145-462: Root is a Czech black metal band. Root were formed by vocalist Big Boss and guitarist Blackie in late 1987. According to Big Boss, in the beginning, they knew no foreign bands and could do no tape trading. Although the first demo recording mentioned on their homepage's discography section is Deep in Hell , according to their biography, they recorded their first official demo tape Reap of Hell after
290-519: A Cabalist who used them for the basis of his book, The Temple of Satan . A reaction to this was the Taxil hoax in 1890s France, where an anti-clerical writer Léo Taxil (aka Marie Joseph Gabriel Antoine Jogand-Pagès), publicly converted to Catholicism and then published several works alleging to expose the Satanic doings of Freemasons . In 1897, Taxil called a press conference promising to introduce
435-627: A 37-year-old man . It was said he was killed "out of anger" because he had "harassed" the two men. Nödtveidt received a 10-year sentence. As the victim was a homosexual immigrant, Dissection was accused of being a Nazi band, but Nödtveidt denied this and dismissed racism and nationalism. The Swedish band Shining , founded in 1996, began writing music almost exclusively about depression and suicide, musically inspired by Strid and by Burzum's albums Hvis lyset tar oss and Filosofem . Vocalist Niklas Kvarforth wanted to "force-feed" his listeners "with self-destructive and suicidal imagery and lyrics." In
580-473: A Devil-worshipping cult was committing sexual abuse, murder, and cannibalism in its rituals, and including children among the victims of its rites. Initially, the alleged perpetrators of such crimes were labeled "witches", although the term Satanist was soon adopted as a favored alternative, and the phenomenon itself came to be called "the Satanism Scare". Those active in the scare alleged that there
725-496: A band who Johnathan Selzer of Terrorizer magazine says "represent the DIY aspect of black metal." In addition, lo-fi production was used to keep black metal inaccessible or unappealing to mainstream music fans and those who are not committed . Many have claimed that black metal was originally intended only for those who were part of the scene and not for a wider audience. Vocalist Gaahl said that during its early years, "Black metal
870-532: A black metal band, vocalist Dani Filth said he considers them black metal in terms of philosophy and atmosphere, but not in other ways. Another English band called Necropolis never released any music, but "began a desecratory assault against churches and cemeteries in their area" and "almost caused Black Metal to be banned in Britain as a result". Dayal Patterson says successful acts like Cradle of Filth "provoked an even greater extremity [of negative opinion] from
1015-664: A confrontation began and Vikernes stabbed Euronymous to death. His body was found outside the apartment with 23 cut wounds—two to the head, five to the neck, and sixteen to the back. It has been speculated that the murder was the result of either a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records or an attempt at outdoing a stabbing in Lillehammer the year before by Faust. Vikernes denies all of these, claiming that he attacked Euronymous in self-defense. He says that Euronymous had plotted to stun him with an electroshock weapon , tie him up and torture him to death while videotaping
1160-759: A conspiratorial group of Satanists. Among the first to do so was French Catholic priest Jean-Baptiste Fiard, who publicly claimed that a wide range of individuals, from the Jacobins to tarot card readers , were part of a Satanic conspiracy. Fiard's ideas were furthered by Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym (1765–1851), who devoted a lengthy book to this conspiracy theory ; he claimed that Satanists had supernatural powers allowing them to curse people and to shapeshift into both cats and fleas. Although most of his contemporaries regarded Berbiguier as suffering from mental illness, his ideas gained credence among many occultists, including Stanislas de Guaita ,
1305-629: A demon. Throughout the Middle Ages , this accusation would be applied to a wide range of Christian heretical groups, including the Paulicians , Bogomils , Cathars , Waldensians , and the Hussites . The Knights Templar were accused of worshipping an idol known as Baphomet , with Lucifer having appeared at their meetings in the form of a cat. As well as these Christian groups, these claims were also made about Europe's Jewish community. In
1450-586: A disharmonic sound that is representative of that scene. The early American black metal bands remained underground. Some of them—like Grand Belial's Key and Judas Iscariot —joined an international NSBM organization called the Pagan Front, although Judas Iscariot's sole member Akhenaten left the organization. Other bands like Averse Sefira never had any link with Nazism. The US bands have no common style. Many were musically inspired by Burzum but did not necessarily adopt Vikernes's ideas. Profanatica's music
1595-408: A distinctive "lo-fi" quality. However, even when success allowed access to professional studios, many artists instead chose to continue making lo-fi recordings. Artists believed that by doing so, they would both stay true to the genre's underground roots as well as make the music sound more "raw" or "cold". A well-known example of this approach is on the album Transilvanian Hunger by Darkthrone ,
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#17327827681651740-479: A far-right political movement, made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q", which were relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. The central QAnon claim purports that a global child sex trafficking ring made up of Democratic politicians, Hollywood actors, high-ranking government officials, business tycoons, and medical experts, were kidnapping, sexually abusing and eating children, but that (then-President) Donald Trump would round up
1885-462: A few rehearsals. Root played their first concert in September 1988. The next demo cassette, War of Rats , was released in 1988, followed by Messengers from Darkness in 1989. Vocalist Big Boss played drums on these recordings. Whereas Messengers from Darkness is mentioned as "the third and last" demo cassette in their biography, the discography section lists The Trial as the last one. In 1990,
2030-642: A foolish rather than a menacing figure. The development of new values in the Age of Enlightenment (in particular, those of reason and individualism ) contributed to a shift in many Europeans' concept of Satan. In this context, a number of individuals took Satan out of the traditional Christian narrative and reread and reinterpreted him in light of their own time and their own interests, in turn generating new and different portraits of Satan. The shifting concept of Satan owes many of its origins to John Milton 's epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), in which Satan features as
2175-709: A grave in Toulon in June 1996, and a 19-year-old black metal fan stabbed a priest to death in Mulhouse on Christmas Eve 1996. According to MkM of Antaeus and Aosoth, the early French scene "was quite easy to divide: either you were NSBM, and you had the support from zine and the audience, or you were part of the black legions, and you had that 'cult' aura", whereas his band Antaeus, not belonging to either of these sub-scenes, "did not fit anywhere." Many French bands, like Deathspell Omega and Aosoth, have an avantgarde approach and
2320-415: A house shared by the band. Fellow musicians described Dead as odd, introverted and depressed. Mayhem's drummer, Hellhammer , said that Dead was the first to wear the distinctive corpse paint that became widespread in the scene. He was found with slit wrists and a shotgun wound to the head. Dead's suicide note began with "Excuse all the blood", and apologized for firing the weapon indoors. Before calling
2465-589: A key character of his stories but instead announced that his revelations about the Freemasons were made up, and thanked the Catholic clergy for helping to publicize his stories. Nine years later he told an American magazine that at first he thought readers would recognize his tales as obvious nonsense, "amusement pure and simple", but when he realized they believed his stories and that there was "lots of money" to be made in publishing them, he continued to perpetrate
2610-678: A literal Satan". Taub and Nelson define Satanism as "the literal or symbolic worship of Satan, the enemy of the Judeo-Christian God". According to author Arthur Lyons, "Satanic religions are as old as monotheism and have their origins in Persia of the sixth century", and Joe Carter of the conservative ecumenical journal First Things writes that "real satanism has been around since the beginning of history, selling an appealing message: Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God." But religious scholar Joseph Laycock writes that
