The Definitive Book On The Most Sinister Musical Genre

The name Peter Beste is synonymous with the black metal movement and with good reason. For nearly a decade, the photographer has been one of the few civilians allowed to point his lens at the genre’s corpse-paint donning stars—and these musicians are understandably skeptic of outsiders who often want to sensationalize the genre before they truly understand it. On May 15 Vice Books will release Beste’s first book, True Norwegian Black Metal, which contains 216 pages worth of the genre’s most nefarious stars.

Instead of exploiting his subjects, Beste embraces them; many of these photos show that there’s a human element to these musicians that’s lurking just beneath their sinister facades. In order to accurately portray his subjects, Beste took multiple trips to Norway to capture them in their natural environment. The results are striking. Elderly pedestrians recoil in horror when confronted with artists like Kvitrafn of Wardruna on the street. Other bands included in the collection are members of Darkthrone, 1349, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Emperor, Mayhem, and nearly every other leading act in the subculture. Oh, and the book also contains quotes from a handful of these artists, including the notorious Gaahl from Gorgoroth.

If you live in New York, this Friday, May 9, Beste will have an opening for the book at the Steven Kasher Gallery where he will display prints from the book and sign copies of True Norwegian Black Metal. Oh, and if you’re really hardcore, we recommend visiting his site and pre-ordering a deluxe limited edition of the book which features a silk-screened black metal logo poster, a signed 8 X 10 Beste print and a hand-numbered slipcase, which are—you guessed it—limited to 666 copies. Whether you’re a hardcore black metal fanatic or are just interested in learning more about metal’s most underground and dangerous subgenre, we can’t think of a better starting point than True Norwegian Black Metal.

Thanks for the info to Jonah Bayer's article at Gibson.com.

Comments

[PeruvianSkies]

Lords of Chaos is the definitive book on this subject.

[jetfuel495]

i knew just from the title of the article that it would be black metal.

[k90728]

jetfuel495 wrote:

i knew just from the title of the article that it would be black metal.

LMFAO, same....

[metallicafan616]

woot...4th :P and ofc it was black metal - the best genre of them all!

[amisuary]

hm..interesting

[spazzymagee]

Will Sum41 be in this book? I hope so. They are a really hardcore band. Whooop!

[jeowy]

sounds like an interesting book. but black metal isnt the most sinister musical genre. That title belongs to free jazz

[coca_cola]

spazzymagee wrote:

Will Sum41 be in this book? I hope so. They are a really hardcore band. Whooop!

woah you really live up to your username

[Remsen]

jeowy wrote:

sounds like an interesting book. but black metal isnt the most sinister musical genre. That title belongs to free jazz

spazzymagee wrote:

Will Sum41 be in this book? I hope so. They are a really hardcore band. Whooop!

LOL and +100000 to both of you

[surya22]

might check this out

[chimpinatux]

jeowy wrote:

sounds like an interesting book. but black metal isnt the most sinister musical genre. That title belongs to free jazz

LMFAO!
this books looks good, i knew from the title what genre it would be

[schecter_guy]

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

[The Novice]

I think I'll buy this...
Oh, and congrats to Gibson.com for finally putting out news and not "news".

[KyuNaynne]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Agree

[Jondy]

natural environments? what are they, animals in a zoo?

[ordinary_story]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Thats not what Black metal is about. Grow up or do some reasearch before you say sh*t...

[ross1234]

i can't listen to black metal, it's just noise to my ears and plus i think the whole makeup thing is really lame

[manb3arpig]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

rich kids dont rebel from their parents....

[acidhammerdrums]

Seems pretty cool... especially since I'm a photo major and into Black Metal.

[Teppe]

ross1234 :
i can't listen to black metal, it's just noise to my ears and plus i think the whole makeup thing is really lame

what about kiss?

[undeaded]

Teppe wrote:

ross1234 :
i can't listen to black metal, it's just noise to my ears and plus i think the whole makeup thing is really lame
what about kiss?

What about Kiss? They aren't black metal and the the whole makeup thing is lame.

[sokpupet]

I knew this would be something about death or black metal, but for the briefest of moments I thought it might be about disco or bubblegum pop.

+1 to free jazz though. like the instrument is duct taped to their mouth while they're having a stroke.

