THE PREDETERMINED SATAN IN THE FACE OF THE BLACK METAL SUBCULTURE

Kristina Paytasheva

Once some people asked one of my friends what kind of music she prefers and she said that she prefers “black”, but she didn’t specify that it’s about black metal and the people decided that she prefers hip-hop or the so called “black music”, that is very popular today among the young people. This article is not about the hip-hop music, but about one very different sort of music, called black metal.

Historical reference
The black metal is a music style, raised out of the transition from death metal and thrash metal sounding from the 70th and 80th years of XXth century to one faster and aggressive music. As the formation of black metal was a long process, it is impossible to be defined some founder or some concrete year of appearance. The name of the style borrowed from the album "Black Metal" of the British speed metal band Venom, published in 1982. The black metal like sounding and scenic behavior is directly bind with the themes, concerned in the texts of the songs – mostly satanic texts, antireligious convictions, occultism, darkness, death, war etc. The black metal is subdivided into many types of black metal. It exist pure black metal, atmospheric black metal, vanguard black metal, black death metal, black doom metal, black trash metal, gothic black metal, melodic black metal, symphonic black metal, pagan black metal, folk black metal, Viking/epic black metal. Of course, man has to be very clear about the different sort of black metal, to distinguish the strict kind of music that he listens.

The black metal has typical sounding, that can’t be deranged. Fast guitars and drums, screaming vocals, piano instruments like violins, organs, choruses, even trumpets are the most used music means in black metal. Especially the winds are used to create the dark, moody and scared atmosphere of black metal.

Make-up and clothes
The admirers of black metal usually copy in every way their idols from their favorite bands. They copy every movement, every new accessory, and every new and extravagant cloth. The make-up is deathly, the look – severe and unforgivable. The black and white are the basic colors in the make-up, and the way of painting of the faces is borrowed from the German folklore. In the Norway mythology it is associate with the reminding vampire/goblin appearance of the members of the legions from death souls. To a great extent the black metal make-up reminds of the make-up of the members of bands like KISS, Alice Cooper, King Diamond etc.

The dominating black color in the clothing of the black metal isn’t explained like simple association with the name of the style, or like attempt to attract the attention or like a feeling of inferiority like the psychologies interprets it, but the black color contains very deep symbolism. The black is the color of occultism, of the strange, of the mysterious and of the endless. It is the color of the death and of the funeral.

The internet subculture of the black metals around the world
In the internet space the subculture of the black metals is presented very well. It exist many sites and bloggs of fans of black metal, in which they share the philosophy and the core of black metal, as their reflections and feeling to the black metal. There they unify them selves and become stronger. The black metal subculture is maybe the subculture, presented most strongly in the internet. This is so, because the fans of black metal in worldwide fame are not at all a few.

In Latin America the representatives of black metal subculture also don’t miss. They also are extremely colorful and they provoke the interest of the explorers.

The black metal subculture has its reflection in Malaysia. But there is a conflict between the culture of the black metal and the religion, preached there, and namely – the Islam. The exaggerated popularity of the black metal is leaded to a conflict, in which core is the concept for the relationship between the music and the Satan. The religion convicts the black metal in slander of the Koran and the religion considers that the concerts are sex orgies and Satan rituals. The conservative clerks try to forbid the black metal culture, but they don’t succeed. They succeed to obtain only one thing – the coming in the country black metal albums to be delivered to the government before that they are offered for sale, as after „the check” and the approval they are changed into “more modest attire”.

The accessories

It is interesting the way, in which the black metal subculture is identified. Make-up, ornaments, jewellery, clothes – there is no other way to derange them. Many of the accessories look to a great extend like the accessories of other metal subcultures, but it is inevitably, because this kind of subculture is under the name of the metal as a whole. In spite of this the black metal objects are exceptionally interesting and fascinating.

The envious man
As the look of the black metal performers is quite shocking, sites, in which are published pictures from concerts, where the performers are caught in quite uncomfortable poses are not missing. Of course, there is always someone who takes advantage from such situations and uses the photo material for personal purposes. Here is one site with such purpose: There are published the opinions of the readers, which are quite contradictory, accordingly to their interests. One of them protests, other are happy to read it. It is very important to be yourself, but the most important is – do not lower the reputation of someone because of catched situation, because nobody knows when your image will be destroyed.

Black metal bands
The bands with black metal sounding are so much, but the greatest bands from them are Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Emperor, Marduk, Cradle Of Filth. One of the most interesting is Marduk. The Swedish extremists are maybe the most influential black metal band. After 15 years at the stage, they will conquer the BG scene at 9th of January 2008, after that once their concert was canceled in September last year.

The name of the band has its history. Marduk is Acadian and Babylonian God, supreme God and king of Gods and mortals in Babylon, God-creator. Marduk is divinity of the autumnal sun, of the incarnations and the predictions. Namely from the mythology are inspired the performers for the creation of their image and texts.

The black metal today
The subculture of the black metal not only exists with full power but it develops continuously. In internet appears most and most bloggs and forums, where are discussed actual themes from the black metal sphere. At Bulgarian stage are realized more and more black metal participations, which is very good for the development of the black music in Bulgaria. As, this subculture is added to one of the most comprehensive not only in Bulgaria, but in worldwide fame. Let salute it...

Video:

1. Marduk - Throne Of Rats
2. Marduk – Hearse
3. Marduk – Azrael
4. Dimmu Borgir – The Sacrilegious Scorn
5. Dimmu Borgir – Mourning Palace
6. Immortal – One By One
7. Cradle of Filth – From The Cradle To Enslave

Photos:

1. Typical black metal image
Photo: © http://loop.bg/blogs/metal
Photo: © http://forum.volodymyr.com.ua/lofiversion
2. The black metal image of Latin America
Photo:© http://ciudad.latinol.com
3. Black metal performer in action
Photo: © http://stores.ebay.com/Dysfunctional-Doll-Clothing
4. Black metal accessories
Photo: © http://stores.ebay.com/Dysfunctional-Doll-Clothing
5. Marduk
Photo: © http://www.marduk.nu/marduk

Used sources:

1. http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=101562710&MyToken=7b125a43-424d-4a3e-820b-e8f716f795d5
2. http://my-moment.net/library/Black_Metal
3. http://ciudad.latinol.com/nena_metal/breve_historia_del_metal_en_pana1.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_metal
5. http://eng.anarchopedia.org/black_metal
6. http://rocknerd.org/articles/06/01/30/1756215.shtml?tid=19
7. http://www.blackmetal.co.uk/ForumsPro/viewtopic/p=389125.html
8. http://www.exterminatingangel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=237&Itemid=85
9. http://www.bravewords.com/news/73547
10. http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=163
11. http://www.gothic-wicca-fashion-jewellery.co.uk/gothic-clothes.html
12. http://sexdrugsandrocknroll.tribe.net/thread/4e7770e7-5b4c-4516-95e0-c9e506d9a261
13. http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/reviews.cfm/id/1055/page/the_other_top____most_ridiculous_black_metal_pics_of_all_time.html
14. http://stores.ebay.com/Dysfunctional-Doll-Clothing_BLACK-METAL_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ16933866QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Read: 7004 times                                                  © Fashion Lifestyle Magazine, issue 6, January 2008

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