2755-577: A pact with Satan . This may have emerged after observing that pacts with gods and goddesses played a role in various pre-Christian belief systems, or that such pacts were also made as part of the Christian cult of saints. Another possibility is that it derives from a misunderstanding of Augustine of Hippo 's condemnation of augury in his On Christian Doctrine , written in the late 4th century. Here, he stated that people who consulted augurs were entering quasi pacts (covenants) with demons. The idea of
2900-435: A part of this wave included Germany's Kreator , Sodom and Destruction (from Germany), Italy's Bulldozer and Death SS , Japan's Sabbat and Colombia's Parabellum . In 1987, in the fifth issue of his Slayer fanzine, Jon 'Metalion' Kristiansen wrote that "the latest fad of black/Satanic bands seems to be over", citing United States bands Incubus and Morbid Angel , as well as Sabbat from Great Britain as some of
3045-631: A particularly ambitious and articulate understanding of mysticism and its validity to black metal. Many Swedish black metal bands, most notably Watain and Dissection, are [or were] affiliated with the Temple of the Black Light, or Misanthropic Luciferian Order […] a Theistic , Gnostic , Satanic organization based in Sweden". Upon his release in 2004, Jon Nödtveidt restarted Dissection with new members whom he felt were able to "stand behind and live up to
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#17327827681653190-489: A previous story, exaggerated a little more each time". Other publications made allegations of Satanism against historical figures. The 1970s saw the publication of the Romanian Protestant preacher Richard Wurmbrand 's book in which he argued—without corroborating evidence—that the socio-political theorist Karl Marx had been a Satanist. At the end of the 20th century, a moral panic arose from claims that
3335-764: A reaction against death metal bands, who at that time had begun to use brightly colored album artwork. Many purist black metal artists have continued this style. Black metal album covers are typically dark and tend to be atmospheric or provocative; some feature natural or fantasy landscapes (for example Burzum 's Filosofem and Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse ) while others are violent, sexually transgressive, sacrilegious, or iconoclastic (for example Marduk 's Fuck Me Jesus and Dimmu Borgir 's In Sorte Diaboli ). The earliest black metal artists had very limited resources, which meant that recordings were often made in homes or basements, giving their recordings
3480-743: A religion that does not declare itself "Satanic", but includes elements of Satanism (e.g. Temple of Set ). Others may regards themselves as Satanists but promote mythological figures and traditions outside of Christianity or Judaism. These religions are sometimes called Satanic and sometimes post-Satanic. Diane E. Taub and Lawrence D. Nelson complain that Satanism "is frequently defined either too broadly or too narrowly", with accusers sometimes including non-satanic groups such as Santeria , Witchcraft , Eastern religions as well as Freemasonry ; and academics (for example Carlson and Larue) and others sometimes restricting its definition to "recognized Satanic churches and their members", excluding those who "believes in
3625-650: A ritual performance to facilitate their sexual acts, with the intent of frightening their victims and justifying their actions, but that none of these child molesters were involved in wider Satanist groups. By 1994, the Satanic ritual abuse hysteria had died down in the US and UK, and by the 21st century, hysteria about Satanism has waned in most Western countries, although allegations of Satanic ritual abuse continued to surface in parts of continental Europe and Latin America. In
3770-673: A scene that mixed the first wave black metal style with elements of death metal and grindcore ; this included Beherit , Archgoat and Impaled Nazarene , whose debut album Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz Rock Hard journalist Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann considers a part of war metal's roots. Bands such as Demoncy and Profanatica emerged during this time in the United States, when death metal was more popular among extreme metal fans. The Norwegian band Mayhem's concert in Leipzig with Eminenz and Manos in 1990, later released as Live in Leipzig ,
3915-433: A sense of dread. The tritone , or flat-fifth, is often used. Guitar solos and low guitar tunings are rare in black metal. The bass guitar is seldom used to play stand-alone melodies. It is common for the bass to be muted against the guitar, or for it to homophonically follow the low-pitched riffs of the guitar. While electronic keyboards are not a standard instrument, some bands, like Dimmu Borgir , use keyboards "in
4060-691: A supernatural Satan . Accusations of groups engaged in " devil worship " have echoed throughout much of Christian history. During the Middle Ages , the Inquisition led by the Catholic Church alleged that various heretical Christian sects and groups, such as the Knights Templar and the Cathars , performed secret Satanic rituals. In the subsequent Early Modern period , belief in a widespread Satanic conspiracy of witches resulted in
4205-586: A verb, when Jehovah sent an angel to satan ("to oppose") Balaam . Prior to the composition of the New Testament , the idea developed within Jewish communities that Satan was the name of an angel who had rebelled against Jehovah and had been cast out of Heaven along with his followers; this account would be incorporated into contemporary texts such as the Book of Enoch . This Satan was then featured in parts of
4350-635: A vocal style influenced by Quorthon of Bathory . Death growls , common in the death metal genre, are sometimes used, but less frequently than the characteristic black metal shriek. Black metal lyrics typically attack Christianity and the other institutional religions, often using apocalyptic language and evoking anti-authoritarianism and anti-establishment messages against religious governments and societies. Satanic lyrics are common, and many see them as essential to black metal. For Satanist black metal artists, "Black metal songs are meant to be like Calvinist sermons; deadly serious attempts to unite
4495-739: Is close to death metal, while Demoncy were accused of ripping off Gorgoroth riffs. There also emerged bands like Xasthur and Leviathan (whose music is inspired by Burzum and whose lyrics focus on topics such as depression and suicide), Nachtmystium , Krallice , Wolves in the Throne Room (a band linked to the crust punk scene and the environmental movement ), and Liturgy (the style of whom frontwoman Hunter Hunt-Hendrix describes as 'transcendental black metal'). These bands eschew black metal's traditional lyrical content for "something more Whitman -esque" and have been rejected by some traditional black-metallers for their ideologies and
Root (band) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-732: Is considered one of the most influential records for the war metal style. Fenriz of the Norwegian band Darkthrone called Master's Hammer's debut album Ritual "the first Norwegian black metal album, even though they are from Czechoslovakia". It was only during this post–1987 era of bands that the various extreme metal styles began to develop definitions distinct from one another, and the borders of what now consistues black metal were drawn. The second wave of black metal began in 1991, with Rock Hard magazine crediting Samael 's Worship Him (1 April 1991) as its beginnings, while, Metal Hammer writer Enrico Ahlig cited it as beginning with
4785-578: Is described as a mixture of "the heaviness of 'Hell Symphony', monumentality of 'The Temple In The Underworld', mystery of 'Kargeras' and the dark charm of 'The Book'"; Mühlmann described it as a mix of Mercyful Fate , Moonspell, Anathema and old heavy metal . For Decibel journalist Chris D., Heritage of Satan "feels less complete than, say, The Book , which is, for me at least, the best Root album to date". The album features "a few rocking songs", "Revenge of Hell" and "Legacy of Ancestors", as well as "more traditional black metal songs". Big Boss founded
4930-591: Is known about the activities of the Hellfire Clubs. Introvigne suggested that they may have engaged in a form of "playful Satanism" in which Satan was invoked "to show a daring contempt for conventional morality" rather than to pay homage to him. The French Revolution of 1789 dealt a blow to the hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church in parts of Europe, and soon a number of Catholic authors began making claims that it had been masterminded by
