Unblack metal (also known as Christian black metal) is a religious philosophy and subgenre within
black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw (lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an emp ...
, inheriting several characteristics of it, such as the
melody, the
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...
and the
aesthetics
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed t ...
(
corpse paint),
whose artists either directly oppose the
Satanism prevalent in most black metal, or promote
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in their lyrics and imagery.
Unblack metal artists are controversial within the black metal subculture, because black metal's pioneers, especially those of the Second Wave, were
anti-Christian
Anti-Christian sentiment or Christophobia constitutes opposition or objections to Christians, the Christian religion, and/or its practices. Anti-Christian sentiment is sometimes referred to as Christophobia or Christianophobia, although these terms ...
. It is also suggested that Christianity contradicts black metal's dark nature and the
individualistic
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-relianc ...
and
misanthropic ideals of many bands.
[
The exact beginning of the unblack metal movement is disputed. The Australian band Horde's 1994 studio album '']Hellig Usvart
''Hellig Usvart'' is the debut studio album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released on Nuclear Blast Records in 1994. Upon its release, the album created a controversy among many black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blas ...
'' brought the concept and the term ''holy unblack metal'' (a word play on Darkthrone's slogan "unholy black metal" used on the albums ''A Blaze in the Northern Sky
''A Blaze in the Northern Sky'' is the second studio album by Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded at Creative Studios in August 1991 and released on 26 February 1992 by Peaceville Records. It contained the band's first black m ...
'' and ''Under a Funeral Moon
''Under a Funeral Moon'' is the third studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Darkthrone. It was recorded in June 1992 and released on 15 February 1993 by Peaceville Records. Written and recorded to create a "pure black metal album", it i ...
'')[ to media attention,][ while the Norwegian band Antestor was already formed in 1990 as a death/doom metal act and released its demo, '' The Defeat of Satan'', in 1991, before they began shifting towards unblack metal on their 1994 studio album '' Martyrium''.
]
Characteristics
Unblack metal is viewed as an ideological genre derived from black metal that focuses on Christian lyrical themes. Unblack metal incorporates black metal's fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars, tremolo picking
Alternate picking is a guitar playing technique that employs alternating downward and upward strokes in a continuous fashion. If the technique is performed at high speed on a single string or course voicing the same note, it may be referred to ...
, double-kick drumming, repetition and often unconventional song structure. Garry Sharpe-Young's 2001 encyclopedia ''A-Z of Black Metal'' states that " pping the lot are Christian 'Unblack' acts who for all intents and purposes look like, sound like and employ the imagery of Black Metal whilst hidden in the unpenetrable vocal growls and distortions are the proclamations of Jesus Christ".
Some unblack metal artists, such as Horde, write lyrics that explicitly attack Satanism.["So the album was created with a prophetic, free, submissive, obedient, reverent, anti-Satan and Christian mindset." – Horde]
Interview with Son Of Man Records
(retrieved 30 November 2007). This remained a dominant theme throughout most of the 1990s. In the late 1990s, groups began to write more philosophical and ideological lyrics. These often include stories of conversion
Conversion or convert may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman''
* "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series
* "The Conversion" ...
, doubt
Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them.
Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty ...
, salvation
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...
, struggles with faith
Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion".
Religious people ofte ...
, and the darker side of living a Christian life. Unblack metal bands may justify their use of the black metal style with reasons ranging from genuine appreciation of the musical genre, to evangelization
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are ...
towards the largely anti-Christian black metal scene, i.e. "bringing light into darkness".["Our songs deal with personal challenges as well as on spiritual struggles." - Pål Dæhlen]
Interview with CrossOver
History
Background
The 1970s occult boom influenced many early heavy metal bands lyricwise. In the early 1980s, several bands dealt such themes in a more extreme manner, including Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...
, Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate is a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen, formed in 1981 by vocalist King Diamond and guitarist Hank Shermann. Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with Satan and the occult, Mercyful Fat ...
and Bathory. During the mid-1980s, heavy metal music divided into many subgenres, and black metal emerged as one of them, taking its name from a Venom album of the same title. In the 1980s, the term was imprecise with regards to musical attributes, simply referring to all metal bands with Satanic lyrical themes. Although Christian metal bands had existed since the late 1970s, a clear contrast with black metal occurred in 1984 with the release of American doom metal band Trouble's significantly Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
-based debut album ''Psalm 9
Psalm 9 is the ninth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works." In Latin, it is known as "Confitebor tibi, Domine". T ...