[MetalWrath666]

Personally, I love black metal. But after reading the article, I find myself skeptical of this book. I dont think anything that will "show that there’s a human element to these musicians that’s lurking just beneath their sinister facades" can truly capture the real intentions of black metal. Still, I will probably give it a shot.

[Psychopathology]

I don't buy it.

[Gregray88]

Lol, thats sweet. But shouldn' be most sinister sub-genre?

[Gregray88]

shouldn't it*

[alex-led-zepp91]

sokpupet wrote:

+1 to free jazz though. like the instrument is duct taped to their mouth while they're having a stroke.

PMSL so true

[Ba11sINurFAC3]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Could you please cite your sources regarding this comment.

[rightturn]

These guys take themselves way to seriously. I love a good album of organized chaos just as much as the next chap, but, please, throw us a bit of irony.

[HexaDakota]

Black Metal is just noise to me. I'm pretty open about music, and I really, really try to like all genres. But when the the bass is turned down a full octave and the drummer is WHORING the stupid double kick and the singer hasn't said a coherent sentence for a nine and a half minutes, I just can't bring myself to like it.

And what's with the make up? Entertainment? Are they putting a show or something? I bet the guy on the corner street pub who's wearing blue jeans a shirt from Wal-mart gets more into his music than these losers who spend hundreds of dollars on their appearance. Just gimme the music and less of the frills.

[Sylvanus]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

I thought that's what nu-metal was about.

[Goldengitar]

This book should be great. Remember.. This is Norwegian black metal. The most evil kind of black metal there is. Worth a shot I guess. Hail from the cold woods of Norway

[sebbsmith]

Sylvanus wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.


I thought that's what nu-metal was about.

+1

[Funeral Moon]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.

[Guitar_Jester]

I love black metal bands like Fallout boy.

[ixelion]

I love black metal bands like Fallout boy.

LOL

Black Metal is just noise to me. I'm pretty open about music, and I really, really try to like all genres. But when the the bass is turned down a full octave and the drummer is WHORING the stupid double kick and the singer hasn't said a coherent sentence for a nine and a half minutes, I just can't bring myself to like it.

And what's with the make up? Entertainment? Are they putting a show or something? I bet the guy on the corner street pub who's wearing blue jeans a shirt from Wal-mart gets more into his music than these losers who spend hundreds of dollars on their appearance. Just gimme the music and less of the frills.

This is true only sometimes, there is quite a few highly musical black metal bands i.e. Ensiferum they tend to be buried among the enormous pile of Max Factor wearing black metal.

[Cutlass_253]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?

[deknisely]

Gregray88 wrote:

Lol, thats sweet. But shouldn' be most sinister sub-genre?

yeah, this guys right.

[DANZIG767]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Are you serious?! Black metal is all about rebelling from religion and shlt like that, not their parents you retard, do some research before you make stupid comments

[deknisely]

whoevers been saying a bunch of crap about black metal, REALLY needs to do some research. Those guys are probably some of the smartest people you'd ever meet. And the body paint is just an image, who cares? It's not like it takes away from the music. It's just a form of expression people see as different.

[kevinm4435]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

prettty sure deathspell omega don't write lyrics about their parents.

[face_haver]

Funeral Moon wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.

If you are trying to make a valid point try not to post ignorant things about other genres.

Having said that i don't really get in to many black metal bands, although i can dig some black metal influenced ones.

[Iosoce]

face_haver wrote:

Funeral Moon wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.

If you are trying to make a valid point try not to post ignorant things about other genres.

Having said that i don't really get in to many black metal bands, although i can dig some black metal influenced ones.

Cutlass_253 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?

kevinm4435 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

prettty sure deathspell omega don't write lyrics about their parents.

Funeral Moon wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.

deknisely wrote:

whoevers been saying a bunch of crap about black metal, REALLY needs to do some research. Those guys are probably some of the smartest people you'd ever meet. And the body paint is just an image, who cares? It's not like it takes away from the music. It's just a form of expression people see as different.

Sylvanus wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

I thought that's what nu-metal was about.

Cutlass_253 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?

ordinary_story wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Thats not what Black metal is about. Grow up or do some reasearch before you say sh*t...

ordinary_story wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Thats not what Black metal is about. Grow up or do some reasearch before you say sh*t...

[ilikebass]

This whole book (and the genre to some degree) just seems like a step away from music... I mean sure, make death metal if you want to, but is all the make-up and pagan worship really necessary? I get that their hard-asses already...

