Genre story · Metal
Black Metal
A style that gave extreme metal a colder, rawer sound, then took its own history in several directions.
The name black metal was popularized by Venom's 1982 album, but the sound associated with it took form in stages. Bathory, Hellhammer and Celtic Frost were among the influential acts of the 1980s. In the early 1990s, Norwegian bands including Darkthrone, Mayhem and Emperor developed a more distinctive musical approach that became known as the second wave. It was an international history before Norway became its most notorious center, and later scenes expanded far beyond that single place.
Friction, repetition, distance
Rapidly picked guitar notes, persistent drum patterns, sharp vocals and dense layers of distortion are important traits of many black metal records. The recordings can be intentionally rough, making the instruments merge into a buzzing whole. Other branches use keyboards, elaborate harmonies or more careful production. The sensation of coldness comes from musical choices as much as from imagery, which has varied across scenes.
A history larger than its mythology
Black metal's visual and ideological history includes provocation, anti-Christian imagery and documented acts of violence, but no musical definition can assume the politics or conduct of every artist. Different regional traditions and later hybrids drew on folk, avant-garde composition, ambient music and shoegaze. They are not proof of a straight line from every first-wave record to every band that uses the label today.
Essential recordings
- 1987BathoryUnder the Sign of the Black MarkA powerful reference point before the Norwegian second wave.
- 1992DarkthroneA Blaze in the Northern SkyA central document of the emerging Norwegian sound.
- 1994EmperorIn the Nightside EclipseExtreme metal expanded through dense, keyboard-rich arrangements.