''. Metal Blade Records
Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...
marketed Trouble as "white metal" as opposed to black metal. Singer Eric Wagner explained that "back in the early 1980s, all the metal was kind of Satanic," and implied that Metal Blade (or the owner Brian Slagel) actually invented the term in the first place: "I think it was more like Metal Blade trying to be cute or something, with everything being called black metal, so why not call us white metal, which is a bunch of crap." While there were Christian extreme metal bands in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Christian black metal likely did not exist until 1994.
Early 1990s
The Australian band Horde's debut album ''Hellig Usvart
''Hellig Usvart'' is the debut studio album by Australian unblack metal band Horde, released on Nuclear Blast Records in 1994. Upon its release, the album created a controversy among many black metal fans; death threats were sent to Nuclear Blas ...
'', recorded and released in 1994, is often credited for being the first unblack metal album, although the sole member "Anonymous" has stated that, "there were similar nblackbands prior to Horde, even in Norway," referring to Antestor who formed in 1990. Prior to 1993, they were a death-doom band called Crush Evil. Antestor's debut album '' Martyrium'' was also recorded in 1994 and marked a shift into unblack metal territory. However, due to issues with the band's record label at the time, the album was not officially released until 2000. Euronymous
Øystein Aarseth (; 22 March 1968 – 10 August 1993), better known by his stage name Euronymous, was a Norwegian musician and a founder of and central figure in the early Norwegian black metal scene. He was a co-founder and guitarist of the N ...
of Mayhem threatened to force Crush Evil to disband, but was murdered by Varg Vikernes
Louis Cachet (born Kristian Vikernes; 11 February 1973), better known as Varg Vikernes (), is a Norwegian writer and retired musician best known for his early black metal albums and later crimes. His first five records, issued under the name Burz ...
in 1993.
''Hellig Usvart'' (Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
for ''Holy Unblack'') caused great controversy in the black metal scene, and death threats were sent to Nuclear Blast Records headquarters demanding them to release the members' names. Later, it was discovered that the only actual member was the former Mortification/ Paramaecium drummer Jayson Sherlock
Jayson Sherlock (born 1970) is a Christian metal musician from Australia. He began his career in the Australian death metal band Mortification, which was considered to be a major pioneer in the genre. Sherlock was the founder of the one-man p ...
from Australia. The term "unblack metal" was derived from "holy unblack metal", which was a wordplay on Darkthrone's "unholy black metal" term.[Erasmus]
Horde Interview
. Retrieved 23 October 2007. Media became interested in this controversy. On 6 June 1995, the Norwegian weekly newspaper ''Morgenbladet
''Morgenbladet'' is a Norwegian weekly, newspaper, covering politics, culture and science.
History
''Morgenbladet'' was founded in 1819 by the book printer Niels Wulfsberg. The paper is the country's first daily newspaper; however, Adresseavi ...
'' published an article about the phenomenon of unblack metal, describing Horde's album as "an abrupt satire of the Norwegian black metal movement". Antestor was also interviewed, with vocalist Kjetil Molnes stating "We identify ourselves as black metal as a music style, not black metal as an ideology or belief."
The Swedish band Admonish
Admonition (or "being admonished") is the lightest punishment under Scots law. It occurs when an offender who has been found guilty or who has pleaded guilty, is not given a fine, but instead receives a lesser penalty in the form of a verbal w ...
was formed around 1994 or 1995, and was the first unblack metal band in Sweden.[ They gained notoriety for calling their style "Christian black metal" on their website.][ This caused some debate in the metal underground and soon an anti-Admonish website was started.][ While the band did not officially release any material until 2005, the magazine '']Metal Hammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...
'' called Admonish "one of the leading Christian black metal bands" in a 1990s issue which focused on black metal.
Late 1990s
After 1995, influenced by Horde, other unblack metal bands started releasing their first demos. The Indonesian group Kekal
Kekal (sometimes stylized as KEKAL) is a heavy metal and electronic music band formed in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to AllMusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and accordin ...
soon became associated with the movement. Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
wrote that "Kekal are one of the first heavy metal bands from Jakarta, Indonesia, to make international inroads, and they may just be the first to profess Christian beliefs while performing black metal." However, Kekal has resisted being labeled as Christian, insisting that as an institution they do not lean toward any religion or ideology.
Antestor's 1998 release '' The Return of the Black Death'' proved highly influential for the unblack metal movement. The album was released on the British , which has released records by such successful black metal groups as Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...
. According to Matt Morrow, it became the only unblack metal album besides Horde's ''Hellig Usvart'' to be released on a secular label in the 1990s, although Kekal released ''Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams
''Beyond the Glimpse of Dreams'' is the debut album by Indonesian extreme metal band Kekal released in 1998. Vocalist Harry left the band after the album's release.
