Re: this should keep you good for awhile
> Well, considering that 90% of my exposure to black metal has
> been through crap bands like Cradle of Filth and Emporer,
> and over the top fantasy metal like Bal Sagoth, it tends to
> be a little hard to digest that the guy screaming about
> eating the souls of dead and burning crosses is serious
> about what he does.
Those bands aren't really black metal, even in the musical sense. Cradle of Filth has way too many goth over-tones, and musically their have more in common with heavy metal than black metal, plus they're sold out commercialized whores. Emperor just plain sold out (they're the Metallica of black metal), and they really don't even represent black metal musically anymore. Real black metal either focuses on obscurity or romanticism in aesthetic. It's an inital torrent of repulsive sound that eventually pulls you in and reveals it's beauty. Often extremely simple, and NOT necessarily with keyboards, it usually uses simple elements well placed, and either torrential or techno-inspired drumming. The tone terrified, or terrifying, or both. Some bands have indecipherable lyrics, but most have lyrics that are just really hard to decipher, thus adding to the air of obscurity. Seriously, it's hard to make decipherable lyrics that are abrasive as they are in black metal. However, I find that if I listen to a particular band a lot, I'll start being able to figure out what the lyrics are (provided they're in English). I think that a black metal album is appreciated the more you listen to it, usually. It's not a very accessible genre at first.
Some of my favorites:
Burzum - Det Som Engang Var:
- Songs start out as basic, hypnotic black metal, but turn into a sort of simplified type of classical-inspired music without resorting to overusing cheese-ball keyboards. Vocals are a terrified, inhuman shriek that, upon close listening, actually has a surprising amount of tonality.
Burzum - Burzum/Aske
- His first works. Basically similar to Det Som Engang Var, but even more abrasive. I've heard it described as "amateurish in the absolute best sense of the word", and that's a pretty good synopsis. Songs are also more standard in structure, with a sort of verse-chorus-verse-type thing coming into play. In fact, much of the album seemed to evoke elements I'd heard before in other music, and turn them upside down. Like an inverted cross. If these compositions were listened to as midi files, with only the notes and beats being taken into account, this album should appeal to lots of people. However, something in the presentation evokes pure, mortal terror and there is one song that ALWAYS gives me a rush down my spine: Ea, Lord of the Depths.
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
- Immortal's early work is superior to their later work, which actually isn't really that bad for being the commercialized hype that it is. This is by far one of the most technical black metal albums ever made (I haven't even found a RIFF I can play on this album, let alone a song), and it's more of a romantic, "freezing-winds-blast-all-life-into-smithers" kind of ordeal. The drumming and guitar are simply amazing, with the drummer doing a near-constant snare roll that is faster than any drumming I have EVER heard. Guitars start at a base note, and are constantly moving around it before harmonizing in a resounding finish of the unbelievably fast riff. The production is very different, and while some will think it's "bad", creates a texture to the guitars that is very unique (It sounds like the manifestation of pure, blue energy to me) Every song on this album is incredibly good. This album is highly respected among black metal fans, but has seldom been imitated, possibly because it invented this style of black metal AND brought it to it's full potential
at the same time.
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
- Unbelievably simple music with unbelievably bad production that in the ends comes across as honest, and expressive of what it's attempting. Drumming, however, is actually quite complex, despite the drummer's attempt to mask it. This album is really quite good, but probably the most inaccessible album ever created due to the production and repetition. Every band that imitated this failed to succeed. I can't really explain the overall sound, but it sounds like it was recorded in a production studio buried under molten lava, with the microphone somewhere far away.
Abyssic Hate - Suicidal Emotions
- This is a pretty rare thing. It's a black metal album about depression and suicide, which are not usual topics for lyrics in black metal. It's also an album that faces these things in a non-self-pitying manner, and provides a glimpse at someone considering killing themselves, and the logical reasons for doing so. Sound is similar to Darkthrone and Burzum put together. Really good lyrics.
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