Is Black Metal Evil?

I think its just like any music genre, the artists try to play up to the reputation and image of the music they play. Its all about image (Hip hop, Hair metal, Country, Teenie Bop). How the listener interprets what they hear and see is another matter.

Originally posted by Resentedhalo08

Originally posted by laterallateral
If you mean "opposed to Abrahamic Religions" then yeah, a lot of it is but that would also apply to a whole heck of a lot more than just Black Metal.

edit on 21-1-2011 by laterallateral because: (no reason given)

So are you saying to be opposed to abrahamic religions that is to be evil? Seriously?

By that very definition, would that not make me evil in your opinion? As I am very much opposed to abrahamic religions...

Nope. I'm saying that that is how "evil' is defined by a lot of people.
I don't subscribe to the notion of good and evil, I'm just trying to figure out what the OP is going on about, seeing as it's fairly obvious to me that music cannot be defined as evil, as per my first definition.

Evil? Nahh. Just good showmanship.

Freaky? Oh you betcha.

"Ninety percent of the evil black metalers from back in the early 90s were all teenagers, including myself," reflects an older, more mature Mortiis, having undergone plastic surgery to transform himself into the insanely wrinkled and wizened old gnome (replete with witch nose and pointy elf ears) he is today. Why did he go under the knife? "Being generally fascinated by all things dark and dangerous, what else are you going to do?"

Blood, guts, and fjords

reply to post by laterallateral


Oh right! I get you now...

Well, music can be evil I think, by it's very nature music is made up of different frequencies and I am sure that some can and do act as a natural "resonator/amplifier" to negative and positive energies, depending on the frequencies. So in that sense I do believe music itself can be evil.

Also, the actions of people in music can either be interpreted or overtly in its nature be good or evil, dependant on their actions.

Hahaha I love black metal. It's not evil, maybe when Mayhem and Bathory and what not first started they did some satanic # to people and churches, but the music isn't evil.
It's just a music genre and they use satanic lyrics and imagery because it's what people want to hear and see.
There's a few great documentaries about black metal, check out:
Black Metal Satanica
and
True Norwegian Black Metal

reply to post by tothetenthpower

Anytime you limit expression in music you are just hurting the culture.

But what about limiting an artist that is hurting the culture?




Evil -

something that is harmful or undesirable

You can gain nothing but anger, rage and confusion from Black Metal, Death Metal, etc.


I never understood it


I'm a smooth jazz man. Peaceful, soothing...relaxing.

I'm very open-minded.. but I put death metal in the same category that i put nonsensical rap music.

...trash...

Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

Anytime you limit expression in music you are just hurting the culture.

But what about limiting an artist that is hurting the culture?

Evil -

something that is harmful or undesirable

HE IS EVIL INCARNATE!!!!!

Originally posted by Q2IN2Y
You can gain nothing but anger, rage and confusion from Black Metal, Death Metal, etc.


I never understood it


I'm a smooth jazz man. Peaceful, soothing...relaxing.

I'm very open-minded.. but I put death metal in the same category that i put nonsensical rap music.

...trash...

That is because your taste is different. I have heard people refer to jazz as "nonsense".

I think if the OP is going to question any music, it should be hip hop/ gangster rap. An "art" that promotes selling drugs, murder, violence against women, racism (mostly against whites).

I have seen this music warp a persons mind right in front of my eyes. I'm talking about the hardcore gangster stuff. I'm a fan of old school rap.

I never considered any kind of music negative up until Eminem came on the scene. he made the culture a lot more popular with cross over fanfs. Now all of a sudden it's considered "cool" to punch a woman in the face. Now it is "cool" to sell crack to minors. Now it is "cool" kill homosexuals.

I live in Detroit, and the teenagers around here could have you begging for an encounter with a rabid wolverine over an encounter with them.

Hip Hop also promotes an anti-intellectual philosophy. Our children buy it, and our children respect it.

The catch is, I'm white. If someone doesn't like what I say about hip hop, they can call me a racist, and that will be all that matters.

And there are very few rappers that can even rap. As long as you find someone with a keyboard and a drum machine, all you have to do is TALK about killing women over the beat and you're golden.

I don't understand it much anymore. It's getting really scary around here these days.

I'd give anything to see kids listening to black metal over this.

No art is evil, even satanic metal isn't evil.
Artists want to get reactions from people, and whaddayaknow?

They got a reaction.
This means the artist got succeeded.

reply to post by Segador


I don't believe in good or evil. It's more like understanding and confusion.

Example: Hitler was extremely confused, not evil. Being evil would mean he understood he was truly evil. But Hitler believed what he did was right.

You see? Confusion.

Edit to add: Also, I find Slayer very soothing and uplifting. Slayer has never inspired hatred or "evil" in me. I'm a christian. Imagine a christian jamming out to "God Hates Us All". Needless to say, most people who know me don't understand it. Love your "enemies".

Originally posted by applesthateatpeople
reply to post by Segador

 

I don't believe in good or evil. It's more like understanding and confusion.

Example: Hitler was extremely confused, not evil. Being evil would mean he understood he was truly evil. But Hitler believed what he did was right.

You see? Confusion.