And whoever said congratulations to Gibson for putting out real news, you probably would've ripped them if it was a genre you didn't like.

[lateraluspiral]

Iosoce wrote:

face_haver wrote:

Funeral Moon wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.

If you are trying to make a valid point try not to post ignorant things about other genres.

Having said that i don't really get in to many black metal bands, although i can dig some black metal influenced ones.
Cutlass_253 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?
kevinm4435 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

prettty sure deathspell omega don't write lyrics about their parents.
Funeral Moon wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

No dude, that's emo music, and the gay screamo scene.

This is definitely something I would get. And Lords Of Chaos is NOT the definitive book on black metal. It is full of false information.
deknisely wrote:

whoevers been saying a bunch of crap about black metal, REALLY needs to do some research. Those guys are probably some of the smartest people you'd ever meet. And the body paint is just an image, who cares? It's not like it takes away from the music. It's just a form of expression people see as different.
Sylvanus wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

I thought that's what nu-metal was about.
Cutlass_253 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?
ordinary_story wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Thats not what Black metal is about. Grow up or do some reasearch before you say sh*t...
ordinary_story wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

Thats not what Black metal is about. Grow up or do some reasearch before you say sh*t...

i want this book.

ilikebass wrote:

This whole book (and the genre to some degree) just seems like a step away from music... I mean sure, make death metal if you want to, but is all the make-up and pagan worship really necessary? I get that their hard-asses already...

And whoever said congratulations to Gibson for putting out real news, you probably would've ripped them if it was a genre you didn't like.

i think death metal artist are trying to be more hardassed than black metal artists.

[genresrforposer]

They're definitely not "rich kids" and their anger is willed toward issues quite a bit more substantial but this being said considering the character of Gaahl I just can't bring myself to appreciate anything that would glorify this movement given the crap like church burnings.

Don't get me wrong, I believe we're all the same piece of shit in a different situation and how Gaahl acts is a direct product of his envrironment (only one kid at his school who committed suicide) but there's still right and wrong. And what a lot of Norweigan black metal bands do is wrong.

[Anno[fzk]]

HexaDakota wrote:

Black Metal is just noise to me. I'm pretty open about music, and I really, really try to like all genres. But when the the bass is turned down a full octave and the drummer is WHORING the stupid double kick and the singer hasn't said a coherent sentence for a nine and a half minutes, I just can't bring myself to like it.

And what's with the make up? Entertainment? Are they putting a show or something? I bet the guy on the corner street pub who's wearing blue jeans a shirt from Wal-mart gets more into his music than these losers who spend hundreds of dollars on their appearance. Just gimme the music and less of the frills.

Cutlass_253 wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

[quote]i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

ok...I thought it was a bunch of norweigien criminals talking about how much they hate god and human morals and embrace all things cold and sinister...but yea, I guess rich kids do that too right?[/quote]

They have had a couple murderers and arsonists in their ranks. I guess daddy didn't give Johnny the trust-fund he wanted.
Give me a break.
Some of those dudes have done some sick shit. Not the majority. But like all minorities, shit gets blow outta propertion.

And for yeah those complaining about black metal, you gotta check out some of the other bands.
The genre has more avant-garde musicians than most of the other metal subgenres. Not that having more experimental artists in the genre is gunna automatically make it better.
It's just ironic, considering the typical aesthetic "make-up" of black metal bands.

[Cafas]

The people complaining literally sound like all they know about black metal is the few, if any, bands they've heard, and what the media says about the genre.

The bands that wear corpsepaint are FAR outweighed by bands that don't. If you can listen to a band like In The Woods... and say it's all noise with no merit, you're deaf.

[Anno[fzk]]

Cafas wrote:

The people complaining literally sound like all they know about black metal is the few, if any, bands they've heard, and what the media says about the genre.

The bands that wear corpsepaint are FAR outweighed by bands that don't. If you can listen to a band like In The Woods... and say it's all noise with no merit, you're deaf.

That's what I'm talking about.

[ptr362]

I'm not really into black metal, but i know that it's not just noise! Emperor and Dimmu Borgir are the closest to black metal that i listen to and i know some "true black metal" fans will say they're not true black metal bands but they are highly talented musicians!

[RedNovember]

Holy christ, can we stop the ridiculous bickering for a second and remember that it's all just music? Subgenre or not, it's metal and it's badass. Can't we all just agree on that?

