Black metal is a type of heavy metal music known for its intense style. It often features fast music, loud screaming voices, heavily distorted guitars played with a rapid picking technique, rough-sounding recordings, unusual song structures, and a focus on creating a specific mood. Many artists wear dark makeup called "corpse paint" and use fake names.

The band Venom began the "first wave" of black metal with their 1982 album Black Metal, which gave the genre its name. Other bands, such as Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Hellhammer, and Celtic Frost, helped develop the style in the years that followed. By 1987, this wave had ended, but bands like Tormentor, Sarcófago, Parabellum, Blasphemy, Samael, and Rotting Christ released influential music. A "second wave" started in the early 1990s, led by bands in Norway, including Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal, Emperor, Satyricon, and Gorgoroth. This Norwegian scene helped shape black metal into a unique genre and inspired similar scenes in Finland (Beherit, Archgoat, Impaled Nazarene), Sweden (Dissection, Marduk, Abruptum, Nifelheim), the United States (Profanatica, Demoncy, Judas Iscariot, Grand Belial's Key), France (Mütiilation, Vlad Tepes), and other countries, leading to the creation of influential bands like Sigh and Cradle of Filth.

Black metal has often caused controversy. Common themes in the genre include hatred for people, opposition to Christianity, worship of Satan, and interest in ancient pagan beliefs. In the 1990s, some members of the black metal scene were linked to church burnings and murders. A small group within the scene supported neo-Nazism, but many famous artists have avoided this movement. Overall, black metal aims to stay hidden and not become widely popular.

Characteristics

Black metal is a music genre that is most commonly associated with Norway, where it is known for its shrieking vocals and fast, intense sound. However, the term "black metal" has also been used to describe bands from other countries, such as Greece and Finland, which developed different styles around the same time as the Norwegian scene.

According to Manish Agarwal of Time Out, black metal is a type of music that is closely related to thrash metal and is described as having "icy noise." Norwegian-style black metal guitarists often use high-pitched or bright guitar tones with heavy distortion. They play fast, unmuted guitar techniques called tremolo picking and use power chords. Guitarists also use dissonance, specific scales, intervals, and chord progressions to create a feeling of fear or unease. A musical interval called the tritone, or flat-fifth, is frequently used. Guitar solos and low guitar tunings are uncommon in black metal. The bass guitar is rarely used to play melodies on its own. Instead, it is often muted to match the guitar or follows the guitar's low-pitched riffs. While electronic keyboards are not standard in black metal, some bands, like Dimmu Borgir, use them in the background or as part of the music to create atmosphere. Some newer black metal bands have improved their sound quality and added instruments like synthesizers or orchestras.

Drumming in black metal is typically very fast, relying on techniques called double-bass and blast beats to keep up with tempos that can reach 300 beats per minute. These fast tempos require great skill and physical strength. Drummers like Frost and Hellhammer are known for their speed and endurance. However, many black metal drummers prioritize authenticity over technical skill. Fenriz of the band Darkthrone believes that "professionalism" should be avoided, and he prefers simple, primitive drumming styles over complex techniques.

Black metal songs often do not follow traditional song structures, such as verses and choruses. Instead, they may include long, repetitive instrumental sections. The Greek style of black metal, developed by bands like Rotting Christ and Necromantia, includes more elements of death metal than the Norwegian style.

Traditional black metal vocals are raspy, high-pitched, and include shrieking, screaming, and snarling. Death growls are sometimes used but less frequently than the characteristic shriek. A type of growl called "croaking" is described as a long, droning vocal that sounds like it is coming from a reanimated corpse.

Manish Agarwal of Time Out describes black metal lyrics as "sacrilegious bile." Lyrics often criticize Christianity and other religions, using apocalyptic language and anti-authoritarian messages. Satanic themes are common, and many artists see them as essential to the genre. Other themes include misanthropy, global catastrophe, war, death, rebirth, and the natural world, such as forests, mountains, and storms. Black metal also explores mythology, folklore, and pre-Christian pagan traditions. Some bands write lyrics in their native languages or use archaic languages. Some artists influenced by doom metal focus on themes like depression, nihilism, and self-harm.

