BLACK METAL

[Foss]

About books-As eurothrash wrote, Metalions book is supreme. Also the collected issues of Isten and Voices from the Darkside is good if you want the old zines collected with info from the actual time. Psicoterror and Cnadian Assault was also recently collected, but maybe this more for diehards. About more recent "looking back" books i found the Blood Fire Death book and the finnish one good, most of the others provide outsiders perspective and superficial info mostly. A lot of old good zines is getting collected in books these days.

[holy ghost]

I'll third or fourth that Slayer mag anthology is worth your time and little else is. Lords of Chaos is interesting but definitely flawed and focuses more on the sensationalist aspects than anything to do with the actual music.

I would suggest looking into the South American and Greek scenes - Norwegian second wave is cool but I'm biased in that I don't rate the US scene all that highly.... the Greeks had Rotting Christ, Varathron, Thou Art Lord, Necromantia.... all killer!

South America you've got a more thrashy bunch of bands: Masacre, Mystifier, Hadez, Holocausto, Mortuario, Mutilator, Genocidio, Sarcofago, Reencarnación, early Sepultura, Necrofafo, Necrobutcher.... I'd  also suggest Anal Vomit "Demonic Flagellations" as a total later era banger.

Also Voor, Damnation, Soothsayer and the rest of the early Québécois scene had some total slappers. The Voor demo is one of the greatest things ever recorded.

Also Poison (Germany) "Into the Abyss" is one of the most savage things ever recorded.

I'm biased  to raw/demo type recordings and scenes rather than that keyboard intro shit or spooky robe stuff though.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I'm biased in that I don't rate the US scene all that highly...

While the current trends in USBM suck, it's a pity as there are absolutely killer bands coming from the US. From Absu (who were more than greatly influenced by Greek BM) to Profanatica (and the first Havohej album), Judas Iscariot, Bloodstorm, Black Funeral, Demoncy, Night Conquers Day, etc etc...

[ritualabuser]

i have admittedly been only fucking with noise for years. i never fucked with metal because i honestly thought it was weaker than noise and i felt on a quest for the most extreme shit i could find.  now as the years go on i am seriously only recently ADDICTED to this whole world i've waited to explore. ofcourse in past i have fucked with bands that crossed over into noise world like RIDE FOR REVENGE, CLANDESTINE BLAZE, INTOLITARION, BEHERIT. but recently theres much more i've been loving and appreciating like never before. i will never give up on noise but its cool to find another genre that holds up anger-wise.

In the last month i have read THE DEVILS CRADLE which is a history of Finnish black metal. highly recommend it. REcenlty picked up the feral house swedish book BLOOD FIRE DEATH at quimby's in chicago (everyone going to GO in april should go there). . havent read it yet but am looking forward to.

im posting to ask of other suggestions for books on black metal history. i feel like a noob but its exciting..... recently fucking with warloghe, satanic warmaster, musta surma. you get the picture only Finnish rn but ready for more.. any recommendations for books/ artist would be cool. also bear in mind i like to own physical media so vothana ect i fuck with but dont care to suck the dick.

100% agree with everyone that's suggested that you check out zine comp books rather than books about the genre.

As for music, my personal favorites are the Finnish, Greek, South American, and Polish scenes. Bands and/or albums to check from each:

Finnish: Barathrum "Eerie", Impaled Nazarene "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz", Hail-any, Dead Reptile Shrine-any, Witchcraft, Ceremonial Torture, Flooded Church of Asmodeus, Black Crucifixion "Fallen One of Flames"

Greek: Varathron "His Majesty at the Swamp", Necromantia "Crossing the Fiery Path", Rotting Christ "Thy Mighty Contract", Tatir, Zephyrous "Entrance and Wandering on the Seven Zones"

South America: Sarcófago "INRI", Holocausto "Campo de Exterminio", Sextrash "Sexual Carnage", Vulcano "Bloody Vengeance", Asaradel "...Of Sathanas / Avernus / Perpetuating The Law", Behemoth "Malignant Temple of Goat", Necrobutcher "Schizophrenic Noisy Torment"

Poland: Graveland "Carpathian Wolves" & "Following the Voice of Blood", Fullmoon "United Aryan Evil", Veles "Night on Bare Mountain", Infernum "Tar Nu Fuin", Legion "Blood On My Knife", Capricornus "Stahlgewitter", Thor's Hammer "The Fate Worse Than Death"

Various other countries: Nåstrond "Toteslaut", Mortuary Drape "All the Witches Dance",  Osculum Infame "Dor Nu Fauglith", Spear of Longinus "The Yoga of National Socialism" & "...and the Swastikalotus", Seigneur Voland "Consumatum Est", Kristallnacht "Blooddrenched Memorial", Absurd "Facta Loquntuur" & "Asgardsrei", Goatlord "Goatlord".

Personal picks, opinions are like assholes etc.