Recording
The music on the album features extremely fast melodic black metal mix ...
'' on a secular label in the same year.[ The established British magazines '']Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' and ''Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
'' both gave ''The Return of the Black Death'' 4 points out of 5.
Vaakevandring's self-titled EP (recorded in 1998) was produced by Stian Aarstad, the keyboard player of Dimmu Borgir. The release achieved worldwide attention and later became recognized a "classic" in the unblack metal scene. In 1998, the metalcore group Underoath
Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional memb ...
was founded, and played hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
and metalcore mixed with black and death metal. The band subsequently moved away from this early black metal sound to a more mainstream post-hardcore style.
2000s
During the early 2000s, according to ''Screams of Abel'' magazine, there was an "international explosion of Christian black metal bands", and black metal "seemed to be the fastest growing genre in the Christian metal scene". In 2000, Lengsel
Lengsel was a progressive black metal band that formed in 1994 in Norway. They released one album, called ''Solace'', on Endtime Productions in 2000, which was subsequently licensed to Solid State Records for an American release. The second alb ...
's debut album ''Solace
Consolation, consolement, and solace are terms referring to psychological comfort given to someone who has suffered severe, upsetting loss, such as the death of a loved one. It is typically provided by expressing shared regret for that loss and ...
'' was critically acclaimed, Sanctifica released ''Spirit of Purity
''Spirit of Purity'' is the debut album by the Swedish Christian black metal band Sanctifica, released on Little Rose Productions and Rivel Records in March 2000. With this album the band established itself as one of the leading Christian black ...
'', Crimson Moonlight released its debut album '' The Covenant Progress'', while Drottnar released its demos on an album titled '' Spiritual Battle'', gaining them popularity among the Scandinavian underground. In 2001, Norwegian folk metal band Arvinger formed and released its debut album ''Helgards Fall'' in 2003.
Apart from Scandinavia, unblack metal has developed regional scenes in the United States, South America, and Central Europe. The Kansas City-based Frost Like Ashes is an American band. In the early 2000s, there emerged an unblack metal scene largely congregated around Illinois' EEE Recordings. This label consisted of groups who often hid their identity and focused on extremely raw, unpolished sound production and minimalist song structures. Notable EEE Recordings artists included Light Shall Prevail, Flaskavsae, Njiqahdda, and Glaciial.
The South and Central American unblack scenes are known for their radical anti-Satanic attitude. Groups such as Exousia and Mexico's Deborah have performed internationally in Europe. Sorrowstorm was an acclaimed band from Panama, and they were nominated for the hard music award at the Panamarock Grammys in 2003. Poems of Shadows (Brazil) is an example of a South American unblack metal band that has taken the anti-Satanic concept of Horde and the radical imagery of black metal to the extreme, blurring the distinction between the two often ideologically-opposed styles.[Morrow, Matt]
Poems of Shadows - Nocturnal Blasphemous Chanting
The Whipping Post. Retrieved on 1 December 2007. The Brazilian group has also achieved some attention in the US and European scenes.
In Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, notable unblack metal groups include Abdijah, Fire Throne, and Elgibbor. The latter was featured on a short Polish TV documentary that focused on unblack metal. The Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
has groups such as Dormant and Slechtvalk
Slechtvalk (the Dutch word for peregrine falcon) is a Christian black metal band from the Netherlands, formed in 1999. Previously signed to Fear Dark Records and currently to Whirlwind Records, the group has released five albums, a split-CD wi ...
. Although the latter does not currently consider themselves as a "Christian band", their early material was openly Christian. Holy Blood, a folk/unblack group from Ukraine, has earned minor success.[Morrow, Matt (18 January 2006)]
Bombworks Records interview
The Whipping Post. Retrieved 20 October 2007. "David: Without a question, Holy Blood has been our top seller. Waves Are Dancing has been the best seller, but The Wanderer has certainly been no slouch."
Media attention
While black and unblack metal bands rarely achieve mainstream success in the music world, some bands, including Antestor, Drottnar, and Crimson Moonlight
Crimson Moonlight is a Swedish unblack metal band. The band was formed in the summer of 1997 with the mere intention of recording a primitive old school black metal demo and playing one show before breaking up. However, the breakup never happe ...
, traveled internationally to perform at Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival was a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around July 4 near Bushnell, Illinois, drawing some 20,000 attendees each year. In a given year, many artists that played at Cornerstone also playe ...
in Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, which, prior to ending in 2012, was one of the largest Christian musical festivals in the world.