Black metal is known for its intense and extreme frontmen. Many black metal bands avoid live performances, and those that do perform often claim their shows are not for entertainment but for sincerity and authenticity. Some concerts are treated as rituals, using props and theatrical elements. Bands like Mayhem and Gorgoroth have been known for controversial performances involving fake blood, animal heads, and medieval weapons.

Black metal musicians often dress in black clothing, combat boots, spiked wristbands, and inverted crosses or pentagrams. A well-known feature is "corpse paint," which is black and white face paint mixed with real or fake blood to create a demonic or corpse-like appearance.

Black metal album covers are typically dark and atmospheric. In the early 1990s, many black metal artists used minimalist, black-and-white artwork as a reaction to the colorful covers of death metal bands. Many purist black metal artists continue this style. Album covers may include natural or fantasy landscapes, or they may be violent, sacrilegious, or provocative.

Early black metal recordings were often made in homes or basements, giving them a "lo-fi" sound. Even after gaining success, many artists chose to keep this raw, low-quality style to stay true to the genre's underground roots and make the music sound more "cold" or "raw." The album Transilvanian Hunger by Darkthrone is an example of this approach. Lo-fi production was also used to keep black metal inaccessible to mainstream audiences. Some artists, like Gaahl of Gorgoroth, have said that black metal was never meant for a wide audience but was created for those within the scene.

History

Occult and Satanic themes were found in the music of heavy metal and rock bands from the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Black Sabbath and Coven.

In the late 1970s, the rough and aggressive heavy metal style played by the British band Motörhead became popular. Many first-wave black metal bands said Motörhead influenced them. At the same time, punk rock also helped shape the early development of black metal. Tom G. Warrior of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost said the English punk band Discharge was "a revolution, much like Venom," and that hearing Discharge's music inspired him to explore music further.

The use of corpse paint in black metal was mainly influenced by the American 1970s rock band Kiss.

The term "black metal" was created by the English band Venom with their second album, Black Metal (1982). This album, which played a style of speed metal or proto-thrash metal, started the "first wave of black metal." Venom introduced many ideas that became common in the genre, such as blasphemous lyrics, stage names, costumes, and face paint. During this time, black metal and other extreme metal styles like death metal were not clearly defined as separate genres.

The Swiss band Hellhammer made "truly raw and brutal music" with Satanic lyrics and became an important influence on black metal. They recorded three demos in 1983 and released an EP in April 1984. Hellhammer later changed its name to Celtic Frost and released their first album, Morbid Tales, later that year. Their second album, To Mega Therion (1985), showed the band exploring "more orchestral and experimental territories." In these early years, Celtic Frost was considered one of the most extreme and original metal bands in the world, greatly influencing the black metal genre.

The Swedish band Bathory created "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal" and were described as "the biggest inspiration for the Norwegian black metal movement of the early nineties." Their songs first appeared on the compilation Scandinavian Metal Attack in March 1984, which brought attention to the band. They released their first album that October. Bathory's music was dark, fast, and anti-Christian, and their frontman, Quorthon, started using shrieked vocals that later became a key feature of black metal. Their third album, Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987), was described by journalist Dayal Patterson as creating "the black metal sound as we know it."

The Danish band Mercyful Fate influenced the Norwegian black metal scene with their imagery and lyrics. Their frontman, King Diamond, wore ghoulish black-and-white face paint on stage, which may have inspired the use of "corpse paint" in black metal. Other artists from this wave included Germany's Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction; Italy's Bulldozer and Death SS; and Japan's Sabbat.