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

One interesting aspect of black metal, which may or may not exist only in my head, is that it is often much better than the people involved in it. There are multiple albums and whole discographies which are extremely effective musically, aesthetically and on some level even intellectually, even though the people responsible for the music are terrible. I won't do examples, simply because fl4ming people online has become tired and gross. For protocol, I should add that I obviously don't mean this in some "terrible opinions"/"toxic trash human being" sort of way, but simply that many BM people who have made awesome albums are pretty dull folks. This is of course nothing particular for black metal, but I think the average difference between human quality/type and musical output is bigger than with other genres. If you take something like Vegan HC, modern left-wing punk or for that matter "white power" RAC stuff, the music usually corresponds pretty perfectly to the people who do it - largely steretypical dudes and dudettes with minds about as developed as the music (hence also maturing at least somewhat with the years). With black metal I've met tons of people involved with absolutely awesome projects, with whom I wouldn't want to have a five minute conversation.

Again, this could be a misinterpretation of things rooted in my experiences (I've spent more time with black metal people than with any other subcultural group, except perhaps industrial noise), and in the fact that I appreciate black metal far more than most "radical" vego-punk or RAC. Still, perhaps there is something to it?

[deutscheasphalt]

which may or may not exist only in my head

true

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I think it is absolutely true.
That art can be way more flawless than men who created it.
I would not say it is clearest in BM, though.

[brutalist_tapes]

listening to the newest nyogthaeblisz offering rn, a little late maybe, i really like it... most bands who try to this ultra-noisey black/death/"war" metal thing is usually boring in my eyes, but this hit the spot for some reason. maybe its just the going-all-the-way all out insanity of it, only matched by maybe vvorld vvithout end. for me, a very pleasant suprise!

[Foss]

If you take something like Vegan HC, modern left-wing punk or for that matter "white power" RAC stuff, the music usually corresponds pretty perfectly to the people who do it - largely steretypical dudes and dudettes with minds about as developed as the music (hence also maturing at least somewhat with the years).

This could perhaps be because these genres you describe is more about spreading a specific and clear message while black metal is quite more diverse with tons of sub genres?

On topic of music recommendations i have been really into the new Reveal album lately. Perhaps more psychotic and off kilter death metal, but fucking awesome nevertheless.

https://reveal-svr.bandcamp.com/album/scissorgod

[Drohgt]

Wolves Among Sheep is hard to find, but a lengthy history of NSBM.
/quote]

Bought it last year from the publisher, they probably have copies, the finnish bm book is also very good.

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

true

I think it is absolutely true.
That art can be way more flawless than men who created it.
I would not say it is clearest in BM, though.

Even without expanding the scope to "art" in general but just looking at "popular music" my idea starts looking quite iffy. There are quite a few catchy, convincing and effective rock/hard rock songs, which does undermine my thesis quite a bit. This massive rift between musical and personal quality may in fact be limited to demo stage Swedish black metal in the 90's. Oh, well. Most ambitious value systems tend to falter as time rolls on.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Wolves Among Sheep is hard to find, but a lengthy history of NSBM.
/quote]

Bought it last year from the publisher, they probably have copies, the finnish bm book is also very good.

Finnish Black Metal book is just about sold out. I took all the remaining of the print run. Both Finnish and English version last copies are available from nhfastore.  I have sold probably 100+ of Wolves Among Sheep. Should ask to get few more to distro. I was told by publisher that vast majority of dealers refused to sell it due assuming it would bring some trouble. Most sold first batch to most anxious customers, but never dared to keep it available. I think book is good historical document, that nobody should be ashamed or too worried to distribute.

[absurdexposition]

My only gripe Wolves Among Sheep and The Devil's Cradle is that the English translation can be pretty bad, making it a tedious read. I actually had to stop reading Wolves because I couldn't handle what felt like bad Google Translate / the result of a translator with poor writing style.

[deutscheasphalt]

true

I think it is absolutely true.
That art can be way more flawless than men who created it.
I would not say it is clearest in BM, though.

Even without expanding the scope to "art" in general but just looking at "popular music" my idea starts looking quite iffy. There are quite a few catchy, convincing and effective rock/hard rock songs, which does undermine my thesis quite a bit. This massive rift between musical and personal quality may in fact be limited to demo stage Swedish black metal in the 90's. Oh, well. Most ambitious value systems tend to falter as time rolls on.

Maybe you're just more easily impressed by art than by people. I separate the art and the artist quite rigidly and often couldn't care less what kind of person made the piece I'm enjoying or not enjoying. That's why I listen to NSBM but have other parameters to how I engage with it. On the flipside there's people in the scene who I get along with super well but whose music I don't really like and I don't think that's a big deal at all.

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

Maybe you're just more easily impressed by art than by people. I separate the art and the artist quite rigidly and often couldn't care less what kind of person made the piece I'm enjoying or not enjoying. That's why I listen to NSBM but have other parameters to how I engage with it. On the flipside there's people in the scene who I get along with super well but whose music I don't really like and I don't think that's a big deal at all.

To put things in perspective: a well written book with good ideas and an entertaining style says a whole lot about the person who wrote it. He may still be a rapist or terribly rude, but by definition he will not lack imagination or be uninteresting if you actually manage to strike up a conversation. I suppose I expect this to translate to musicians as well (which is sometimes does). My focus on black metal may simply be an artifact of teenage experiences and disappointments...