METALHEADS FOR PEACE!!!

[therescue06]

KyuNaynne wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.


Agree

x3

[SL!!!]

k90728 wrote:

jetfuel495 wrote:

i knew just from the title of the article that it would be black metal.

LMFAO, same....

Lol, i love the "and if you're really hardcore" you'll go and buy more of this shit found here *weblink* hahaha.

Black metal is so cheesy. The face-paint and facades they put on. It's all so over the top. I know they're not all like that, but there is a large majority of them that i just have to laugh at. Most genres are like that i suppose, this one more than others.

[ExtremeMetalFTW]

RedNovember wrote:

Holy christ, can we stop the ridiculous bickering for a second and remember that it's all just music? Subgenre or not, it's metal and it's badass. Can't we all just agree on that?

METALHEADS FOR PEACE!!!

No and yes.

We should have "peace" but we should be able to pick out what we like and what we don't.
Subgenres are needed so that every metalhead doesn't look a church burning satanist, a cannibalistic necrophile, a would-be medieval warrior or a drugged up dope fiend.
The subgenres, if clearly defiend, can help stop the lumping of metalheads into one category.

[Shadow914]

nicely put to ExtremeMetalFTW, but seriously ppl, this garbage is almost like hair metal, all about the glamour but the music sounds terrible, tho hair metal had a little more melody, these "we burn churches, have sex with dead ppl, slaughter animals and worship stan...satan*" faggety posers have no talent, their a bunch of clowns who prance around and try to convince us that they'll kill us if we come near them, these are just mainstream satanists, nothing more, and not very convincing

[wildchild6660]

I was afraid, from the title that it would be psychedelic rock or something. He He.

[jessejames1414]

Norway has struggled with Christianity for about a 1000 years as many other cultures have. It's not surprising there's a genre giving the big middle finger to Christianity and why that bothers so many people is surprising.

[bootyking69]

i love black metal and not every band wears corpsepaint. there is a lot of misconceptions about black metal and i dont care if people dont get it i love it and thats all that matters.

i bet people only hear the bands that use lo-fi productions and think all black metal sounds like that. yes that crap sucks... im looking at you darktrone and early emperor

[AltarsOfMadness]

Shadow914 wrote:

nicely put to ExtremeMetalFTW, but seriously ppl, this garbage is almost like hair metal, all about the glamour but the music sounds terrible, tho hair metal had a little more melody, these "we burn churches, have sex with dead ppl, slaughter animals and worship stan...satan*" faggety posers have no talent, their a bunch of clowns who prance around and try to convince us that they'll kill us if we come near them, these are just mainstream satanists, nothing more, and not very convincing

I hate it when people judge an entire genre on the mainstream bands.
If people were to listen to bands such as Lunar Aurora, early Acturus or perhaps Windir they'd probably not post such ignorant comments.

[Mulldarran]

I have to have this!

[steel_jesus]

wots evil about black metal anyway? at the end of the day it's just music, i agree, metal is one of the most difficult genres to master, and decent metal songs have A LOT of hard work and time spent making them, but out of the few i've heard, apart from over-used swearwords and insults, etc, i dont see whats so evil about it?

[EagleFlyFree]

Vikernes is GODDDDD

[Chufu]

Well if the name of the game was "Let's wear black leather with nails in it" I guess these guys would be pretty bad ass... Too bad though.

And seriously. Most sinister? Without Rob Zombie OR a hint of irony.

[ValoRhoads]

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.

I think you may have mixed Black Metal with Emo which is a really really wrong assumption. Black Metal is full of church burning adults who likely grew up in poverty in Europe. There is nothing about Black Metal that suggests rich kids rebelling against their parents. Do research before posting.

[saint.anger]

i'm sure there are some decent black metal bands, but most of them are talentless losers whos only way to be famous was catch attention with shady guitar work, annoying screamin', and alot of blood. Its sad to see music go down because of people who wouldn't take time to come up with somethin' decent, so they had to come up with somethin' that just gets attention because its so loud and crappy.

[ctb]

lol gr1m

[Godzillolz]

Is he supposed to look like that Uru Kai dude from the twin towers? Lurtz was his name I think.

[leper_affinity]

manb3arpig wrote:

schecter_guy wrote:

i've never appreciated black metal. just a bunch of rich kids rebelling against their parents.


rich kids dont rebel from their parents....

Ummmm...what?