In 1987, Jon "Metalion" Kristiansen, the editor of a Slayer fanzine, wrote that "the latest fad of black/Satanic bands seems to be over," mentioning bands like Incubus, Morbid Angel, and Sabbat as continuing the genre. However, black metal continued in the underground, with scenes developing in Brazil (Sepultura, Vulcano, Holocausto, and Sarcófago), Czechoslovakia (Root, Törr, and Master's Hammer), and Sweden (Grotesque, Merciless, Mefisto, Tiamat, and Morbid). Sarcófago's debut album, I.N.R.I. (1987), was widely influential on later black metal acts, especially the second wave of Norwegian black metal and groups in the war metal style. BrooklynVegan writer Kim Kelly called it "a gigantic influence on black metal's sound, aesthetics, and attitude." Other influential records from this time included albums by Tormentor (Hungary), Parabellum (Colombia), Von (United States), Rotting Christ (Greece), Mortuary Drape (Italy), Kat (Poland), Samael (Switzerland), and Blasphemy (Canada). Blasphemy's debut album, Fallen Angel of Doom (1990), is considered one of the most influential records for the war metal style. Fenriz of the Norwegian band Darkthrone said Master's Hammer's debut album, Ritual, was "the first Norwegian black metal album, even though they are from Czechoslovakia." It was during this post-1987 era that extreme metal styles became more clearly defined, and the boundaries of what is now understood as black metal were established.

The second wave of black metal began in the early 1990s. It is generally considered to have started with the early Norwegian black metal scene, although Rock Hard magazine credited Samael's album Worship Him (April 1, 1991) as the beginning.

Between 1990 and 1993, several Norwegian artists began performing and releasing a new kind of black metal music. These artists included Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal, Emperor, Satyricon, Enslaved, Thorns, and Gorgoroth. They helped turn the styles of the "first wave" bands into a distinct genre, popularizing a style of guitar playing developed by Snorre "Blackthorn" Ruch and Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth. Fenriz of Darkthrone described this style as "derived from Bathory" and noted that "those kinds of riffs became the new order for a lot of bands in the '90s."

Wearing corpse paint became standard in the black metal scene, helping artists stand out from other metal bands of the time. The scene had a clear ideology and ethos. Artists were strongly opposed to Christianity and presented themselves as misanthropic Devil worshippers who wanted to spread terror, hatred, and evil. They claimed to take their beliefs seriously and vowed to act on them. Ihsahn of Emperor said they sought to "create fear among people" and "be in opposition to society." The scene was exclusive, only accepting those who were "true" and trying to exclude all "poseurs." Some members of the scene were responsible for church burnings and murders, which eventually drew attention to the scene and led to some artists being imprisoned.

On April 8, 1991, Mayhem vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin committed suicide while alone in a house shared by the band. Fellow musicians described Dead as odd, introverted, and depressed. Mayhem's drummer, Hellhammer, said Dead

Styles and subgenres

There are two groups within black metal with different views on the music's style. One group believes black metal should stay simple, using only guitars, bass, and drums, and recorded with a rough, low-quality sound. Blake Judd of Nachtmystium has said his band's sound is different enough that he does not call it black metal. Snorre Ruch of Thorns believes modern black metal is too limited and thinks it should be more varied.

Since the 1990s, black metal has developed into many styles, some combining Norwegian black metal with other music types.

Ambient black metal, also called atmospheric black metal, uses soft, dreamy sounds and is less aggressive than other black metal styles. It often includes synthesizers or classical instruments to create a calm, ethereal mood. The music is usually slow or medium-paced, with few fast drum beats. Themes often focus on nature, stories, myths, and personal thoughts. Bands include Summoning, Agalloch, Urfaust, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

Black-doom, or blackened doom, mixes the slow, heavy sound of doom metal with the loud, shrieking vocals and distorted guitars of black metal. These bands keep the Satanic themes of black metal but also explore darker, more emotional topics like sadness, emptiness, and nature. The slower pace helps create a heavy, gloomy atmosphere. Examples of bands are Barathrum, Forgotten Tomb, Woods of Ypres, and Deinonychus.

Depressive suicidal black metal, also called DSBM, combines the fast, aggressive style of second-wave black metal with the slow, heavy sound of doom metal. Lyrics often focus on sadness, self-harm, loneliness, and death. This style uses low-quality recordings and distorted guitars from black metal but also includes softer, acoustic sounds from doom metal. Vocals are high-pitched but weak, showing feelings of hopelessness. Many bands in this style are one-person projects. Examples include Xasthur, Leviathan, and Strid.

Black 'n' roll mixes black metal with 1970s rock and roll music. Bands like Carpathian Forest, Kvelertak, and Khold play this style. Other bands, such as Satyricon and Nachtmystium, have also tried this mix.