5075-461: Is predominantly an American phenomenon, although the rise of globalization and the Internet have seen these ideas spread to other parts of the world. Historical and anthropological research suggests that nearly all societies have developed the idea of a sinister and anti-human force that can hide itself within society. This commonly involves a belief in witches , a group of individuals who invert
5220-806: Is still prioritized over technique. "This professionalism has to go," insists well-respected drummer and metal historian Fenriz (Gylve Fenris Nagell) of Darkthrone . "I want to de-learn playing drums, I want to play primitive and simple, I don't want to play like a drum solo all the time and make these complicated riffs". Black metal songs often stray from conventional song structure and often lack clear verse-chorus sections. Instead, many black metal songs contain lengthy and repetitive instrumental sections. The Greek style—established by Rotting Christ , Necromantia and Varathron —has more death metal traits than Norwegian black metal. Traditional black metal bands tend to favor raspy, high-pitched vocals which include techniques such as shrieking, screaming, and snarling,
5365-624: The demons who tempt humans into sin. The phenomenon of Satanism shares "historical connections and family resemblances" with the Left Hand Path milieu of other occult figures such as Chaos , Hecate , Lilith , Lucifer , and Set . Self-identified Satanism is a relatively modern phenomenon, largely attributed to the 1966 founding of the Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States—an atheistic group that does not believe in
5510-529: The post-rock and shoegazing influences some of them have adopted. Also, some bands like Agalloch started to incorporate "doom and folk elements into the traditional blast-beat and tremolo-picking of the Scandinavian incarnation", a style that later became known as Cascadian black metal , in reference to the region where it emerged. In Australia, a scene led by bands like Deströyer 666 , Vomitor, Hobbs' Angel of Death , Nocturnal Graves and Gospel of
5655-426: The "Arabic Anti-Islamic Legion." Another Lebanese band, Ayat , drew much attention with their debut album Six Years of Dormant Hatred , released through North American label Moribund Records in 2008. Some European bands have also begun expressing anti-Islamic views, most notably the Norwegian band Taake . Regarding the sound of black metal, there are two conflicting groups within the genre: "those that stay true to
5800-512: The "anti-Satanists" of the Satanic Scare was that any child's claim about Satanic ritual abuse must be true, because children do not lie. Although some involved in the anti-Satanism movement were from Jewish and secular backgrounds, a central part was played by fundamentalist and evangelical Christians, in particular Pentecostalist Christians, with Christian groups holding conferences and producing books and videotapes to promote belief in
5945-471: The "available evidence suggests" that Satanism began as "an imaginary religion Christians invented to demonize their opponents". Confessions of worship of Satan came only after torture or other forms of coercion in early modern Europe. While early stories of satanic activity have been commonly labeled and regarded as propaganda based on falsehood, they also partially shaped the beliefs of what would become modern religious Satanism. Those who absorbed and accepted
Root (band) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-500: The "suicidal black metal" term a "foolish idea." According to Erik Danielsson, when his band Watain formed in 1998, there were very few bands who took black metal as seriously as the early Norwegian scene had. A newer generation of Swedish Satanic bands like Watain and Ondskapt , inspired by Ofermod , the new band of Nefandus member Belfagor, put this scene "into a new light." Kvarforth said, "It seems like people actually [got] afraid again." "The current Swedish black metal scene has
6235-456: The 13th century, there were also references made to a group of "Luciferians" led by a woman named Lucardis which hoped to see Satan rule in Heaven. References to this group continued into the 14th century, although historians studying the allegations concur that these Luciferians were probably a fictitious invention. Within Christian thought, the idea developed that certain individuals could make
6380-593: The 16th century, when they were used by Christian groups to attack other, rival Christian groups. In a Roman Catholic tract of 1565, the author condemns the "heresies, blasphemies, and sathanismes [sic]" of the Protestants . In an Anglican work of 1559, Anabaptists and other Protestant sects are condemned as "swarmes of Satanistes [sic]". As used in this manner, the term Satanism was not used to claim that people literally worshipped Satan, but instead that they deviated from true Christianity, and thus were serving
6525-552: The 1950s, various British tabloid newspapers repeated such claims, largely basing their accounts on the allegations of one woman, Sarah Jackson, who claimed to have been a member of such a group. In 1973, the British Christian Doreen Irvine published From Witchcraft to Christ , in which she claimed to have been a member of a Satanic group that gave her supernatural powers, such as the ability to levitate , before she escaped and embraced Christianity. In
6670-612: The 8 April 1991 suicide of Mayhem vocalist Dead . During 1990–1993 , a number of Norwegian artists began performing and releasing a new kind of black metal music; this included Mayhem , Darkthrone , Burzum , Immortal , Emperor , Satyricon , Enslaved , Thorns , and Gorgoroth . They developed the style of their 1980s forebears into a distinct genre. This was partly thanks to a new kind of guitar playing developed by Snorre 'Blackthorn' Ruch and Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth . Fenriz of Darkthrone described it as being "derived from Bathory" and noted that "those kinds of riffs became
6815-523: The Christian figure of a fallen angel who tempts mortals into sin. The word Satan was not originally a proper name, but rather an ordinary noun that means "adversary". In this context, it appears at several points in the Old Testament . For instance, in the Book of Samuel , David is presented as the satan ("adversary") of the Philistines , while in the Book of Numbers , the term appears as
6960-516: The Czech branch of the Church of Satan . He still lives his life according to Satanism , but "gave away all agenda […] to younger ones" and now believes that "everything that smells of organization is shit". Although Root are therefore close to LaVeyan Satanism , Watain (whose vocalist Erik Danielsson contributed to Heritage of Satan ), who are Devil worshippers , called them and Törr "the legendary kings of Czech Black/Death Metal" and "defenders of
7105-840: The Devil. This was accompanied by claims that such individuals engaged in acts of evil—incestuous sexual orgies, the murder of infants, and cannibalism —all stock accusations that had previously been leveled at Christians themselves in the Roman Empire . In Christian iconography, the Devil and demons were given the physical traits of figures from classical mythology , such as the god Pan , fauns , and satyrs . The first recorded example of such an accusation being made within Western Christianity took place in Toulouse in 1022, when two clerics were tried for allegedly venerating
7250-460: The Greek and Finnish bands that emerged around the same time as the Norwegian scene. Norwegian-inspired black metal guitarists usually favor high-pitched or trebly guitar tones and heavy distortion . The guitar is usually played with fast, un- muted tremolo picking and power chords . Guitarists often use dissonance —along with specific scales , intervals and chord progressions—to create
7395-684: The Horns arose. This scene's typical style is a mixture of old school black metal and raw thrash metal influenced by old Celtic Frost, Bathory, Venom, and Sodom but also with its own elements. Melechesh was formed in Jerusalem in 1993, "the first overtly anti-Christian band to exist in one of the holiest cities in the world". Melechesh began as a straightforward black metal act with their first foray into folk metal occurring on their 1996 EP The Siege of Lachish . Their subsequent albums straddled black, death, and thrash metal. Another band, Arallu ,
