Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Black Metal! This is the dark side of all metal music that came to us from Norway, Sweden, Germany, Finland and even the USA. The first bands to play in this style were thrash metal bands that formed the prototype of black metal in the early 1980s; they are called the first wave, and they were the bands Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate and Bathory. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a second wave emerged, mainly composed of Norwegian bands such as Burzum, Mayhem and Darkthrone. Despite the fact that the concept of "third wave" does not exist, modern black metal bands have undoubtedly added new musical and lyrical elements to this style.

Steps

1. 1 Find out where black metal came from. Black metal is probably the only genre of metal in which the band's place of origin plays a decisive role in its sound. For example, Norwegian black metal is completely different from Swedish, and American black metal is very different from Finnish. For example, Swedish black metal emphasizes melodiousness and clarity, while American black metal is more aggressive and violent.
2. 2 Not all black metal is satanic. In fact, most of the best representatives of this genre don't carry a similar message. For example, the Enslaved, Immortal, Burzum and Absu groups do not have a satanic message.
   
   
3. 3 Read lyrics in black metal. If a group sings about Satanism, what form of Satanism is that? Atheistic, theistic, Luciferian? Groups can sing about everything from Scandinavian mythology to metaphysics of the relationship between God and the devil. Bands put a lot of effort into creating music, and the lyrics often reflect things that are very close to the author.
4. 4 Black metal is, first of all, an atmosphere! Many people do not understand black metal because they do not understand its purpose, which is to create atmosphere! The song's structure and dark noise are intended to convey the feeling of a cold Norwegian winter, the depths of hell, or the forests of Washington. You shouldn't listen to black metal and expect it to have an impressive effect on you. You need to sit down, listen, and digest. It is best to listen to black metal while doing something at the same time, such as driving a car or filling out paperwork.
5. 5 Time! It will take a very long time to get used to black metal, especially for those who are used to listening to traditional metal or even death metal. Almost no band, with the exception of Immortal and Swedes, has a chorus in their songs.Black metal deliberately aimed to be as difficult as possible to understand a genre of music, so when you listen to it, keep that in mind.
6. 6 Think of black metal as an art. Black metal is probably the deepest and most complex genre of metal. The bands don't just play and sing about Vikings or the devil, they show you his rotten face and make you feel the breath of a berserker. When you start listening to black metal, you will become a representative of the real elite of metal.

Tips

• Watch the documentary "Until the Light Takes Us" for a glimpse into the early black metal scene in Norway and some facts from musical history.
• Remember that vocals and instrumental parts (especially drums) in black metal are quite difficult and require a lot of preparation. Some people think that playing this genre is very easy because you can just pick up the guitar and start plucking the strings, but obviously this is not the case.
• It can take a while to fall in love with this genre, so don't give up.
• Black metal is a very underground style of music, often on purpose. True black metal fans don't like bands that play traditional metal because they are always in sight. You have to have some sort of dislike for popular music in order to truly appreciate black metal.
• Groups for fans of the genre: Wolves in the Throne Room, Arckanum, Behexen, Otargos, Tsjuder, Judas Iscariot
• For the biggest connoisseurs: Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Dissection, Taake, Emperor
• Black metal is very diverse. It can be classified not only by subgenres, but also by country of origin and even by regions in that country. Wolves in the Throne Room from America are good at conveying the atmosphere with one song, which is ten to fifteen minutes long, while bands like Funeral Mist from Sweden emphasize creating chaos in their songs.
• Do not hurry. Check out the bands Ulver, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Dark Funeral and Watain. Gradually, you will be able to move on to more intense black metal bands.
• Avoid the Norwegian genre monopoly. Listen to bands from Sweden, USA, Germany and even Eastern Europe. Many people who didn't like Norwegian black metal continue to listen to this genre thanks to bands from other countries.
• Good bands for beginners: Dimmu Borgir, Dark Funeral, Naglfar, Immortal, Watain and the more melodic Agalloch

Warnings

• At the stages of the formation of the genre, some performers became famous for setting fire to churches and killing people. Those days have passed, but some still have a warlike attitude.
• Black metal bands can be pretty intimidating. Some bands like Watain use animal body parts and throw them into the crowd, while bands like Mayhem injure themselves and light fires. Look for groups with interesting performances and attend.
• Most black metal bands write lyrics on a variety of topics, while some members of the genre may have neo-fascist sentiments.
• Some black metal fans may behave inappropriately. They think they represent the metal elite and show contempt for everyone else. These people take music too seriously and should be ignored.