Is Black Metal Evil?

Black metal has long since been thought of as being evil and in league with the devil, carrying out his work and promoting an evil in the world.

The Norwegian church burnings and the sebsequent murders in the early 1990's would be an easy area of discussion wether black metal itself, and the people who play it are evil...

What are all your thoughts on this?

Is black metal evil?

reply to post by Resentedhalo08


I believe that at one point it was evil. The intent for it's creation by Euronymous of Mayhem, was to go against the Catholic Church. They not only used the imagery, but really devoted themselves to destroying that which the Church destroyed when they forced the people of Norway, Sweden and the surrounding areas to convert.

I've been listening, and playing black metal for 16 years. When I first started, I was in the same mindframe as what the first bands were. As I got older, my ideals are still the same, but I don't believe in either Dog or Satan. I think that the black metal of today is more a joke than what it was. Granted there are handfuls of bands that still purvey the original ideal, and still create some awesome atmospheric black metal.

As for me, I stick with what I grew up with. Sarcofago, Opthalamia, Arcturus, Aurora Borealis, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Katatonia, Samael, the good stuff.

Star and Flag by the way.

I personally don't like it because it does sound like it's evil. The music has a lot rage and anger and to me that just attracts bad energy. Most of the concert goers look like they're tripping out on drugs the way they shake their heads. Shake it too hard and it may fall off.

No music is evil. It's notes and tempo.
Most of these "evil" or "satanic" metal bands are just trying to make a living the same way manson does. Shock value means massive money.

Geez you people always trying to keep the black metal down. Shameful really.....don't worry I will say it for you MOMMA SAY"S THAT"S RACIST!!! That for all my black metal brothers....oh you mean Death Metal. Hell yes it's evil, evil to the bone and that's what makes it good.

I don't think it's evil. I just think that it's creepy. I'm not a big fan of it, and very rarely some of it will make me wonder if it'll offend a higher power, but for the most part I just think that it weirds me out.

Most of it, probably.

I recently started a thread that may pertain to your question, although as I'm finding, unless one believes in the soul and satan/devil/darkness, then it may not be of much interest.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Also, I'm reminded of one of the members of 'Korn' who believed that his music was evil and 'found God' after abandoning his membership of the band - I think the story goes.


Peace

reply to post by divinetragedy79


Well Euronymous was a complete (insert swear word here) lol, I do not blame Varg Vikerness for killing him as he was in a situation where it was either going to be him or Euronymous, as for taking a picture of dead after he killed himself well that's just an insight into the mind of Euronymous, wasn't he goading dead into actually killing himself before he did that? So without a doubt in my opinion that is one black metal musician who haboured evil intent!

I too am a black metal musician my friend, I'd like to think my bands music is good seeing as we will be touring with some very big bands this year!

I was just thinking about this today, even searched around to see if speed metal made listeners speed, it gives me a killer rush personally. listening to agalloch now, the imagry dosnt seem evil, more folk i guess.

Only when its done the right way,It can be calming and relaxing at times as seen here.
www.youtube.com...

Thank you for the other replies so for I am sorry but I am unable to reply to you induvidually as my laptop is far too slow to allow that!

But from what I have read from other people here at the moment is that it's the sound that is evil, which I do not doubt, but from a black metal musicians point of view that is brilliant! just what we like, lol... wether or not the actual form of music, the notes used and frequencies actually amplify negative energies etc I don't know.

In my opinion, black metal, for people who enjoy listening to it can actually be a positive experience as it allows a person to get rid a lot of negative emotions in which they might otherwise have done in another way, but I am sure that is true for many other musical forms.

Music is expression.

Anytime you limit expression in music you are just hurting the culture. There are certainly evil people who have made music. Probably some of them who fit the genre of Black Metal, however it's all Evil.

It's mostly just a bunch of people who like to make music.

Cannibal Corpse for example. That band started out as a joke.

~Keeper

Welll.. Many bands and listeners within metal in general, and black metal specifically, claim themselves to be evil..

So who am i to question that?

This one takes it on a band to band basis.. Not that i enjoy black metal, at all

reply to post by Resentedhalo08


I agree. But, Euronymous held so much sway in the beginning stages of black metal. Of course he had a twisted mind. As I said before, I took much of what he said about what black metal should be and took it as my own.

To this day, I still believe that Dead was the best vocalist that Mayhem had.

I think the question that needs to be asked here is, what do you define as evil?

Also, do you sell your soul at some point? wether it be intentionally through the summoning of demons etc using black magic or inadvertantly selling your soul in the process of trying to make it "big" as it were.

Depends what you mean by 'Evil'.

If you mean the epitome of wrong, then no. Art cannot be that.
If you mean "opposed to Abrahamic Religions" then yeah, a lot of it is but that would also apply to a whole heck of a lot more than just Black Metal.

reply to post by divinetragedy79


Yes I agree, Euronymous did have a massive part to play in the formation of the genre, but he definately started to try and push it into a direction that was bordering on maniacal and even wanted to kill Varg Vikerness, in Varg's opinion to "take him out to the woods and make a snuff film", Euronymous changed through the years from his initial ideas to more subverted and sick ideas which in turn he tried to push the genre into that direction, the black metal genre has been stained with the label of being evil due to some of the ideas expoused at that time by him.

Yes, dead was indeed the best singer! no doubt!

Originally posted by laterallateral
If you mean "opposed to Abrahamic Religions" then yeah, a lot of it is but that would also apply to a whole heck of a lot more than just Black Metal.

edit on 21-1-2011 by laterallateral because: (no reason given)

So are you saying to be opposed to abrahamic religions that is to be evil? Seriously?

By that very definition, would that not make me evil in your opinion? As I am very much opposed to abrahamic religions...

I would say, and not in an offhand manner, that the evil lies with the song writer and singer of the song. Just like Magick, the black, or white, is in the heart of the practitioner. One cannot exist without the other to define it as such. The key to all things is Balance.

reply to post by autowrench


Yes I have to agree with you there!

I am in a fairly well known black metal band in the UK, I guess that balance is present in my band with me and the singer... he is very much into the black magick side of things, whereas I am more into the white side, so that can be seen as a natural balance to things.