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#17327827681657540-514: The McMartin family—owners of a preschool in California—were guilty of sexually abusing the children in their care during Satanic rituals. The allegations resulted in a lengthy and expensive trial , in which all of the accused would eventually be cleared. The publicity generated by the case resulted in similar allegations being made in various other parts of the United States. A key claim by
7685-464: The NSBM scene, among others, see the Norwegian bands as poseurs whose "ideology is cheap", although they still respect Vikernes and Burzum, whom Grand Belial's Key vocalist Richard Mills called "the only Norwegian band that remains unapologetic and literally convicted of his beliefs." In France, besides Les Légions Noires (The Black Legions), an NSBM scene arose. Members of French band Funeral desecrated
7830-484: The New Testament, where he was presented as a figure who tempts humans to commit sin ; in the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke , he attempted to tempt Jesus of Nazareth as the latter fasted in the wilderness. While the early Christian idea of the Devil was not well developed, it gradually adapted and expanded through the creation of folklore, art, theological treatises, and morality tales, thus providing
7975-452: The Order of Nine Angles (ONA), and The Satanic Temple (TST)—often accuse one another of being fraudulent Satanists and/or ignorant of true Satanism. Because the original concept of Satan came from Judaism and was embraced by Christianity, and because Satanists, almost by definition, oppose the teachings of those religions, people drawn to Satanism will often move on to "post-Satanism", i.e. to
8120-443: The Satanic Scare had lost its impetus following increasing skepticism about such allegations, and a number of those who had been convicted of perpetrating Satanic ritual abuse saw their convictions overturned. In 1990, an agent of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation , Ken Lanning, revealed that he had investigated 300 allegations of Satanic ritual abuse and found no evidence for Satanism or ritualistic activity in any of them. In
8265-512: The Swedish black metal scene started to burn churches as well in 1993. Those convicted for church burnings showed no remorse and described their actions as a symbolic "retaliation" against Christianity in Norway. Mayhem drummer Hellhammer said he had called for attacks on mosques and Hindu temples , on the basis that they were more foreign. Today, opinions on the church burnings differ within
8410-518: The UK, the Department of Health commissioned the anthropologist Jean La Fontaine to examine the allegations of SRA. She noted that while approximately half did reveal evidence of genuine sexual abuse of children, none revealed any evidence that Satanist groups had been involved or that any murders had taken place. She noted three examples in which lone individuals engaged in child molestation had created
8555-532: The Underworld , and recorded a video for the song "Aposiopesis". The following years "were in the sign of personal problems between two main personalities of ROOT, Big Boss and Blackie". In 1996, Root released their first concept album , Kärgeräs . Their fifth album, The Book , followed in 1999. In 2004, Root played on the Open Hell festival with Watain , Törr and other bands. In 2011, they released
8700-505: The United States SRA ideas persisted among much of the public even as law enforcement had grown tired of false leads. A 1994 survey for the women's magazine Redbook reported in 1994, Another Satanic conspiracy theory arose in the United States by 2017, with unsubstantiated allegations of organized Devil-worshippers in prominent positions committing sexual abuse, murder, and cannibalism. The source of such claims began within
8845-450: The United States during the 1960s and 1970s, various Christian preachers—the most famous being Mike Warnke in his 1972 book The Satan-Seller —claimed that they had been members of Satanic groups who carried out sex rituals and animal sacrifices before discovering Christianity. According to Gareth Medway in his historical examination of Satanism, these stories were "a series of inventions by insecure people and hack writers, each one based on
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#17327827681658990-519: The United States. Black Funeral, from Houston , formed in 1993, was associated with black magic and Satanism . A notable black metal group in England was Cradle of Filth , who released three demos in a black/death metal style with symphonic flourishes, followed by the album The Principle of Evil Made Flesh , which featured a then-unusual hybrid style of black and gothic metal . The band then abandoned black metal for gothic metal, becoming one of
9135-400: The album Heritage of Satan , featuring Aura Noir and Ava Inferi guitarist Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen , Behemoth vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski and Watain vocalist Erik Danielsson, who also created the album cover, as guest musicians. Although Big Boss is the only remaining founding member, the band's core now consists of him, bass player Golem and guitarist Ashok. On 28 September 2016
9280-561: The background" or as "proper instruments" for creating atmosphere. Some newer black metal bands began raising their production quality and introducing additional instruments such as synthesizers and even orchestras . The drumming is usually fast and relies on double-bass and blast beats to maintain tempos that can sometimes approach 300 beats per minute. These fast tempos require great skill and physical stamina, typified by black metal drummers Frost ( Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad ) and Hellhammer ( Jan Axel Blomberg ). Even still, authenticity
9425-413: The band announced that they began work on their tenth studio album, Kärgeräs – Return from Oblivion , the sequel to their 1996 concept album Kärgeräs . It was released on 25 November 2016. According to Legacy journalist Christian Wachter, Root have, since their beginning, a very own style (although ostensibly Venom - and Bathory -oriented) with an occult aura and are one of the few bands deserving
9570-571: The band released the single 7 černých jezdců / 666 , with artwork done by Master's Hammer vocalist František Štorm . To promote their first album, Zjevení (again with artwork by Štorm), they recorded a video for their song "Hřbitov", released on the Czech Death Metal Session compilation, with photographs by Štorm. Zjevení was also released as The Revelation . The second album, Hell Symphony , followed in 1992. In 1993, Root released their third album, The Temple in
9715-473: The bass tracks recorded by Vikernes, but Hellhammer said: "I thought it was appropriate that the murderer and victim were on the same record. I put word out that I was re-recording the bass parts. But I never did". In 2003, Vikernes failed to return to Tønsberg prison after being given a short leave. He was re-arrested shortly after while driving a stolen car with various weapons. Vikernes was released on parole in 2009. Japanese band Sigh formed in 1990 and
9860-401: The beginning, he used the term "suicidal black metal" for his music. However, he stopped using the term in 2001 because it had begun to be used by a slew of other bands, whom he felt had misinterpreted his vision and were using the music as a kind of therapy rather than a weapon against the listener as Kvarforth intended. He said that he "wouldn't call Shining a black metal band" and called
10005-512: The black metal community. Many musicians, singers, and songwriters in the early Norwegian black metal scene, such as Infernus and Gaahl of Gorgoroth , continue to praise the church burnings, with the latter saying "there should have been more of them, and there will be more of them". Others, such as Necrobutcher and Kjetil Manheim of Mayhem and Abbath of Immortal, see the church burnings as having been futile. Manheim claimed that many arsons were "just people trying to gain acceptance" within
10150-542: The black metal scene after Dead had shot himself ... I think it was Dead's suicide that really changed the scene". Two other members of the early Norwegian scene later committed suicide: Erik 'Grim' Brødreskift (of Immortal , Borknagar , Gorgoroth ) in 1999 and Espen 'Storm' Andersen (of Strid ) in 2001. During May–June 1991, Euronymous of Mayhem opened an independent record shop named " Helvete " ( Norwegian for "Hell") at Schweigaards gate 56 in Oslo . It quickly became
10295-535: The black metal scene. Watain vocalist Erik Danielsson respected the attacks, but said of those responsible: "the only Christianity they defeated was the last piece of Christianity within themselves. Which is a very good beginning, of course". In early 1993, animosity arose between Euronymous and Vikernes. On the night of 10 August 1993, Varg Vikernes (of Burzum) and Snorre 'Blackthorn' Ruch (of Thorns) drove from Bergen to Euronymous's apartment in Oslo. When they arrived
