Alright so I am a fan of Black Metal, and I feel the genre is misunderstood. So I am here to say a couple things about it, and explain the context in which is should be understood and enjoyed.
Many of the bands that perform the style of Black Metal follow the pagan religions of the early Nordic people of the Scandinavian Peninsula (Asatur for example). When the Christians came to these people they subjected the natives of the land to rape, murder, enslavement, and most importantly forced religious conversion.
This story is explained in "One Rode to Asa Bay" by Bathory.
Bathory - One Rode To Asa Bay - YouTube
BATHORY LYRICS - "Hammerheart" (1990) album
In many pagan religions, following ones heritage is of utmost importance. So though the events happened long ago. For followers of the Pagan religion it is very close to their hearts.
The satanic imagery of Black Metal is often blown off as nothing more than theatrics, and of course for some bands it is only theatrics. However in origin the music was created in opposition to Christian oppression, and the genuine artists used the concept of Satan to express their contempt and displeasure with history. Thus creating a music that was simultaneously political and religious.
Now, many of the artists have tried to explain this. However, understand that this is a pretty complex subject to discuss. Especially when many of the artists do not speak English natively or fluently. Thus what they say sometimes seems nonsensical, or humorous, but in reality it is a language barrier problem.
As a Christian man myself, I do not necessarily agree with the ideologies of black metal. However I do understand it's context and I understand where the bands are coming from.
I just feel like it's often dismissed as either blasphemous or comical. Which is fine and entertaining in it's own right. Yet I feel that the cultural and historical context of the music is often lost. Underneath the corpse-paint there is a serious music and message that should be understood.
Just a point to ponder, and something I wanted to clear up.
Many of the bands that perform the style of Black Metal follow the pagan religions of the early Nordic people of the Scandinavian Peninsula (Asatur for example). When the Christians came to these people they subjected the natives of the land to rape, murder, enslavement, and most importantly forced religious conversion.
This story is explained in "One Rode to Asa Bay" by Bathory.
Bathory - One Rode To Asa Bay - YouTube
BATHORY LYRICS - "Hammerheart" (1990) album
In many pagan religions, following ones heritage is of utmost importance. So though the events happened long ago. For followers of the Pagan religion it is very close to their hearts.
The satanic imagery of Black Metal is often blown off as nothing more than theatrics, and of course for some bands it is only theatrics. However in origin the music was created in opposition to Christian oppression, and the genuine artists used the concept of Satan to express their contempt and displeasure with history. Thus creating a music that was simultaneously political and religious.
Now, many of the artists have tried to explain this. However, understand that this is a pretty complex subject to discuss. Especially when many of the artists do not speak English natively or fluently. Thus what they say sometimes seems nonsensical, or humorous, but in reality it is a language barrier problem.
As a Christian man myself, I do not necessarily agree with the ideologies of black metal. However I do understand it's context and I understand where the bands are coming from.
I just feel like it's often dismissed as either blasphemous or comical. Which is fine and entertaining in it's own right. Yet I feel that the cultural and historical context of the music is often lost. Underneath the corpse-paint there is a serious music and message that should be understood.
Just a point to ponder, and something I wanted to clear up.
