Unblack Metal

Scourge of God said:
But we're not talking about the 'scientific fact' of reflected wavelengths, were talking about how people communicate the idea of color to one another. We don't say the sky is 'blue' because it is in any sense absolutely blue, we say it is 'blue' because that is the signifying element within this particular symbolic structure (the English language) which is socially understood to indicate what we see when we look at the sky.

We say 'blue,' but it could just as easily have been 'pink' or 'flibaflab.' The point here being that language is inherently arbitrary, and that meaning is not an absolute value of a given signifier, but rather a product of social consensus modified by placement within a larger symbolic structure. So, while symbolic communication has no inherent meaning, it has a very real meaning in the practice of social consensus, and when you step far beyond the bounds of that social consensus (say, by trying to use the musical language of black metal to express Christian sentiment), what you do is step outside of meaning to produce something meaningless on every level (in other words, crap).
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A simple "yes" to the last part of my post would have been sufficient, but yes that is true. Either way, it's not practical to equate the two, since "blue" is the linguistic symbol of a scientific absolute. Music, as an art, has no absolutes, only conventions and widely accepted standards. This why schooled musicians are taught music theory, not music fact.
 
I think "unblack" Metal is the Black Metal suicide... It has no reason to exist, and it is totally contradictory with the "real" Black Metal's principles.
 
Personified Hatred said:
I think "unblack" Metal is the Black Metal suicide... It has no reason to exist, and it is totally contradictory with the "real" Black Metal's principles.
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...yeah, and that's the point. If the majority of people agree that black metal is defined by certain ideologies, as well as musical style, then there exists a need to categorize music which is musically similar, but ideologically dissimilar (up to and including diametrically opposed). It exists, and you can cry and whine all day but that doesn't change the fact that it exists. It is "real" unblack metal. If you think that term is "offensive" to trve black metal, WHO CARES! Do you not think the content of black metal is sometimes offensive to many people? You don't care about that, but you cry when Christians play similar music but have lyrics that offend a small group of "evil" fans and musicians? :cry: :cry:

Now then if you fall into the above category (BM = music + ideology) I think you start to run into trouble with bands that fall between the two opposing ideologies...but that another story (or not).
 
I think that the term black metal is describing the sound, atmosphere, and technique of the music. There are all kinds of messages in Black metal and they don't need their own personal label based on the lyrical message that would be dumb.
 
I'm fairly indifferent to the term unblack'. I never use it, but I dont care when someone else does. I'm a Christian, but I dont find the term 'unblack' all that necessary.

My fav Christian BM bands are probably

Antestor
Lengsel
Lo-Ruhamah
Slechtvalk
Frost Like Ashes
Divine Symphony

and also Extol's early material, although it was more blackened death metal.
 
Zephyrus said:
I don't give a rats flying fuck if its performed by Hassidic Jews singing about the Ten Commandments, if the music is good and it sounds like black metal, I call it black metal and I listen to it.
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Correct. Thank you for making this topic also. While it IS silly to delineate between Christian and non-Christian/Pagan black metal, it is sometimes necessary due to the amount of hatred between the two.
 
I am a strong christian and would probably listen to most "unblack metal".But I have never found a christian black metal band thats contains the passion, brutality, or just plain talent of other bands in the genre.If anyone could name some good "unblack metal" bands I would love to give them a try but for now I'll still with the normal stuff.
 
sceloporus said:
I am a strong christian and would probably listen to most "unblack metal".But I have never found a christian black metal band thats contains the passion, brutality, or just plain talent of other bands in the genre.If anyone could name some good "unblack metal" bands I would love to give them a try but for now I'll still with the normal stuff.
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Try Cerimonial Sacred.
http://www.myspace.com/cerimonialsacredfanpage

Also, Lo-Ruhamah is amazing, and definitely as good as a lot of non-Christian bands. While perhaps more comparable to Opeth or Agalloch, they have some noticeable influence from Deathspell Omega, Xasthur, etc. I'll just give you the link to their website, since they only have one song on their Myspace.
http://www.lo-ruhamah.com/
 
Have you people lost your minds... unblack metal? What the fuck... nevermind. I'm not even going to bother commenting. Everyone allready knows what I would say.
 
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