Crust punk bands, like Antisect and Amebix, were influenced by early black metal bands such as Venom and Celtic Frost. Some crust punk bands, like Iskra and Gallhammer, later combined their style with black metal. Bands like Young and in the Way and Darkthrone have also added crust punk elements to their music.

Blackened death-doom mixes the slow, heavy sound of doom metal, the complex guitar riffs of death metal, and the loud, shrieking vocals of black metal. Bands like Morast, Faustcoven, and Bölzer play this style. Journalist Kim Kelly called Faustcoven one of the best bands at blending black, death, and doom metal.

Blackened death metal is a type of death metal that includes elements from black metal, such as fast guitar picking, themes against Christianity or Satanism, and the use of dark, heavy music styles. These bands often wear makeup and armor, and use low guitar tunings, growling vocals, and sudden changes in music speed. Examples include Belphegor and Behemoth.

Melodic black-death, or blackened melodic death metal, is a mix of melodic death metal and black metal, inspired by European romanticism. This style adds more melody and storytelling to black metal. Bands like Dissection and Sacramentum play this style.

War metal is a loud, chaotic style that mixes black metal and death metal. It is influenced by early extreme metal bands and grindcore music. Bands like Blasphemy and Impiety play this style.

Blackened grindcore combines black metal and grindcore, a very fast and aggressive style of music. Bands like Anaal Nathrakh and early Rotting Christ play this style.

Blackened thrash metal mixes black metal with thrash metal, a fast and aggressive style. This was one of the first times black metal was combined with another genre. Bands like Aura Noir and Witchery play this style.

Folk black metal, pagan metal, and Viking metal use folk music elements. Pagan metal focuses on non-Christian themes, while Viking metal uses Norse myths and Viking history. These styles often use traditional folk music and express anti-Christian ideas. Bands like Negură Bunget, Windir, and Primordial play these styles.

Ideology

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Black metal is a type of music that is different from other metal genres because it is connected to a certain worldview and set of beliefs. It is strongly against Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Many black metal bands are Satanists and believe that Satanism is an important part of black metal. Others support ethnic Paganism, which is sometimes connected with nationalism. However, the early Pagan bands did not call their music "black metal."

Black metal is often described as being misanthropic and against modern society. It is a way of reacting to what some people feel is the boring, fake, and emotionally empty nature of modern secular culture. Aaron Weaver from Wolves in the Throne Room said that black metal is an artistic movement that criticizes modern life and believes that the modern world is missing something important. Some parts of the black metal scene admire nature and are interested in the past. Black metal has been compared to Romanticism, and there is a romantic nationalism in the genre. Sam Dunn noted that unlike other heavy metal scenes, the culture and place are often included in black metal music and imagery. Individualism is also a key part of black metal. Fenriz from Darkthrone described black metal as "individualism above all." Unlike other types of metal, black metal has many one-person bands. However, some argue that followers of Euronymous were not in favor of individualism, and that "Black Metal is characterized by a conflict between radical individualism and group identity and by an attempt to accept both polarities simultaneously." The black metal scene usually opposes political correctness, humanitarianism, consumerism, globalization, and homogeneity.

In his master's thesis, Benjamin Hedge Olson wrote that some artists can be seen as transcendentalists. They are not satisfied with a world they feel lacks spiritual and cultural meaning, and they try to escape or "transcend" their physical forms to become one with the divine. They do this through their concerts, which Olson describes as "musical rituals" that include self-sacrifice and taking on a different, "spiritual persona" (such as by wearing costumes and face paint).

Generally, black metal aims to stay an underground phenomenon.

The term "black metal" originally referred to extreme metal bands with Satanic lyrics and imagery. However, most of the "first wave" bands (including Venom, who created the term "black metal") were not Satanists. Instead, they used Satanic themes to cause controversy. One of the few exceptions was Mercyful Fate singer and Church of Satan member King Diamond, whom Michael Moynihan called "one of the only performers of the '80s Satanic metal who was more than just a poseur using a devilish image for shock value."

