Black Metal

Black metal emerged as one of the darkest expressions in the history of extreme music, carrying not only an aggressive aesthetic but a real trail of human tragedies, spiritual chaos, and dense energies that shaped its reputation. Unlike other metal styles that approach dark themes symbolically or poetically, black metal—especially its infamous second wave in early 1990s Norway—became the literal embodiment of the abyss. Artists, fans, and an entire underground scene plunged into self-destructive, violent, and often openly anti-cosmic behavior.

The density of the genre crystallized with the story of Per Yngve Ohlin (Dead), vocalist of Mayhem. Dead was obsessed with death, isolation, and self-deprecation. He did not merely perform death—he tried to live it. He buried his stage clothes so they would smell “like the earth,” sliced himself onstage, and cultivated an aura of decay. In 1991, Dead took his own life in a brutal manner. Tragic enough on its own, the incident became even more disturbing when Euronymous photographed the scene and allegedly collected fragments of Dead’s skull to make necklaces. This moment became an open wound in music history—a permanent scar symbolizing the chaotic and uncontrollable aura of black metal.

Shortly after, the already toxic atmosphere of the scene escalated into violence: in 1993, Varg Vikernes of Burzum murdered Euronymous with numerous stab wounds. The crime revealed how deeply some central figures had blurred the line between aesthetic and reality. Black metal was no longer music—it had become a chaotic cult that, in certain circles, encouraged misanthropy, destruction, and spiritual annihilation.

Around the same time, a wave of church burnings swept through Norway. Historic structures from the 11th and 12th centuries were set on fire in the name of “anti-Christian purity.” Among them was the iconic Fantoft stave church, destroyed in an arson attack that became a symbol of ritualized violence infecting the scene. These weren’t acts of rebellious teenagers—they were manifestations of deep hatred and destructive energies that found in black metal a channel to materialize themselves.

Beyond the public tragedies, the genre carried—and still carries—intense vibrational density: lyrics glorifying suffering, destruction, extreme nihilism, symbolic pacts with abyssal forces, isolation, death, and spiritual aggression. Many early musicians openly stated they were working against any form of light, order, or creation—embracing entropy as a philosophy. Even without entering mystical interpretation, the psychological impact is profound: the deeper one immerses into these atmospheres, the more one’s energy, behavior, and perception begin to reflect that heaviness.

While other metal subgenres use darkness as metaphor or catharsis, black metal often turned it into a literal lifestyle, sometimes leading to destructive behavior, violence, crime, family collapse, emotional imbalance, and a genuine sense of disconnection from ordinary life. It is no coincidence that many musicians associated with the scene reported severe depression, intense isolation, and deep existential crises—the environment continuously fed these states.

Thus, the history of black metal is not only about heavy music; it is a moment when an entire sonic culture aligned—almost magnetically—with dense forces, psychological and spiritual, resulting in tragedies that left a mark on the world. It is a rare example of art ceasing to be representation and becoming literal materialization of destructive energy.