Black Metal History Month

Black Metal History Month

Looking Back At BLACK METAL HISTORY MONTH

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Today is the last day of February and thus concludes another awesome round of Black Metal History Month. If you missed any of our frostbitten and grim coverage, here is a look back at what we posted:

The Fix, our music video show, went ALL BLACK METAL with videos from Gorgoroth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Satyricon and Ancient. Watch it here.

We also posted two other black metal related videos, The King of Metal, Dave Hill reviewed some black metal videos and only really liked the Immortal one we showed him, and we took a peek into a day in the life of the Necrosexual.

We reviewed both new and classic black metal albums including:

We explored the stage name origins of 10 black metal artists, caught the commercial prog-rock band Muse getting down with Black Metal History Month, found our favorite new Tumblr blog, Bargain Bin Blasphemy and had some fun with a few silly black metal caption contests.

We were also incredibly stoked to announce the release of our very own Black Metal History Month T-Shirt designed by our good friend Mike Wohlberg, which is still available for purchase.

Don't forget just because February is over doesn't mean you can't wear your new Black Metal History Month T-Shirt proudly as we continue our Black Metal coverage year-round. For even more coverage, check out our 2012 Black Metal History.

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: GORGOROTH – Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam

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As part of Black Metal History Month, we will be spotlighting classic albums that we feel are essential for any fan of black metal. This album is a part of that series. Make sure to pick up our limited edition Black Metal History Month t-shirt.

If I’m to pick a band that perfectly embodies black metal, the first band I’ll usually turn to is Gorgoroth. Everything about them, on the surface and within their albums is just so black. With Gorgoroth, you have the Tolkien-inspired band name, banned and controversial performances, infamous frontmen, and they’re Norwegian! Gorgoroth has been around since the rising of black metal in Norway, and are known to anyone who claims black metal as their own. But I’m not going to talk about some of their older works, like Under The Sign Of Hell, but one that is slightly newer, Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam. (more…)

Around the Interwebs Black Metal History Month

Bargain Bin Blasphemy: Taking Classic Records And Making Them Kvlt

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Just in time for the last day of our annual Black Metal History Month series, I have found my favorite new Tumblr blog. I've discovered many a great Tumblr blogs in the past, be it Kitties on Metal Covers, Me And Fred Durst, Polite Metal Lyrics, or Fuck Yeah! Metal Cats, but this one takes the cake.

One brave vinyl collector, goes around buying old records and then giving them a blasphemous makeover. Here are some more of my favorites: (more…)

Black Metal History Month Caption Contest

One Last BLACK METAL CAPTION CONTEST: Win A CD From The Metal Injection Grab Bag

First thing's first: Last week's winner! Congratulations to krass dan who had the best zinger:

Next on VH1's Behind the Music, Meatloaf's heroin fueled Death Metal years…

He'll be getting a free CD for his efforts. Now this is the last week of our black metal caption contest, in honor of Black Metal History Month.

This week, we're giving away a free CD from the Metal Injection grab bag (which features albums from Opeth, GWAR, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Rotten Sound and many more).. Leave a comment with your best caption and we'll pick a winner next week!

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: BATHORY Under the Sign of the Black Mark

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As part of Black Metal History Month, we will be spotlighting classic albums that we feel are essential for any fan of black metal. This album is a part of that series. Make sure to pick up our limited edition Black Metal History Month t-shirt.

Black metal purists are often criticized for being too reductionist – too kvlt – in their views of what constitutes "true" black metal, but this attitude didn't necessarily come out of nowhere: the early history of first wave BM was largely a matter of stripping an existing aesthetic down to its core and rebuilding it from scratch… which is why seminal albums like Venom's Black Metal and Hellhammer's Apocalyptic Raids retrospectively sound like hybrids, or works-in-progress, compared to what would come to define the genre by the late 80's/early 90's. The first fully formed, unadulterated black metal album – beating Mayhem's Deathcrush to shelves by mere months – is arguably Bathory's 1987 masterpiece Under the Sign of the Black Mark. (more…)

Black Metal History Month Lists

10 Black Metal Stage Name Origins

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Following my post on the origins of 25 Heavy Metal Stage Names, I thought what better sub-genre to focus the next iteration of the column on than black metal? It is after all the genre where stage names are taken so seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these musician's mothers were given a pseudonym at some point.

Shroud in mystery, and the nature of their own seriousness, most black metal stage name origin stories are still kept secret. Although there are many more to dig through, I have compiled 10 for this year's Black Metal History Month. In this piece we will reveal the identities of members from bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Emperor, Burzum and more. (more…)

Black Metal History Month Reviews

Essential Black Metal Listening: ENSLAVED – Mardraum: Beyond the Within

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By the turn of the century, Enslaved had produced a quartet of compelling albums, establishing themselves as reliable and unique purveyors of the blackened arts. Following Quorthon’s late-career lead, Enslaved eschewed Satan as sole subject to focus on Scandinavian folklore and mythology. For this, the band would earn the ubiquitous genre tag of “Viking metal.” Enslaved were, in actuality, quickly transcending the boundaries of black metal’s second wave. Mardraum is the Enslaved album that truly crushed all categorization, smashing minds and sailing off the edge of the known universe with aplomb.