Dilusion, not confusion.
The only instance Hitler was probably ever confused was at the end of his reign.

I listen to Dark metal and Nordic Viking/Folk metal Celtic/Folk metal bands, like Amon Amarth, Gorgoroth and last but not least the whiskey drinking Deicide. Their all for shock value mostly cuz on interveiws they sound kinda feminine, if you catch my drift. "Evil" no, if you dont take the lyrics to heart and follow it, like in the 80's when some kids did shizzy from the common trendy band Metallica lol and the hiphop eara kids follow that... but anyways lol

I play guitar for that style and I dont do anything "Evil". I love all animals, Im into nature alot, animalologies n sort. I was baptised 7th day adventist at 1 point in my life but I studied religouse history about monotheism, does that make me "Evil". LOL Sorry kind of got off topic... but I hope that helped a little.

Don't feel guilty listening to it, theres nothing wrong with that as long as the Lyrics don't suck you in, which they can. I've seen some crazy stuff when I was young from being drawn in. I found real Nordic folk music to be much better but thats me. Verry beautiful females lol sorry had to throw that in.

reply to post by VenomVile.6


Manegarm "Urminnes Havd" is probably one of my favorite albums of all time. Their folk-inspired metal seems to pale in comparison, to me.

It is amazing though, how fervent some people are about calling some music trash when it is such a subjective thing.. Though, i still have to stand by if someone says they are evil, and claim their music is evil.. Well, it might just be Shock value or not, i dont go around claiming i am in a radiant state of love just to see peoples reactions! "Self-fulfilling prophecy" or some such..

A good friend of mine plays bass in a death metal band. When playing with the band he is quite an aggressive player, but outside the music and the band he is a normal calm and collected human being. The vocalist (with a proper death metal voice) in the band also plays Ringo Star in a Beatles tribute band
The music is just an act to attract fans by portraying a certain image.
Remember how 50's rock 'n roll was the devils music? Or when bands like Led Zeppelin and even the Beatles were cited as a bad influence on society? Or that bands like Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath were working with the devil himself? Or how Judas Priest were charged with putting backwards messages in their music inciting their fans to shoot themselves? It's all bs, it's simply music to be marketed at a target audience, nothing more and nothing less.
You always have control in what music you listen to and if you think you may get very aggressive when listening to death metal there is a simple solution....stay away from it.
I don't like speed metal or death metal, but I can understand the appeal. I choose to listen to classic rock, heavy metal, hard rock, etc. I have never felt influenced in any way to believe that the act was real....it's an act and nothing more!

Originally posted by Segador

Dilusion, not confusion.
The only instance Hitler was probably ever confused was at the end of his reign.

Alright.

Delusional works for me too. It seems like a form of confusion, though. Maybe I'm just confused (or delusional).

lol I bet he was pretty confused at the end.

I wouldn't single out Black metal as being evil. In Fact if I were to single out any type of music as being Evil I would choose Hip Hop or Rap music. I can remember back in the eighties all the commotion towards metal music, Music of the devil etc etc......The whole Satanic thing was nothing but a Gimmick to sell records. These guys didn't practice Satanism or anything like that, The Backward lyrics is a total load of BS. These guys just want to party and pick up women. Rap And Hip Hop Promotes the whole Gangster lifestyle,Violence,Drug culture, Degrading women. It all depends on what your definition of Evil is

whoever thinks it's just about negative things must have not heard a lot of it. Black metal can say and stand for whatever it wants. It's not limited in emotions or concepts just because of the name of the genre... and if you can't appreciate the musicianship then maybe you just can't feel the style. Black metal and death metal are genres that have genres within genres and the more I listen to the more it blows me away that some people think either of them are so limited. Yes, there *are* a lot of songs of anger, death and heartbreak but you have a lot of that in almost every single genre of music because these are thing that inspire people to write... as well as a lot of other things like happiness and love and believe it or not, you can find some gorgeous stuff if you look around. It may not be butterflies and tulips kind of love and happiness but the concepts go where they feel like going and writers of black metal are no strangers to these notions. Most people just don't look and don't hear enough so they really don't know. Sure, it may still not be their taste and it is sometimes complex on the ears but any radio station you listen to is not going to be playing your favorite # 24/7. Those who like it have become familiar enough with it's strides to know what they like and what they don't like and that is why they don't see it just one way like that. They know it's multifaceted and pretty expansive regardless of musical or even image similarities. It's a very theatrical genre as well.

Originally posted by divinetragedy79
reply to post by Resentedhalo08

 

I believe that at one point it was evil. The intent for it's creation by Euronymous of Mayhem, was to go against the Catholic Church. They not only used the imagery, but really devoted themselves to destroying that which the Church destroyed when they forced the people of Norway, Sweden and the surrounding areas to convert.

.

edit on 21-1-2011 by divinetragedy79 because: to star and flag

I'd just like to point out that Euronymous was all for the catholic church because of all the pain and suffering it has caused throughout the ages. Other black metal musicians from the early scene have also spoken out against the burning of the beautiful, old churches instead advocating the burning up of mosques popping up more frequently in those countries teehee....

m/m/

reply to post by Resentedhalo08

It's not evil, it's just really hard to see in the dark.