual sound.

Abruptum just came to mind as well. Ostenstibly Black Metal but playing Noise. Stalaggh are another example.

[MusicGuYofEvil]

I have not heard many black metal bands that have industrial by definition, here's some bands that may work:
Psyclon Nine
Dethcentrik
and try Mayhem's "Grand Declaration of War" and Dimmu Borgir's "Death Cult Armageddon."
I didn't read too much into this, I am just mentioning that's all I know of, finding a fusion so specific will be difficult.  Period.  Trying to label a band to start with is what gets the unique ones crap...

[Unheard]

Decreto K

http://www.myspace.com/kdecreto

(the guy behind VLF videos, i guess someone reminds him and his flicks on the other/previous forum)

and some stuff from Trips & Traume label (Ius Primae Noctis, for example)

I wouldnt describe "Aborym" as industrial black metal, their electronic sounds are much more on an harsh ebm side rather than noise or industrial

[LIFE]

Well, you take the followers of Bone Awl, the whole new scene of "black punk"/"blackened crust" type of stuff. I try to do my best to not get involved in it. I think we'd need someone... perhaps mr. Hum of The Druid who may have had displeasure to see more of that to remind some of the names?

In general, you can say that bands who aren't in any way "metal". And who may pack their demo in american tapes style spray painted cover. It's sold as raw black metal, yet there isn't black nor metal, just raw bedroom/basement punk. But if it was called that, nobody would care. Nowadays you can find anything. Unblackmetal for christian purposes. Red & Anarchist bm. Crust/punk sold as black metal, and so on. When you just apply enough distortion, you call it black metal. Which seems like utterly idiotic reference as if main characteristic of bm would be saturation & distortion.
It makes you wonder what is so cool about this term, but so wrong about itself, that every musical approach and every ideological direction has to be tagged with the brand and expect it still be "bm". If it's not metal, it's not black metal. It is that simple. If its distorted music about feminism & animal rights, there are some other names for it than "bm".

Therefore even if I expect the fusion of bm/industrial, I'm also little sceptical. You know, what is this Skullflower or his side projects doing "black metal"? Oh please. You listen the material and it's same as it always was. Fierce guitar feedback and distorted harmony of lo-fi guitars. How is that black metal?

I think nowadays it is predominantly marketing scam. Having raw guitar in your noise/drone/postpunk/... is nothing new. To use old english font and call it bm seems easy extra points what you otherwise won't get. So I rather expect blackmetal-industrial fusion to come from "BM scene" and from BM musicians, than from indie kids.

Most (but not all) "raw" black metal coming out on tape in the US is about on the same level and I try to keep it at my periphery, but the cheapest offender would have to be something like Grinning Death's Head.... name taken from a Bone Awl song, songs taken from... Bone Awl songs. I think people are so excited by the prospect of a "new scene" they overlook quality of work, nothing new, but on principle alone it's beyond me how a Grinning Death's Head crossed the radar.

You have a lot of people who have already "established" themselves elsewhere getting involved in black metal in the US... mainly from hardcore groups or noise or both. Something along the lines of a "record nerd with a dark side" atmosphere. I don't see this as a big deal, but it's totally acceptable to be suspicious when you hear about "______'s black metal band"... or when magazines do entire articles about some "unexpected" person's interest in black metal. The only thing more pretentious than black metal is this strange leftfield-meets-leftwing conspiracy to control it.

I've said a lot about "black noise" on the other PE board, but the main problem that only seems to get worse with time is that the "black" is usually a reference to black metal and not a more organic idea. It's no different than calling a band "heavy noise", with "heavy" actually referring to heavy metal. I hate that type of shit.  There have been good dark and even black noise releases but how often is it anything more than an aesthetic trick, or worse, just an excuse to use the "infamy" of black metal as a marketing tool? At that point it doesn't make a different whether it's coming from the "bm scene" or the indie rock vampires.

[Andrew McIntosh]

Most (but not all) "raw" black metal coming out on tape in the US is about on the same level and I try to keep it at my periphery, but the cheapest offender would have to be something like Grinning Death's Head.... name taken from a Bone Awl song, songs taken from... Bone Awl songs. I think people are so excited by the prospect of a "new scene" they overlook quality of work, nothing new, but on principle alone it's beyond me how a Grinning Death's Head crossed the radar.

Have to agree, as far as GDH are concerned; there's nothing BM about them. It's a somewhat carefully manufactured sound, in fact, despite the "rawness". Considering the great ease with which recording something "raw" is concerned, it seems that it's that singular quality that over-rides anything else. It's just another scene that, at the moment, is ascending and it will only be when it contracts that anyone will be able to see which of these bands/projects are worth anything in the long run.

[jesusfaggotchrist]

I picked up the reissues of the 95 and 96 albums by Mz.412, I like Folkstorm, is there anything similar to this that doesn't involve Henrik at all?

something between this and The Axis Of Peridition.