In 2006, Admonish
Admonition (or "being admonished") is the lightest punishment under Scots law. It occurs when an offender who has been found guilty or who has pleaded guilty, is not given a fine, but instead receives a lesser penalty in the form of a verbal w ...
achieved wider notice when twins Emil (guitar) and Jonas Karlsson (bass) both appeared on the MTV Europe show '' Pimp My Ride International''. On that show, in which their car was modified, the twins advertised their band and Admonish's music was played. Horde also played its first live show at Nordic Fest in Oslo, Norway on 3 November 2006; Sherlock was disguised with a hood during the concert while he performed both drums and vocals.
In 2007, the Norwegian band Frosthardr
Frosthardr is a Norwegian Christian black metal band, formed in 1997. The band plays a raw type of black metal music with occasional punk influences and lyrics from Christian point of view. The drummer PÃ¥l Daehlen (Savn) is a former member of th ...
appeared on the documentary feature film '' Murder Music: A History of Black Metal'' (2007). They were interviewed for a minute and represented the Christian point of view in black metal music, with vocalist Daniel Ravn Fufjord saying: "It is difficult to find musicians that are interested in this kind of music and share our point of view."[Shash Media & Rockwrold TV]
Murder Music – Black Metal
document. Interviews: Luscious Rene. Interviewees: Mantas (Venom), Dani Filth, Sabbat, Satyricon, Black Widow, Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem and Immortal. Retrieved 23 October 2007. 2007.
A documentary specifically exploring unblack metal titled ''Light in Darkness - Nemesis Divina'' was filmed in 2008, shown at music and film festivals the same year, and officially released on YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
on May 20, 2010. The documentary focuses on unblack metal musicians' point of view and experiences as well as some academic analysis on the matter.
In 2020, a documentary titled ''True American Black Metal'' also heavily featured bands of the unblack metal genre, including veterans artists such as Crimson Moonlight
Crimson Moonlight is a Swedish unblack metal band. The band was formed in the summer of 1997 with the mere intention of recording a primitive old school black metal demo and playing one show before breaking up. However, the breakup never happe ...
, Elgibbor, and Frost Like Ashes, as well as newcomers O, Majestic Winter
O, Majestic Winter, also stylized as O' Majestic Winter, is an experimental black metal project that originated out of Lewisburg, Tennessee, United States in the year 2008. The project was formed by Max Tubville and Corey Leverette, both of whom ...
, Vials of Wrath, and Symphony of Heaven, the last of which formed in 2017.
Controversies
Certain critics, such as Jussi Lahtonen of the Finnish indie rock magazine ''Sue'', have argued that separating Christian from non-Christian black metal artists "feels rather pointless". However, early groups such as Horde and Antestor refused to call their music "black metal" because they felt that the style was strongly associated with Satanism. Horde called its music "holy unblack metal", and Antestor preferred to call their music "sorrow metal" instead.[ Stefan Rydehed, director of the metal documentary ''Light in Darkness – Nemesis Divina'' says about the unblack metal musicians based on his interviews: "The Christian black metal musicians see themselves as a part of the black metal community but they have a hard time to be accepted. Not only from other black metal musicians but also the society and ordinary Christians."
Many current unblack metal bands feel that black metal has changed from an ideological movement to a purely musical genre, and that is why they refer to their music as black metal.] The Swedish group Crimson Moonlight's vocalist Simon Rosén, for example, says in an interview with ''WhiteMetal.it'' site: "First of all, we don't want to call our music unblack metal or white metal, we play black metal." In an interview with ''Ultimate Metal'', Rosén further explains this view:
In contrast, Jayson Sherlock of Horde posted on Facebook on February 5, 2013 that he doubted whether Christians can play black metal music, saying, "For the life of me, I will never understand why Christians think they can play Black Metal. I really don't think they understand what true Black Metal is."
On the other side, many in the black metal scene see "Christian black metal" as an oxymoron. On the British black metal documentary '' Murder Music: A History of Black Metal'' (2007), all interviewed musicians stated - when asked about the matter - that black metal cannot be Christian. The term "Christian black metal" drew mocking replies from the black metal musicians, for example Martin Walkyier of the English metal band Sabbat
The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, observed by many modern pagans, consisting of the year's chief solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the midpoints between them. While names for each festival vary among dive ...
commented: "'Christian black metal?' What do they do? Do they build churches? Do they repair them? (laughs)". Jonathan Selzer, editor of the British metal magazine ''Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm ...
