Ideological Relevance of Black Metal

[waif]

Not really reading the entire thread, but pretty sure this hasn't been brought up: could there be entirely instrumental black metal? No lyrics or vocals at all, song titles and a band name devoid of any ideological significance. Basically, no attitude or ideology behind the music at all. Could it still be black metal?

I think the answer is really obviously yes, but you guys keep talking about how BM is defined by lyrics/attitude/ideology, so I'm curious how you'll answer this.

 

[MasterOLightning]

WAIF brings up a decent point, and it recalls to me a band like Krallice with very sparse lyrics, and what does show is obviously very abstract. There are certainly other bands that have, at the very least instrumental songs, if not albums, that are just as effective as some of the classic works that are more traditionally structured. Of course, most of the people in this thread probably hate Krallice, even if they are far more interesting than any number of bands with high concept material that is just garbage in its execution. I could go for a lot more bands with riffs first and ideas second.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

I haven't heard Krallice but I think black metal could be instrumental if there is an underlying ideology behind it. The ideological aspect of black metal is extremely important in how it influences the music.

I gave the Pagan themes in black metal some more thought and looked up the lyrics for some of the bands I mentioned. Most of the lyrics I read seem to be presented in a story format rather than any sort of preaching so I guess I can see the lyrical themes coinciding with black metal. 'Blood of Christians on My Sword' by Graveland, for example, seems to tell the story of a great battle between Pagans and Christians without moving into any sort of preachy territory.

Besides the obvious preachy religious themes, I would say a song and/or album about "the triumph of Christianity" would be a case where it just would not work in black metal. Anti-Christianity has been the central theme of black metal since its inception and I can't really see it working if any sort of "Christian victory" was presented in the lyrics.

 

[-CC-]

Not really reading the entire thread, but pretty sure this hasn't been brought up: could there be entirely instrumental black metal? No lyrics or vocals at all, song titles and a band name devoid of any ideological significance. Basically, no attitude or ideology behind the music at all. Could it still be black metal?

I think the answer is really obviously yes, but you guys keep talking about how BM is defined by lyrics/attitude/ideology, so I'm curious how you'll answer this.

Good point


An album that comes to mind is The Work Which Transforms God by Blut Aus Nord which has very sparse vocals, most of which are just echoing wails anyway. According to the band, the album was meant to "challenge the listener's prejudices and preconceptions about reality and various metaphysical subjects."

Furthermore the guitarist went on to say: "If black metal is just this subversive feeling and not a basic musical style, then Blut Aus Nord is a black metal act. But if we have to be compared to all these childish satanic clowns, please let us work outwards [from] this pathetic circus."

 

[Dak]

Not really reading the entire thread, but pretty sure this hasn't been brought up: could there be entirely instrumental black metal? No lyrics or vocals at all, song titles and a band name devoid of any ideological significance. Basically, no attitude or ideology behind the music at all. Could it still be black metal?

I think the answer is really obviously yes, but you guys keep talking about how BM is defined by lyrics/attitude/ideology, so I'm curious how you'll answer this.

/agree

 

[Saparmurat_Niyazov]

Obviously, as with any other genre, the instrumental aspects of a given genre are its most defining characteristics. Bands like Covenant (before they became the industrial-goth metal band The Kovenant), Arcturus, and even Bal Sagoth dabbled in themes of science fiction and were still considered black metal. Regardless of the myriad lyrical concepts that can be found in the genre of black metal, black metal has an overlaying theme of hedonism, social Darwinism, and nihilism. While all metal is inherently rebellious, black metal takes rebellion against society to its further extremes, abandoning and even mocking any concept of morality. While it is a difficult viewpoint for me (or any other rational thinker) to internalize, black metal celebrates the most basic facets of tyranny and evil (subjective as those words are). Love, compassion, or any emotion or concept dealing with humanity and community are diametrically opposed to the attitude of black metal.

 

[unknown]

look at Skogyr. They're instrumental but it seems there is definitely an ethos behind the band: something pagan, something natural. And this is mostly conceived through the album artwork and layout, and also in sound effects of rain and wind.

 

[Einherjar86]

Besides the obvious preachy religious themes, I would say a song and/or album about "the triumph of Christianity" would be a case where it just would not work in black metal. Anti-Christianity has been the central theme of black metal since its inception and I can't really see it working if any sort of "Christian victory" was presented in the lyrics.

I agree, but to suggest an idea where Christian-themed black metal might work, I would mention "postmodern" works by literary figures such as Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy and Cormac McCarthy. These are writers who embrace the tenets and aesthetics of postmodernism, but rather than wallow in the nihilism and randomness of the worlds they perceive, they instead choose to try and illuminate something universal and truthful; their works are a means of trying to locate purpose/meaning in a seemingly fragmented and random world.

Therefore, I believe that a black metal album that presents a kind of skeptical Christian ideology (i.e. more of a searching, attempting to establish order amidst chaos, etc.) could potentially work.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

I still think that allowing Christianity into black metal is a huge stretch, skeptical or not.

 

[skeptik]

I don't think that it's unreasonable at all to say that instrumental metal music showcasing the generally accepted aesthetic traits of black metal but being devoid of all traces of meaningful guidance outside of the actual notes played (no band name, no song title, etc.) that was created with the intention of being utterly devoid of meaning outside of the actual notes played is, in fact, not black metal. This is actually a subject that I would have liked to have brought up to my old philosophy professor...actually I might e-mail him about it.

 

[Dak]

So what kind of metal would it be then?

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Not black metal.

 

[Dak]

 

[Manic Ferocity]

The point is that it can't be black metal if it's a mere practice of aesthetics with no underlying ideology. It doesn't matter "what else you'd call it."

 

[Einherjar86]

So, is black metal the only genre of metal that can be characterized not only by its musical traits, but also by its ideology?

EDIT: My question would be: what does the ideology matter?

It was because of the ideology we're discussing that black metal originated in the style and manner that it did. I don't think that precludes later bands who adopt a similar style (without the ideology behind it) from playing black metal. Furthermore, I don't think that "pagan" or "folk" black metal acts deviate all that much from the ideologies that have been previously mentinoed (i.e. "voice of dissent," "anti-conformity," etc.). Does black metal mentality have to exhibit an aversion to all forms of spiritual belief? I'd suggest that pagan lyrics harbor just as much dissent as strictly secular lyrics. Would anyone argue that Primordial (although not adhering necessarily to all the musical traits of black metal) demonstrate an ideology far removed from traditional black metal?

 

[RedinTheSky]

The lyrics are mostly pointless to me to begin with, so I would definitely define a band with a black metal sound as black metal regardless of lyrics.
Basically If I agree with the ideology of the album, that's cool, if not and the music is still good then it doesn't matter.

 

[Dak]

The original ideology behind the genre aesthetics does not matter.

 

[King Richard]

You're putting the black metal on a pedestal.

 

[Manic Ferocity]

The original ideology behind the genre aesthetics does not matter.

Uh yeah, it kinda does.

 

[King Richard]

What do you mean kinda? Either it does or doesn't.