10440-501: The buildings were hundreds of years old and seen as important historical landmarks. The first to be burnt down was Norway's Fantoft Stave Church . Police believe Varg Vikernes of Burzum was responsible. The cover of Burzum's EP Aske ("ashes") is a photograph of the destroyed church. In May 1994, Vikernes was found guilty for burning down the Holmenkollen Chapel , Skjold Church , and Åsane Church . In addition, he
10585-502: The cabal and bring them to justice in a climactic event known to supporters as "the storm". With the lack of any evidence of child abuse or harm, and failure of the prophesized "storm" to appear before the inauguration of a new president, the conspiracy has waned but not entirely disappeared. From the late 1600s through to the 1800s, the character of Satan was increasingly rendered unimportant in western philosophy, and ignored in Christian theology, while in folklore he came to be seen as
10730-663: The character with a range of extra-Biblical associations. Beginning in the early middle ages, the concept developed in Christianity of the devil as "archrepresentative of evil", and of the Satanist "as malign mirror image of the good Christian". The word Satanism was adopted into English from the French satanisme . The terms Satanism and Satanist are first recorded as appearing in the English and French languages during
10875-463: The conspiracy. Various figures in law enforcement also came to be promoters of the conspiracy theory, with such "cult cops" holding various conferences to promote it. The scare was later imported to the United Kingdom through visiting evangelicals and became popular among some of the country's social workers, resulting in a range of accusations and trials across Britain. In the late 1980s,
11020-516: The death threats he received from him. Vikernes was arrested on 19 August 1993, in Bergen. Many other members of the scene were taken in for questioning around the same time. Some of them confessed to their crimes and implicated others. In May 1994, Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison (Norway's maximum penalty) for the murder of Euronymous, the arson of four churches, and for possession of 150 kg of explosives. However, he only confessed to
11165-564: The demands of Dissection's Satanic concept." He started calling Dissection "the sonic propaganda unit of the MLO" and released a third full-length album, Reinkaos . The lyrics contain magical formulae from the Liber Azerate and are based on the organization's teachings. After the album's release and a few concerts, Nödtveidt said that he had "reached the limitations of music as a tool for expressing what I want to express, for myself and
11310-666: The demo Burning Quran Ceremony in 2010. Its frontwoman, Anahita, claimed her parents and brother were killed by a suicide bomb during the Iraq War . Another Iraqi band, Seeds of Iblis, also fronted by Anahita, released their debut EP Jihad Against Islam in 2011 through French label Legion of Death. Metal news website Metalluminati suggests that their claims of being based in Iraq are a hoax. These bands, along with Tadnees (from Saudi Arabia), Halla (from Iran), False Allah (from Bahrain), and Mosque of Satan (from Lebanon), style themselves as
11455-532: The devil. Understanding of disorders of the mind undercut demonic possession. But while the hunting and killing of alleged witches waned, belief in Satan did not disappear. During the 18th century, gentleman's social clubs became increasingly prominent in Britain and Ireland, among the most secretive of which were the Hellfire Clubs , which were first reported in the 1720s. The most famous of these groups
11600-516: The diabolical pact made with demons was popularized across Europe in the story of Faust , probably based in part on the real life Johann Georg Faust . As the late medieval gave way to the early modern period , European Christendom experienced a schism between the established Roman Catholic Church and the breakaway Protestant movement. In the ensuing Reformation and Counter-Reformation (1517–1700 CE), both Catholics and Protestants accused each other of deliberately being in league with Satan. It
11745-546: The early 1990s, spearheaded by bands in the early Norwegian black metal scene scene, such as Mayhem , Darkthrone , Burzum , Immortal , Emperor , Satyricon and Gorgoroth . This wave developed other scenes at the same time in Finland ( Beherit , Archgoat , Impaled Nazarene ); Sweden ( Dissection , Abruptum , Marduk , Nifelheim ); the United States ( Profanatica , Demoncy , Grand Belial's Key , Judas Iscariot ); France ( Mütiilation , Vlad Tepes ); as well as leading to
11890-459: The early 20th century, the British novelist Dennis Wheatley produced a range of influential novels in which his protagonists battled Satanic groups. At the same time, non-fiction authors such as Montague Summers and Rollo Ahmed published books claiming that Satanic groups practicing black magic were still active across the world, although they provided no evidence that this was the case. During
12035-497: The event. He said Euronymous planned to use a meeting about an unsigned contract to ambush him. Vikernes claims he intended to hand Euronymous the signed contract that night and "tell him to fuck off", but that Euronymous panicked and attacked him first. He also claims that most of the cuts were from broken glass Euronymous had fallen on during the struggle. The self-defense story is doubted by Faust, while Necrobutcher confirmed that Vikernes killed Euronymous in self-defense due to
12180-512: The evidence for the trials, the historians Geoffrey Scarre and John Callow thought it "without doubt" that some of those accused in the trials had been guilty of employing magic in an attempt to harm their enemies and were thus genuinely guilty of witchcraft. In a scandal starting with the poisoning of three people, prominent members of the French aristocracy, including members of the king's inner circle, were implicated and sentenced on charges of poisoning and witchcraft. Between 1677 and 1682, during
12325-422: The faith" when they announced they would play on the Open Hell festival in 2004. According to Big Boss, "the difference between us and Scandinavian groups is that I sing about Satanic magic and myths I create personally, whereas Swedes, Norwegians etc. sing about things that are already known. They therefore have another approach to these topics." On Heritage of Satan , the topic is the final, successful assault of
12470-460: The few continuing the genre. However, black metal continued in the underground, with scenes developing in Brazil with Sepultura , Vulcano , Holocausto and Sarcófago , Czechoslovakia with Root , Törr and Master's Hammer , and Sweden with Grotesque , Merciless , Mefisto , Tiamat and Morbid . Sarcófago's debut album I.N.R.I. (1987), was widely influential on subsequent acts in
12615-429: The focal point of Norway's emerging black metal scene and a meeting place for many of its musicians; especially the members of Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor and Thorns. Jon 'Metalion' Kristiansen, writer of the fanzine Slayer , said that the opening of Helvete was "the creation of the whole Norwegian black metal scene". In its basement, Euronymous founded an independent record label named Deathlike Silence Productions . With
12760-419: The formation of influential bands in other countries including Sigh and Cradle of Filth . Initially a synonym for "Satanic metal", black metal has often sparked controversy, due to the actions and ideologies associated with the genre. Some artists express misanthropic views, and others advocate various forms of extreme anti-Christian sentiment , Satanism , or ethnic paganism . In the 1990s, members of
12905-418: The genre had not been set, instead, black metal bands existed in a broader extreme metal umbrella alongside the earliest groups in death metal , grindcore and thrash metal . Hellhammer , from Switzerland, "made truly raw and brutal music" with Satanic lyrics, and became an important influence on later black metal; "Their simple yet effective riffs and fast guitar sound were groundbreaking, anticipating
13050-442: The genre to subvert most traditional rock tropes, in a way that led journalist Dayal Patterson that "undoubtedly... create[d] the black metal sound as we know it". The Danish band Mercyful Fate influenced the Norwegian scene with their imagery and lyrics. Frontman King Diamond , who wore ghoulish black-and-white facepaint on stage, may be one of the inspirators of what became known as ' corpse paint '. Other artists that were