'' discussed his experiences and thoughts in the documentary:
While the Indonesian band Kekal
Kekal (sometimes stylized as KEKAL) is a heavy metal and electronic music band formed in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. According to AllMusic, Kekal was one of the first heavy metal bands from Indonesia to make international inroads, and accordin ...
has been labeled as unblack metal, the band has distanced itself from the movement. When asked if he was bothered by the fact that the first black metal bands were against Christianity, front-man Jeff Arwadi replied: "I think you're wrong if hefirst black metal bands were highly against Christianity. €¦I dig the very first black metal bands a lot... those 80s bands like Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often r ...
/ Celtic Frost, early Sodom, etc. €¦By my knowledge, none of those bands were against Christianity. They only had those kind of 'satanic' image which is more like some high-school Halloween movies or parent-shocker rather than Satanism as a philosophy or ideology". Earlier in the interview he even went as far as to say that "even bands like Celtic Frost were once considered 'white-metal' from some 'true' black metal fans because the band thanked God on album thanks list, and one member wearing a cross necklace __NOTOC__
A cross necklace is any necklace featuring a Christian cross or crucifix.
Crosses are often worn as an indication of commitment to the Christian faith, and are sometimes received as gifts for rites such as baptism and confirmation. Co ...
instead of inverted cross. It's a totally relative issue, depending on how 'extreme' you would go, right?"[ Whereas Arwadi claimed that to his knowledge, "none of those bands were against Christianity",][ Bathory founder Quorthon rejected Christianity in numerous interviews.]
In a 2007 ''Beat the Blizzard'' webzine's article, the writer Jan Lindsø states that " ny metal fans are of the opinion that Christians should 'not be allowed' to use the black metal aesthetics musically since they do not inherit this evil and perhaps misantropic '' ic' trait that many people say is necessary in order to be convincing as black metal musicians".[ Kittil Kittilsen, who left Mayhem in 1988 after becoming a born-again Christian, expressed his concern for the unblack metal musicians: "I think they're completely off the mark. I cannot seriously understand how they even manage to do it. They have missed the target completely. I mean, if you want to be a Christian, be it with all you've got, and if you want to be metal, be it with all you've got. If those people really took their faith seriously, and followed the instructions of the One they profess to believe in, they would never be found in a context like that. They are on collision course with Christian life and teaching. I say this because of my own experience, and because of what is written in the Bible; rock music, metal music has nothing at all to do in a Christian setting!"]
In an interview with ''Screams of Abel'' webzine, former Antestor member Morten Mageroy reacted with caution to the proliferation of unblack bands: "I really hope that people (who play Christian black metal) know what they are doing. I know this sounds very rough, but I have seen people being pulled into something they do not know. I am not saying that I know that these musicians are going to mess their lives up, but I have seen it happen to some people and it frightens me very much."[ Mageroy, however, defends the unblack metal bands' intentions: "A lot of Christian bands have done amazing things being led by God. I know that God is using many types of communication, and it is important that Christians is '' ic' present in every field, in every genre, privately and in work. God might just as well use heavy metal to bring salvation to people."][
Some of the original Norwegian black metal musicians believe that black metal does not need to hold any ideologies. For example, Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg of Mayhem has said in an interview with ''Metal Library'': "In my opinion, black metal today is just music. I will tell you that neither I nor other urrentmembers of Mayhem never really were against religion or something else. We are primarily interested in music."] Although rejecting the idea of "Christian black metal", Satyricon
The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as Titus Petr ...
's vocalist Sigurd Wongraven
Sigurd Wongraven (born 28 November 1975), also known as Satyr, is a Norwegian musician who is the vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist for the black metal band Satyricon.
Musical career
Wongraven was a founding member of Satyricon ( ...
stated in the ''Murder Music'' documentary that black metal "doesn't necessarily have to be all Satanic as long as it's dark".
See also
* List of unblack metal artists
* List of Christian metal artists
This is a list of Christian metal artists, including artists that played Christian metal at some point in their careers.
Christian metal, which is also known as white metal or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music with a Christian message. Chr ...
* List of black metal bands, 0–K
This is a list of black metal bands (numbers 0–9 and letters A through K) including artists that have at some point in their careers played black metal.
0−9
* 1349
A
* Abbath
* Abigail Williams
* Abigor
* Abominator
* Aborym
* Absu ...
* List of black metal bands, L–Z
This is a list of black metal bands (letters L through Z) including bands that have at some point in their careers played black metal.
L
* Lengsel
* Leviathan
* Lifelover
* Limbonic Art
* Lord Belial
* The Lord Diabolus
* Lord Kaos
*Lev ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
"The Unblackening of Metal: A Look at the Role Religion Plays in Anti-Religious Music"
article at Metal Underground
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unblack Metal
Black metal subgenres
Christian metal
Contemporary Christian music
Christian rock genres
Heavy metal genres
Fusion music genres
Norwegian styles of music