What the hell is the deal with corpse paint?

[Der Morgenstern]

Honestly, if more bands in black metal, and metal in general for that matter, would stop using it, there would be a great deal more respectability within the scene. Corpse paint makes you and your band look like a bunch of idiots. You can be against the norm without having to resort to painting yourself black and white...just like all the other bands who are apparently against the norm.

Rant over.

 

[spirit crusher]

corpse paint ist KRIEG

 

[zekeyou]

Well, if you're looking for 'respectablitily', cut your hair, don't get tattoos, piercings, or wear shirts with skulls/blood/gore/satanic imagery or what have you....

 

[Miltbrand]

Well, if you do a bad 'paint job' of course you´re gonna look like an angry panda:

On the other hand, if you do it right, it just might fit well with the music and add a visual side to the whole experience.

I know I´d be disappointed if I was to watch a band like Gorgoroth live, and they just stood around in shorts and/or football shirts like 5 Barney Greenway clones!

 

[Dauden]

I wonder what Dave thinks of corpse paint, lawl.

Its become a bit ridiculous now, sort of like a parody of itself, much like other music symoblism, like rap or whatever, where its just kind a ridiculous. Though it is quite enjoyable to see bands who do it live, for the hell of it. Wolven Ancestry's is pretty ownage.

 

[CaGeD iN]

it seemed kind of pointless in the hecate entroned vid, excuse me for putting this in caps but ti deserves it

FOR CHRISTS SAKE THANK GOD IT ISNT EYELINER!!!!!!!!!!

now that i have that off my chest, yes it can look like an angry panda, but sometimes it can look pretty badass, i think that it looks really dumb if used wrong, but it makes metal look better than green day... idk but it pisses me off when u see hardcore bands wearing eyeliner...

edit* check out how crimson moonlight dresses www.myspace.com/officialcrimsonmoonlight it looks much more badass

 

[Aeonblade]

It works on some bands, the traditional look works with Immortal the best I think, it makes their photos so much funnier.

 

[Katatonica]

im pretty sure the paint has some meaning to it... something like thats the way warriors paint themselves before some sort of battle... it is ruitalistic... i think black metal is all abt rituals and preservng some sort of medieval, viking or what-not custums... so well all in all let them paint themselves whatever way they want to

 

[CaGeD iN]

the ritual aspect of it makes since...

 

[Wenchmaster]

First of all, yes, over the years it has lost its original meaning as various bands have altogether dropped using corpsepaint and/or other crafty stage props. But, it is very fitting along with lyrical content. It's supposed to "intensify the bands' imagery of forboding evil", inhumanity, and corpse-like decay. And of course, it's interesting to look at.

 

[ArntorFTL]

The real question should be: How do they sound? When we start caring more about the "image" than the music then what separates black metal from something so image driven as 80's glam rock?

 

[Burning Missive]

im pretty sure the paint has some meaning to it... something like thats the way warriors paint themselves before some sort of battle... it is ruitalistic... i think black metal is all abt rituals and preservng some sort of medieval, viking or what-not custums... so well all in all let them paint themselves whatever way they want to

You're on the right track, but what a lot of people seem to overlook is the "corpse" in corpsepaint. Although the practice is pretty laughable today, the original intent that the earlier black metal bands had in utilizing it was to posit themselves as dead warriors that have "come back to life" to play what most people would consider to be inhuman music in a way of striking a blow to Judeo-Christian society. I can respect its original manifestation, even though I think it's hokey and hard to take seriously, but it seems that it's just another trendy thing to do today and has lost any soul that it may have once had.

 

[Wenchmaster]

The real question should be: How do they sound? When we start caring more about the "image" than the music then what separates black metal from something so image driven as 80's glam rock?

I don't know if the threadstarter or anyone else for this matter let the image of the band interfere with the music, it's just more a question of metal ethics and fashion.

 

[chrisdoig24k]

The real question should be: How do they sound? When we start caring more about the "image" than the music then what separates black metal from something so image driven as 80's glam rock?

That kinda sums up most black metal today. More image, more grim forests, more ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra excessively ridiculous logos *cough Dark Funeral cough* and ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra low talent

 

[Dauden]

^ I don't think so. There are so many wonderful BM bands out there, creating excellent music, even some with corpse paint, such as Wolven Ancestry or Forest Silence. Are some bands like that? Sure, its like that in any type of music. But BM today is far, far from being dead or uncreative.

 

[sdmf2]

i think in a very simplistic answer: its overdone, but I wont dislike a band just bcause they have or dont have corpsepaint.

 

[chrisdoig24k]

Agreed to both of you. I would say that black metal is definately one of my favourite genres, however I only like about 1% of it, but that 1% I adore. And, I like early Behemoth, and Dawn, and they both got all dressed up. It doesnt bother me what they look like, but I believe that a huge proportion of modern BM cares more about the looks than the music.

Lots of black metal = extreme emo

heeheehee

 

[TheCrab]

I could ramble for a while about this topic, but i'll keep it short:


Basically, as long as the music they make is good, then I don't really care how they look. There is a hierarchy present here:

On Top: Good Music, Good Image
Second(but I stress, VERY VERY shortly behind): Good Music, Bad Image
Third(much much bigger jump from 2 to 3 than 1 to 2)-Bad Music, Good Image
Fourth(i piss on this)-Bad Music, Bad Image



obviously, the "Black Metal Image" does not work for all bands (WoY being a good example), thus "good image" does not so much mean "corpsepaint, leather and spikes" as it means "whatever fits the band."

WoY would look rediculous in corpsepaint, leather and spikes, just as Immortal or Dark Funeral wouldn't be as entertaining without those same things.





so i guess i went on longer then i wanted too, but i could have kept going for a page or three.

 

[Wenchmaster]

and ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra low talent

I think you confuse simplicity with "low talent". A simple thing can be good. Look at Darkthrone's older albums.

 

[AshDLS]

That kinda sums up most black metal today. More image, more grim forests, more ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra excessively ridiculous logos *cough Dark Funeral cough* and ultra ultra ultra ultra ultra low talent

Nothing wrong with excessively ridiculous logos. Although admittedly Dark Funeral's one is a bit generic-looking (ye olde English font, pentagram, inverted crosses).

Anyway, as someone mentioned before, Gorgoroth are one of the few bands that can do the corpsepaint thing effectively:

Not the nicest bunch of lads, but that's aside the point, heh.

What NOT to do:

I could've sworn that these guys were joking, but I don't think they are. http://www.myspace.com/vikindin