In the early 1990s, many Norwegian black metal musicians presented themselves as true Devil worshippers. Mayhem's Euronymous was the main person behind this movement. They criticized the Church of Satan for its "freedom and life-loving" views; the theistic Satanism they supported was the opposite of Christianity. Benjamin Hedge Olson wrote that they changed "Venom's quasi-Satanic stage theatrics into a form of cultural expression unique from other forms of metal or Satanism" and "abandoned the mundane identities and ambitions of other forms of metal in favor of religious and ideological fanaticism." Some important members of the scene, such as Euronymous and Faust, said that only bands who are Satanists can be called "black metal." Bands with a Norwegian style but without Satanic lyrics usually used other names for their music. Some important artists still believe that black metal should be Satanic, while others believe that black metal does not need to be Satanic. An article in Metalion's Slayer fanzine criticized musicians who "care more about their guitars than the actual essence onto which the whole concept was and is based upon." Bands with a similar style but with Pagan lyrics tend to be referred to as 'Pagan Metal' by many 'purist' black metal musicians.

Some people avoid Satanism, seeing it as Christian or "Judeo-Christian" in origin, and believe that Satanists are continuing the "Judeo-Christian" worldview. Quorthon of Bathory said he used 'Satan' to provoke and attack Christianity. However, with his third and fourth albums, Under the Sign of the Black Mark and Blood Fire Death, he began "attacking Christianity from a different angle," realizing that Satanism is a "Christian product." Nevertheless, some artists use Satan as a symbol or metaphor for their beliefs, such as LaVeyan Satanists (who are atheist). Vocalist Gaahl, who follows Norse paganism, said: "We use the word 'Satanist' because it is a Christian world and we have to speak their language… When I use the word 'Satan,' it means the natural order, the will of a man, the will to grow, the will to become the superman." Varg Vikernes called himself a Satanist in early interviews but "now downplays his former interest in Satanism," saying he was using Satan as a symbol for Odin as the 'adversary' of the Christian God. He saw Satanism as "an introduction to more indigenous heathen beliefs." Some bands such as Carach Angren and Enslaved do not have Satanic lyrics.

'Unblack metal' (or 'Christian black metal') promotes Christianity through its lyrics and imagery. The first unblack metal record, Hellig Usvart (1994) by Australian artist Horde, was a provocative parody of Norwegian black metal. It sparked controversy, and death threats were issued against Horde. Norwegian Christian metal band Crush Evil adopted a black metal style in the late 1990s and were renamed Antestor.

Many black metal musicians see "Christian black metal" as an oxymoron and believe black metal cannot be Christian. In fact, the early unblack metal groups Horde and Antestor refused to call their music "black metal" because they did not share its ethos. Horde called its music "holy unblack metal" and Antestor called theirs "sorrow metal." Horde's Jayson Sherlock later said, "I will never understand why Christians think they can play Black Metal. I really don't think they understand what true Black Metal is." However, current unblack metal bands such as Crimson Moonlight feel that black metal has changed from an ideological movement to a purely musical genre, and thus call their music 'black metal.'

Black metal has a long tradition of environmentalism. Groups such as Botanist and Wolves in the Throne Room have been described as exemplifying radical environmentalism.

A wide range of political views are found in the black metal scene. Black metal is generally not political music, and the vast majority of bands do not express political views. The genre is seen more as "fantastical escapism," and artists usually see themselves as merely depicting the "macabre nature of the world." Ihsahn of Emperor explained: "I see it much more as an atmospheric and emotional thing rather than a political one. Hardcore bands can deal with political things; black metal is something else."

However, some black metal artists promote political ideologies. National Socialist black metal (NSBM) promotes neo-Nazi or far-right politics through its lyrics and imagery. Like Nazi punk, it is "distinguished only by ideology, not musical character." Artists typically combine neo-Nazism with ethnic European paganism; however, a few combine these beliefs with Satanism or occultism. Some commentators see it as a natural development of the "black metal worldview." Some members of the early Norwegian scene flirted with Nazi imagery, but this was largely for shock value and to provoke. Varg Vikernes—who now refers to his ideology as 'Odalism'—is credited with introducing such views into the scene. Some NSBM bands support fascist Satanist groups like the Order of Nine Angles.

NSBM artists are a small minority within the genre. While many black metal fans boycott Neo-Nazi artists, others are indifferent or apathetic.

