How to be a Black Metal Fan in 2005

[Birkenau]

well, regardless of that concept...the result was some good music. in the end, that is what counts.

Music without concept or purpose usually becomes decadent and pointless, much like pop music I guess.

 

[Susperia]

I love how Black Metal fans are such Romantics, in such an unromantic world.

 

[Norsemaiden]

Well I think that any movement, such as original black metal, that sets out to challenge the establishment, will be attacked by the establishment. If this can be done by financing and hyping black metal which is blatently commercial and subverts the poetry and idealism of the original, that is easily arranged.....

 

[Hubster]

... as it is with anything in our currently diluted and mostly unoriginal Americanised society.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

Music without concept or purpose usually becomes decadent and pointless, much like pop music I guess.

you know what?!? i actualy read (and yes actually understood) every single fucking sentance in this entire fucking thread and i'm still quoting Birkenau because after all this i still got to say

decadent + pointless = fun

 

[Birkenau]

I really think you should stop posting in this forum.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

... as it is with anything in our currently diluted and mostly unoriginal Americanised society.

are you saying americanized = bad???

 

[Hubster]

Yes, that's exactly what I am saying.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

Because the music you may like might be of a guy who is saying through that music that he wants you dead. It's not complicated really. Music is an ideological expression and a transfer of experience. It's been like that from the beginning of it. Unless you're in for consumption of products in the form of music... and really like replication of experience rendered harmless. Sth. like going at the zoo and pretending to see the real animal...

i know a guy who would have said the exact same thing, only difference is he would have said it sarcasticly

 

[Scott W]

Excellent article.

I know I might sound elitist but the sight of these plankton in CoF shirts makes my blood boil. They have no knowledge on the history of the genre and have no comprehension on the philosophy of the music or its makers. Even worse, they have no intention of investigating in order to broaden the philosophical, political or musical knowledge or their intellect.

A 14 yr old kid listening to Burzum will not hear why Varg's vocal work holds such beauty, why his screams speak of resistance against the world's trends and genuinely so. Nor will they see the Viking passions and visions of Grutle Kjellsons growls in Eld, or the arrival of ships on bloodied shores within Quorthon's music.

I have always viewed metal, as with Western Art Music, a form of music for the educated, civilised, passionate and intuitive listener. That black metal is infiltrated and corrupted by sheep, and becoming a formula is sad. It is indeed for the most part losing its identity, however, deep beneath the surface, few bands still create their art in true form.

NP: BURZUM: Dunkelheit

It is essentially elitist, but I understand the sentiment. As a film buff, pretty much any big budget hollywood movie used to feel like a slap in the face to me. They take something that can be beautiful and moving and breathtaking, and turn it into shit like...well any movie with Vin Diesel. However, that was a feeling that I got over after I quit being a film student. You cant force people to feel a certain way. Perhaps the most popular movies are often the worst, but occaisonally a good movie actually is liked by the public (see Lost in Translation), and when it happens, I appreciate it.

The thing about the history and concept of black metal, is who the fuck cares? You cant tell people not to enjoy your art if they wont grasp its intent, thats not how art works. If thats what people want, they need to not release their music. Just dont sell it to anyone, unless you know them personally. People are going to listen to BM without getting it, and thats unfortunate, but unavoidable.

Myself, I understand the BM concept and purpose...and I just flatout disagree with it entirely. I still enjoy the music, but basically all these articles that people keep posting from anus.com I just dont agree with at all. I dont think that means I should stop listening to it, however. I still enjoy it. I still appreciate a Varg scream, or the raw minimalism of darkthrone. For someone who is so into basically any subject (film for me, Black metal for some of you good gentlemen) the people who only casually appreciate it, will bother you. For me, my whole look on life is to avoid stress. Im really really laid back about things. And I found it easier to just let things go, than to worry about it.

 

[JoeVice]

Music without concept or purpose usually becomes decadent and pointless, much like pop music I guess.

but, when the motive behind the concept is to fit in to the formula of a genre, a culture is formed...and instead of ambitiously creating something, the result is a crowd pleaser...this is how genres burn out. a bunch of guys are pissed off because death metal isn't underground anymore...so a few bands form this new kind of music...then, a bunch of people who share the same opinion on death metal, hear of this new form of music, and say, "okay, this is what we are going to play. we fit in here nicely." this happens over and over again, until the same shit is being put out, and has become a not-so-underground movement itself. on the other hand, someone may hear a black metal song and say, "wow, i like what they did at 2:38 on track 3. we should incorporate that into our music." unfortunately, when someone of the "tr00" black metal crowd hear's this band's music and notices that they are trying to improperly incorporate black metal, they become upset, and accuse the band of being pussies, sellouts, etc...what if britney spears came out with a new album, and she didn't dance on her videos anymore? that wouldn't be pop music...she would be accused of being a sellout in the same way that many un-tr00 metal bands are today.

it is the people that listen to a genre for reasons other than the music itself that ruin that genre for people of the same mindset. it seems like some people think that music is supposed to played a certain way...okay, i'm just rambling on.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

it is the people that listen (to any music) for (any) reasons other than the music itself that ruin music

sorry for butchering but this^^^ is what i believe

 

[JoeVice]

sorry for butchering but this^^^ is what i believe

good call

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

good call

i just realized something "video killed the radio star" (the first music-video played in the USA) was a total joke song making (what was at the time) a seemingly ridiculous prophetic statement... that actually fucking happened!!! what are the odds of that happening?!?!?

 

[Valerie]

I find it rediculous when people over-analyze simplistic things, especially when they get everything wrong. "I tend to refer to the mainstream stuff like Six Feet Under or Cradle of Filth as "heavy metal," since musically it's closer to Motorhead and Led Zeppelin than death or black metal" What the fuck is this person on?
Cradle of Filth is Gothic Metal, anyway.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

I find it rediculous when people over-analyze simplistic things, especially when they get everything wrong. "I tend to refer to the mainstream stuff like Six Feet Under or Cradle of Filth as "heavy metal," since musically it's closer to Motorhead and Led Zeppelin than death or black metal" What the fuck is this person on?
Cradle of Filth is Gothic Metal, anyway.

in response to this^^^ i say read posts #31 and #32