13195-404: The genre's first wave, with their second album Black Metal (1982) giving it its name. In the subsequent years, the style was expanded by Bathory , Mercyful Fate , Hellhammer and Celtic Frost . By 1987, this wave had largely declined, however influential works continued to be released by Parabellum , Blasphemy , Sarcófago , Tormentor , Samael and Rotting Christ . A second wave arose in
13340-428: The genre's roots, and those that introduce progressive elements". The former believe that the music should always be minimalist —performed only with the standard guitar-bass-drums setup and recorded in a low fidelity style. One supporter of this train of thought is Blake Judd of Nachtmystium , who has rejected labeling his band black metal for its departure from the genre's typical sound. Snorre Ruch of Thorns , on
13485-629: The genre, especially the second wave Norwegian scene and groups in the war metal style. BrooklynVegan writer Kim Kelly calling it "a gigantic influence on black metal’s sound, aesthetics, and attitude." Furthermore, during this time other influential records in the genre were released by Von (from the United States), Rotting Christ (from Greece), Tormentor (from Hungary), Mortuary Drape (from Italy), Kat (from Poland), Samael (from Switzerland) and Blasphemy (from Canada). Blasphemy's debut album Fallen Angel of Doom (1990)
13630-455: The gods and goddesses with supernatural powers venerated by these "pagans" could not be genuine divinities but must actually be demons. However, they did not believe that "pagans" were deliberately worshipping devils, but were instead simply misguided and unaware of the "true" God. Those Christian groups regarded as heretics by the Roman Catholic Church were treated differently, with theologians arguing that they were deliberately worshipping
13775-420: The groups that appeared after the 1960s differed greatly, they can be broadly divided into theistic Satanism and atheistic Satanism . Those venerating Satan as a supernatural deity are unlikely to ascribe omnipotence , instead relating to Satan as a patriarch . Atheistic Satanists regard Satan as a symbol of certain human traits, a useful metaphor without ontological reality. Contemporary religious Satanism
13920-439: The handful of others that I care about" and disbanded Dissection before dying by suicide. A part of the underground scene adopted a Jungian interpretation of the church burnings and other acts of the early scene as the re-emergence of ancient archetypes, which Kadmon of Allerseelen and the authors of Lords of Chaos had implied in their writings. They mixed this interpretation with Paganism and Nationalism. Varg Vikernes
14065-491: The hoax. Around the same time, another convert to Catholicism Joris-Karl Huysmans , also helped promote the concept of active Satanist groups in his 1891 work Là-bas (Down There). Huysmans "helped to cement" the idea the black mass as Satanic rite and inversion of the Roman Catholic mass, with a naked woman for an altar. (Unlike Taxil, his conversion was apparently genuine and his book was published as fiction.) In
14210-509: The idea of Satanism is the concept that there is an agent of misfortune and evil who operates on a cosmic scale, something usually associated with a strong form of ethical dualism that divides the world clearly into forces of good and forces of evil. The earliest such entity known is Angra Mainyu , a figure that appears in the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism . This concept was also embraced by Judaism and early Christianity, and although it
14355-466: The infernal hordes onto the earth, after which Satan gives His power to His son. 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 emphasis on atmosphere. Artists often appear in corpse paint and adopt pseudonyms . Venom initiated
14500-405: The late 1970s, punk rock came to influence the birth of black metal. Tom G. Warrior of Hellhammer and Celtic Frost credited English punk group Discharge as "a revolution, much like Venom", saying, "When I heard the first two Discharge records, I was blown away. I was just starting to play an instrument and I had no idea you could go so far." The use of corpse paint in the black metal imagery
14645-412: The late 1990s, the underground concluded that several of the Norwegian pioneers—like Emperor, Immortal, Dimmu Borgir , Ancient , Covenant/The Kovenant , and Satyricon —had commercialized or sold out to the mainstream and "big bastard labels." Dayal Patterson states that successful acts like Dimmu Borgir "provoked and even greater extremity [of negative opinion] from the underground" regarding
14790-465: The later trademark sound of early Swedish death metal". In 1984, members of Hellhammer formed Celtic Frost , whose music "explored more orchestral and experimental territories. The lyrics also became more personal, with topics about inner feelings and majestic stories. But for a couple of years, Celtic Frost was one of the world's most extreme and original metal bands, with a huge impact on the mid-1990s black metal scene". Another influential early band
14935-509: The latter. Two churches were burnt the day he was sentenced, "presumably as a statement of symbolic support". Vikernes smiled when his verdict was read and the picture was widely reprinted in the news media. Blackthorn was sentenced to eight years in prison for being an accomplice to the murder. That month saw the release of Mayhem's album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , which featured Euronymous on guitar and Vikernes on bass guitar. Euronymous's family had asked Mayhem's drummer, Hellhammer, to remove
15080-455: The legal authorities in both Catholic and Protestant regions. Most historians agree that the majority of those persecuted in these witch trials were innocent of any involvement in Devil worship. Historian Darren Eldridge writes that claims that there actually was a cult of devil-worshippers being pursued by witch hunters "have not survived the scrutiny of surviving trial records" done by historians from 1962 to 2012. However, in their summary of
15225-428: The mid-1990s, the style of the Norwegian scene was being adopted by bands worldwide, and in 1998, Kerrang! journalist Malcolm Dome said that "black metal as we know it in 1998 owes more to Norway and to Scandinavia than any other particular country". Newer black metal bands also began raising their production quality and introducing additional instruments such as synthesizers and even full-symphony orchestras . By
15370-528: The most important recordings for the German scene. He said they were "not necessarily the best German releases, but they all kicked off something". In the beginning of the second wave, the different scenes developed their own styles; as Alan 'Nemtheanga' Averill says, "you had the Greek sound and the Finnish sound, and the Norwegian sound, and there was German bands and Swiss bands and that kind of thing." By
15515-409: The most stand-out trait is their use of corpse paint —black and white face paint sometimes mixed with real or fake blood, which is used to create a corpse-like or demonic appearance. The imagery of black metal reflects its lyrics and ideology. In the early 1990s, most pioneering black metal artists had minimalist album covers featuring xeroxed black-and-white pictures and/or writing. This was partly
15660-519: The most successful extreme metal bands to date. John Serba of AllMusic commented that their first album "made waves in the early black metal scene, putting Cradle of Filth on the tips of metalheads' tongues, whether in praise of the band's brazen attempts to break the black metal mold or in derision for its 'commercialization' of an underground phenomenon that was proud of its grimy heritage". Some black metal fans did not consider Cradle of Filth to be black metal. When asked if he considers Cradle of Filth
15805-1240: The mythology and folklore of their homelands and promote a revival of pre-Christian, pagan traditions. A significant number of bands write lyrics only in their native language and a few (e.g. Arckanum and early Ulver ) have lyrics in archaic languages. Some doom metal -influenced artists' lyrics focus on depression, nihilism, introspection, self-harm and suicide. Many bands choose not to play live. Many of those who do play live maintain that their performances "are not for entertainment or spectacle. Sincerity, authenticity and extremity are valued above all else". Some bands consider their concerts to be rituals and often make use of stage props and theatrics. Bands such as Mayhem , Gorgoroth , and Watain are noted for their controversial shows, which have featured impaled animal heads, mock crucifixions, medieval weaponry and band members doused in animal blood. A few vocalists, such as Dead , Maniac and Kvarforth , are known for cutting themselves while singing onstage. Black metal artists often appear dressed in black with combat boots, bullet belts, spiked wristbands and inverted crosses and inverted pentagrams to reinforce their anti-Christian or anti-religious stance. However,