Media

• 666 – At Calling Death (1993) is a documentary made by Nuclear Blast. It includes many interviews and ideas about death and black metal music from artists who perform these styles. The film also discusses church burnings and murders that happened in Norway around that time. The second part of the documentary focuses on black metal.
• Parabellum – The Devil was born in Medellín [English Subtitles] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUgTN7bfPqk (2016)
• svarte alvor (1994)
• Satan Rides the Media (1998)
• Black Metal (1998), a documentary from Belgium created by Marilyn Watelet.
• Norsk Black Metal (2003) was shown on Norwegian TV by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
• Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005) talks about black metal from the early 1990s and includes a 25-minute feature on the DVD.
• True Norwegian Black Metal (2007) is a five-part series by VICE. It discusses the lifestyle, beliefs, and controversies of former Gorgoroth singer Gaahl.
• Black Metal: A Documentary (2007), made by Bill Zebub, shows the black metal world from the artists’ perspectives. No narrator or outside voices are included in interviews or stories.
• Pure Fucking Mayhem (2009) tells the story of the black metal band Mayhem and the tragedies they faced.
• Murder Music: A History of Black Metal (2007)
• The Misanthrope (2007), written and directed by Ted "Nocturno Culto" Skjellum from the band Darkthrone.
• Once Upon a Time in Norway (2008)
• Black Metal Satanica (2008)
• Until the Light Takes Us (2009) looks at the origins and culture of black metal. It includes interviews and rare footage from the Black Circle’s early days.
• Loputon Gehennan Liekki (Eternal Flame of Gehenna) (2011), a Finnish black metal documentary.
• Out of the Black – A Black Metal Documentary (2012), which examines the musical and social beginnings of black metal and explores religious ideas in the scene. It also compares black metal in America and Scandinavia.
• One Man Metal (2012) discusses the lives and thoughts of members from the one-person bands Xasthur, Leviathan, and Striborg.
• Attention! Black Metal (2012)
• Helvete: Historien om norsk black metal (2020). This film covers the history of Norwegian black metal from the 1980s through musical changes, image building, murders, suicides, church burnings, and international fame. It focuses more on the music and people involved than on scandals.

• A black metal mockumentary called Legalize Murder was released in 2006.
• Parabellum – The Devil was born in Medellín [English Subtitles] Parabellum – El Diablo Nació En Medellín [English Subtitles] (2016)
• The cartoon show Metalocalypse is about an extreme metal band named Dethklok. It includes names of black metal artists in business names, such as Fintroll’s store, Dimmu Burger, Gorgoroth’s wheelchair shop, Carpathian Forest High School, Marduk’s Putt & Stuff, Burzum’s hot dogs, and Behemoth studios. In one episode, Dethklok visits Norway to see Toki’s dying father and a black metal record store. They are upset to learn the store does not sell their music.
• A Norwegian commercial for laundry detergent once showed black metal musicians in the advertisement.
• Black metal bands like 1349, Emperor, Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved, and Satyricon have had their videos shown on MTV’s Headbangers Ball.
• Comedian Brian Posehn made a visual reference to Norwegian black metal bands in the music video for his song "Metal by Numbers."
• A KFC commercial in Canada (2008) and Australia (2010) featured a fictional black metal band called Hellvetica. The singer performs a fire-eating trick and then eats spicy KFC chicken, saying, "Oh man, that is hot."
• The 21st episode of the fourth season of Bones, titled "Mayhem on a Cross," shows a human skeleton found at a black metal concert in Norway.
• The 1999 crime novel Sun and Shadow by Åke Edwardson includes references to black/extreme metal bands like Bathory, Marduk, Cradle of Filth, and Dimmu Borgir. The story involves a fictional Canadian black metal band named Sacrament.
• In the UK show The Inbetweeners, a Mayhem poster for the album Ordo ad Chao is shown in the sixth form common room.
• A character in The IT Crowd (seasons 1 and 2) becomes unpopular after listening to Cradle of Filth.
• A black metal band is used in an advertisement for "ZYX Sitruuna," a Finnish throat pain remedy.
• Jonas Åkerlund’s 2018 horror-thriller film Lords of Chaos, based on the 1998 book of the same name, follows crimes in Oslo, Norway, in the early 1990s involving the black metal bands Mayhem and Burzum.