(more…)

Black Metal History Month Reviews

Album Review: DARKTHRONE The Underground Resistance

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Not that I would want to subject myself to the hair-splitting involved, but if I had to give you an example of "true metal", it would be Darkthrone's The Underground Resistance. Raw, unpretentious, and dark as the coldest Norwegian Fjord, The Underground Resistance combines all the elements that gave heavy metal its original glory. Yet at the same time, the many elements of Darkthrone are present here as well. From the fist-pumping grimness of their recent Crust-Punk phase, to the legendary and genre-defining glory of their Black Metal years, and perhaps even a few very faint echoes of their early Death Metal beginnings. Taken as a whole piece of heavy metal artwork, Fenriz and Nocturno Culto paint a picture that shows the pair making only the music they want to make and have a hell of a great time doing it. (more…)

A/V Black Metal History Month

MUSE Contributes To Black Metal History Month

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Although there aren't many, hard-rock-powerhouse Muse, is one commercial non-metal band I've been quite fond of since their early beginnings. Having seen them live many times, I know they're just as fond of extreme metal too. They must have caught wind that Metal Injection was celebrating Black Metal History Month, because their latest music video release is all about a super grim black metal wedding… at the beach. (more…)

Black Metal History Month Caption Contest

BLACK METAL CAPTION CONTEST: Win A CD From The Metal Injection Grab Bag

First thing's first: Last week's winner! Congratulations to Ämerican Nįghtmare who had the best zinger:

It truly must a freezing moon out tonight

He'll be getting a free CD for his efforts. Now for this week, in honor of Black Metal History Month, we are going to be doing black metal caption contests all month long.

This week, we're giving away a free CD from the Metal Injection grab bag (which features albums from Opeth, GWAR, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Rotten Sound and many more).. Leave a comment with your best caption and we'll pick a winner next week!

Black Metal History Month Reviews

Album Review: VREID Welcome Farewell

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It's both ironic and fitting that, while debate heats with every passing year about who is more "kvlt" in the realm of black metal, there are more and more bands willfully snubbing their noses at such fundamentalist thinking, blowing the genre up from the inside out… in 2013 you almost can't bastardize black metal nearly enough.

(more…)

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: HELLHAMMER Apocalyptic Raids

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As part of Black Metal History Month, we will be spotlighting classic albums that we feel are essential for any fan of black metal. This album is a part of that series. Make sure to pick up our limited edition Black Metal History Month t-shirt.

Most "who was first?" arguments centering around black metal tend to focus on the exact point that the form went from "proto"-BM to actual, 100% BM in and of itself. Temporal primacy is obviously a key consideration there, but beyond that it's not as simple as stating that Venom were first just because they named a 1982 album Black Metal (although I'm willing to entertain the idea that the opening riff of side 2 closer "Don't Burn the Witch" singlehandedly invented Slayer).

One angle that is too infrequently dwelt upon is the fact that we wouldn't even be talking about a genre called black metal at all today if it weren't for the bands that made up the "second wave", so really it's only fitting that we allow those later Scandinavians to retroactively plot their own family tree. (more…)

Black Metal History Month Reviews

Essential Black Metal Listening: ULVER – Bergtatt

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As part of Black Metal History Month, we will be spotlighting classic albums that we feel are essential for any fan of black metal. This album is a part of that series. Make sure to pick up our limited edition Black Metal History Month t-shirt.

Though you’d probably never know it from their current career, Ulver was once a contender alongside the great early Norwegian favorites like Immortal or Mayhem. Nowadays, they’ve drifted almost as far from extreme metal as you can possibly get, but they still have a legacy behind them in the history of Norwegian black metal. However, unlike the rest of the scene, they had a twist about them that definitely set them apart both thematically and musically, and that was their integration of Norwegian folk music within the black metal. It’s definitely a little bit different in comparison to what their comrades were up to at the time, and it’s still notable among many black metal enthusiasts.

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Black Metal History Month Caption Contest

BLACK METAL CAPTION CONTEST: Win A CD From The Metal Injection Grab Bag

First thing's first: Last week's winner! Congratulations to Marius Hetzler who had the best zinger:

The Norwegian panda has mastered the use of rudimentary tools.

He'll be getting a copy of the new Sword album on vinyl. Now for this week, in honor of Black Metal History Month, we are going to be doing black metal caption contests all month long.

This week, we're giving away a free CD from the Metal Injection grab bag (which features albums from Opeth, GWAR, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Rotten Sound and many more).. Leave a comment with your best caption and we'll pick a winner next week!

Black Metal History Month

Essential Black Metal Listening: DIMMU BORGIR Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

Dimmu Borgir CD - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

As part of Black Metal History Month, we will be spotlighting classic albums that we feel are essential for any fan of black metal. This album is a part of that series. Make sure to pick up our limited edition Black Metal History Month t-shirt.

For many American metal fans, Dimmu Borgir opened the gates to the dark romanticism and despair of Black Metal. I can remember back in 2004 when all of us high school kids were blown away by "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" (and rode around feeling like we were riding in the Batmobile!) and got hooked to other catchy tunes like "Puritania". By then, I had been introduced to inner-circle Black Metal bands like Emperor, Darkthrone, and Mayhem; but for a metal fan who was still working off the taste pallet of big 4 thrash metal, a band like Dimmu Borgir was easier to digest at that moment in time. Now, you may be saying to yourself, "Drew, you don't mean to say that Dimmu is a gateway metal band in the same sense that we'd say Korn or Slipknot is? Like in the way we enjoyed the cartoons we enjoyed as a child?" While I'm sure there are some elitists who would now elect to put Dimmu in this space (you know…God forbid more than 10,000 people on planet Earth can relate to a band), this is definitely not what I mean, as the band has a wealth of brilliant material to its name, particularly 1997's soaring masterwork, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant. (more…)

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