15950-584: The new order for a lot of bands in the '90s". The wearing of corpse paint became standard, and was a way for many black metal artists to distinguish themselves from other metal bands of the era. The scene also had an ideology and ethos. Artists were bitterly opposed to Christianity and presented themselves as misanthropic Devil worshippers who wanted to spread terror, hatred and evil. They professed to be serious in their views and vowed to act on them. Ihsahn of Emperor said that they sought to "create fear among people" and "be in opposition to society". The scene
16095-448: The norms of their society and seek to harm their community, for instance by engaging in incest , murder, and cannibalism . Allegations of witchcraft may have different causes and serve different functions within a society. For instance, they may serve to uphold social norms, to heighten the tension in existing conflicts between individuals, or to scapegoat certain individuals for various social problems. Another contributing factor to
16240-453: The other hand, has said that modern black metal is "too narrow" and believes that this was "not the idea at the beginning". Satanism Satanism refers to a group of religious , ideological , and/or philosophical beliefs based on Satan —particularly his worship or veneration. Satan is commonly associated with the Devil in Christianity , a fallen angel often regarded as chief of
16385-689: The police, Euronymous got a disposable camera and photographed the body, after re-arranging some items. One of these photographs was later used as the cover of a bootleg live album, Dawn of the Black Hearts . Euronymous made necklaces with bits of Dead's skull and gave some to musicians he deemed worthy. Rumors also spread that he had made a stew with bits of his brain. Euronymous used Dead's suicide to foster Mayhem's evil image and claimed Dead had killed himself because extreme metal had become trendy and commercialized. Mayhem bassist Jørn 'Necrobutcher' Stubberud noted that "people became more aware of
16530-598: The pre-existing idea of the witch , or practitioner of malevolent magic . The idea of a conspiracy of Satanic witches was developed by educated elites, although the concept of malevolent witchcraft was a widespread part of popular belief, and folkloric ideas about the night witch, the wild hunt , and the dance of the fairies were incorporated into it. The earliest trials took place in Northern Italy and France, before spreading it out to other areas of Europe and to Britain's North American colonies, being carried out by
16675-470: The primary sources for the scare was Michelle Remembers , a 1980 book by the Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder in which he detailed what he claimed were the repressed memories of his patient (and wife) Michelle Smith. Smith had claimed that as a child she had been abused by her family in Satanic rituals in which babies were sacrificed and Satan himself appeared. In 1983, allegations were made that
16820-532: The protagonist. Milton was a Puritan and had never intended for his depiction of Satan to be a sympathetic one. However, in portraying Satan as a victim of his own pride who rebelled against the Judeo-Christian god, Milton humanized him and also allowed him to be interpreted as a rebel against tyranny. In this vein, the 19th century saw the emergence of what has been termed literary Satanism or romantic Satanism , where in poetry, plays, and novels, God
16965-535: The reign of King Louis XIV , 36 people were executed in Satanic panic known to history as the Affair of the Poisons . At least some of the accusers were implicated others under torture and in hopes of saving their lives. These highly unreliable reports include what "may be the first report of a satanic mass using a woman as an altar". The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution changed humanity's understanding of
17110-422: The rising popularity of his band and others like it, the underground success of Euronymous's label is often credited for encouraging other record labels, who had previously shunned black metal acts, to then reconsider and release their material. In 1992, members of the Norwegian black metal scene began a wave of arson attacks on Christian churches. By 1996, there had been at least 50 such attacks in Norway. Some of
17255-521: The scene were responsible for a spate of church burnings and murders. There is also a neo-Nazi movement within black metal, although it has been shunned by many prominent artists. Generally, black metal strives to remain an underground phenomenon. Although contemporary black metal typically refers to the Norwegian style with shrieking vocals and raw production, the term has traditionally been applied to bands with widely differing sounds, such as Death SS , Mercyful Fate , Mayhem , Blasphemy , and
17400-457: The second group, you leave out most of the history of Satanism, (Joseph P. Laycock argues). If you do include both groups, you have two sides with very different views on who or what Satan was/is and represented. The accusers usually follow the Christian idea of Satan as an irredeemably evil fallen angel who seeks the destruction of both God and humanity, but who (along with his followers) is doomed to fail and to suffer eternal punishment. While
17545-495: The self-identified Satanists often do not believe that Satan actually exists as a being (they believe he is a symbol and a " Promethean figure", "an esoteric symbol of a vital force that permeates the universe"), let alone is trying to destroy humanity. A definitions/descriptions that would include the "satanism" of heresy crusades and moral panics is: In their study of Satanism, the religious studies scholars Asbjørn Dyrendal, James R. Lewis , and Jesper Aa. Petersen stated that
17690-541: The tales sometimes began to imitate them (celebrating Black Masses for example), a process known to folklorists as "ostension". As Christianity expanded throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, it came into contact with a variety of other religions, which it regarded as " pagan ". Christianity being a monotheist religion, Christian theologians believed that since there was only one God (the God of Christianity)
17835-456: The term Satanism "has a history of being a designation made by people against those whom they dislike; it is a term used for ' othering '". Eugene Gallagher noted that Satanism was usually "a polemical , not a descriptive term". Similar to the way certain Christian denominations accuse each other of heresy, different satanic groups—mainly the Church of Satan (CoS), the Temple of Set (ToS),
17980-445: The term "cult". Portuguese band Moonspell mentioned Root as one of their influences. Rock Hard journalist Björn Thorsten Jaschinski called them "occult metal pioneers". His colleague Wolf-Rüdiger Mühlmann located The Book "in the triangle of death metal , gothic metal and gloomy rock" with folklore melodies that could be interesting for fans of Katatonia , My Dying Bride , Primordial and Thine. On Root's homepage, Black Seal
18125-614: The trials and executions of tens of thousands of alleged witches across Europe and the North American colonies, peaking between 1560 and 1630 CE. The terms Satanist and Satanism emerged during the Reformation and Counter-Reformation (1517–1700 CE), as both Catholics and Protestants accused each other of intentionally being in league with Satan. Since the 19th century various small religious groups have emerged that identify as Satanist or use Satanic iconography. While
18270-405: The true believers". Misanthropy , global catastrophe , war, death, destruction and rebirth are also common themes. Another topic often found in black metal lyrics is that of the wild and extreme aspects and phenomena of the natural world, particularly the wilderness, forests, mountains, winter, storms, and blizzards. Black metal also has a fascination with the distant past. Many bands write about
18415-588: The underground" scene due to concerns about " selling out ". The controversy surrounding the Thuringian band Absurd drew attention to the German black metal scene. In 1993, the members murdered a boy from their school, Sandro Beyer. A photo of Beyer's gravestone is on the cover of one of their demos, Thuringian Pagan Madness , along with pro-Nazi statements. It was recorded in prison and released in Poland by Graveland drummer Capricornus. The band's early music
18560-597: The view that these bands had " sold out ." After Euronymous's death, "some bands went more towards the Viking metal and epic style, while some bands went deeper into the abyss." Since 1993, the Swedish scene had carried out church burnings, grave desecration, and other violent acts. In 1995, Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection joined the Misanthropic Luciferian Order (MLO). In 1997, he and another MLO member were arrested and charged with shooting dead
18705-860: The will of Satan. During the 19th century, the term Satanism began to be used to describe those considered to lead a broadly immoral lifestyle, and it was only in the late 19th century that it came to be applied in English to individuals who were believed to consciously and deliberately venerate Satan. This latter meaning had appeared earlier in the Swedish language ; the Lutheran Bishop Laurentius Paulinus Gothus had described devil-worshipping sorcerers as Sathanister in his Ethica Christiana , produced between 1615 and 1630. Some definitions of Satanism offered/suggested by scholars include: But these definitions of Satanism are limited to ... excluding And by excluding
18850-639: The world. The mathematics of Isaac Newton and psychology of John Locke "left little space for the intervention of supernatural beings". Charles Darwin 's theory of evolution undermined the doctrine of the Fall in the Garden of Eden and the role of the diabolical serpent, while also providing an "alternative account of human evil" in the form of "a residual effect of our animal nature". The Industrial Revolution and urbanization disturbed traditional social relations and folk ideas to undermine belief in witchcraft and
18995-519: Was Bathory from Sweden. The band, led by Thomas Forsberg (a.k.a. Quorthon ), created "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal". Not only was Bathory's music dark, fast, heavily distorted, lo-fi and with anti-Christian themes, Quorthon was also the first to use the shrieked vocals that later became a common trait. Their third album Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) was the first record in
19140-416: Was a conspiracy of organized Satanists who occupied prominent positions throughout society, from the police to politicians, and that they had been powerful enough to cover up their crimes. Preceded by some significant but isolated episodes in the 1970s, a great Satanism scare exploded in the 1980s in the United States and Canada and was subsequently exported towards England, Australia, and other countries. It
19285-399: Was exclusive and created boundaries around itself, incorporating only those who were "true" and attempting to expel all " poseurs ". Some members of the scene were responsible for a spate of church burnings and murder, which eventually drew attention to it and led to a number of artists being imprisoned. On 8 April 1991, Mayhem vocalist Per "Dead" Ohlin committed suicide while left alone in
19430-442: Was formed in the late 1990s and has relationships with Melechesh and Salem. Melechesh and Arallu perform a style they call "Mesopotamian Black Metal", a blend of black metal and Mesopotamian folk music. Since the 2000s, a number of anti-Islamic and anti-religious black metal bands—whose members come from Muslim backgrounds—have emerged in the Middle East. Janaza, believed to be Iraq's first female black metal artist, released
19575-530: Was found guilty for an attempted arson of a fourth church, and for the theft and storage of 150 kg of explosives. To coincide with the release of Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas , Vikernes and Euronymous had also allegedly plotted to bomb the Nidaros Cathedral , which appears on the album cover. The musicians Faust , Samoth , (both of Emperor), and Jørn Inge Tunsberg (of Hades Almighty ) were also convicted for church arsons. Members of
19720-399: Was in regular contact with key members of the Norwegian scene. Their debut album, Scorn Defeat , became "a cult classic in the black metal world". In 1990 and 1991, Northern European metal acts began to release music influenced by these bands or the older ones from the first wave. In Sweden, this included Dissection , Abruptum , Marduk , and Nifelheim . In Finland, there emerged
19865-427: Was in this context that the terms Satanist and Satanism emerged. The early modern period also saw fear of Satanists reach its "historical apogee" in the form of the witch trials of the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries , when between 30,000 and 50,000 alleged witches were executed. This came about as the accusations which had been leveled at medieval heretics, among them that of devil-worship, were applied to
20010-620: Was mainly influenced by the American 1970s rock band Kiss . The term "black metal" was coined by the English band Venom with their second album Black Metal (1982). Playing a style bordering speed metal or thrash metal , the album initiated the first wave of black metal, forming an early prototype for the genre. The band introduced many tropes that became ubiquitous in the genre, such as blasphemous lyrics and imagery, as well as stage names, costumes and face paint meant to strike fear. During this first wave of bands, distinct borders of
20155-615: Was more influenced by Oi! and Rock Against Communism (RAC) than by black metal, and described as being "more akin to '60s garage punk than some of the […] Black Metal of their contemporaries". Alexander von Meilenwald from German band Nagelfar considers Ungod's 1993 debut Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts , Desaster 's 1994 demo Lost in the Ages , Tha-Norr 's 1995 album Wolfenzeitalter , Lunar Aurora's 1996 debut Weltengänger and Katharsis 's 2000 debut 666 to be
20300-452: Was never meant to reach an audience, it was purely for our own satisfaction". Occult and Satanic lyrical themes were present in the music of heavy metal and rock bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s such as Black Sabbath and Coven . In the late 1970s, the form of rough and aggressive heavy metal played by the British band Motörhead gained popularity. Many first wave black metal bands cited Motörhead as an influence. Also popular in
20445-791: Was said to have had a strong influence on the East German scene and is even called the unofficial beginning of German black metal. Black metal scenes also emerged on the European mainland during the early 1990s, inspired by the Norwegian scene or the older bands, or both. In Poland, a scene was spearheaded by Graveland and Behemoth . In France, a close-knit group of musicians known as Les Légions Noires emerged; this included artists such as Mütiilation , Vlad Tepes , Belketre and Torgeist. In Belgium, there were acts such as Ancient Rites and Enthroned . Bands such as Black Funeral, Grand Belial's Key and Judas Iscariot emerged during this time in
20590-516: Was seen as "an ideological messiah" by some, although Vikernes had disassociated himself from black metal and his neo-Nazism had nothing to do with that subculture. This led to the rise of National Socialist black metal (NSBM), which Hendrik Möbus of Absurd calls "the logical conclusion" of the Norwegian black metal "movement". Other parts of the scene oppose NSBM as it is "indelibly linked with Asá Trŭ and opposed to Satanism", or look upon Nazism "with vague skepticism and indifference". Members of
20735-536: Was soon marginalized within Jewish thought, it gained increasing importance within early Christian understandings of the cosmos. The Native South American terrible god Tiw is traditionally honored with the syncretic dance and parade Diablada ('Dance of the Devils') that was opposed to the Catholic Church in origin. The term Satan has evolved from a Hebrew term for "adversary" or "to oppose", into
20880-583: Was the Order of the Knights of Saint Francis, which was founded circa 1750 by the aristocrat Sir Francis Dashwood and which assembled first at his estate at West Wycombe and later in Medmenham Abbey . A number of contemporary press sources portrayed these as gatherings of atheist rakes where Christianity was mocked, and toasts were made to the Devil. Beyond these sensationalist accounts, which may not be accurate portrayals of actual events, little
21025-475: Was unprecedented in history. It surpassed even the results of Taxil 's propaganda, and has been compared with the most virulent periods of witch hunting. The scare started in 1980 and declined slowly between 1990... and 1994, when official British and American reports denied the real existence of ritual satanic crimes. Particularly outside the U.S. and U.K., however, its consequences are still felt today. Sociologist of religion Massimo Introvigne, 2016 One of
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