Power and Status in the Black Metal Community

As heavy metal transgressed towards extreme metal, the struggle for power among some black metal bands in the 1990’s took on a whole new form of insanity.  Suicides, murders, and church burnings were commonplace in Scandinavia during the rise of second wave black metal in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  Were these actions true attacks on Christianity or merely an attempt to solidify their scene as the most ‘metal’ and gain a reputation worldwide.  Although metal has been accused of influencing murder, suicide, and rape for quite some time, these crimes were directly perpetrated and boasted about by the leaders of the bands at the forefront of the scene.  Bands like Mayhem created Norway’s largest cultural export through fear and destruction.  I believe in the beginning of the black metal scene in Norway the actions were genuine and not meant to gain any commercial success.  These people truly wanted to attack the Christian faith.  A majority of these bands did not perform live, and musicians such as Gorgoroth’s lead singer Gaahl have stated it was not meant for an audience other then themselves.  Now, bands continue to infuse satanic and anti-Christian messages into their lyrics and symbolism, but their actions are much less radical then the founders of the scene.  The experience of black metal is one that promotes the hedonistic individualism, complete indulgence.  Fans of black metal are more likely to gain the attention of an average person walking down the street.  The outfit includes combat boots, almost exclusively black clothing, and the adornment of chains and spikes in a warrior like display of power.  At concerts, the live spectacle includes staged crucifixions, many anti-Christian symbols such as the inverted cross and pentagrams, and fake and sometimes even real animal blood.  All of these factors create a sense of enchantment, a total departure from the regulations of modern society and a return to a more barbaric, medieval existence.  The bands use these symbols to exert power over the weak, and only the strong will be able to listen to black metal due to its intensely graphic and perverse imagery and lyrics.  Black metal is still not as popular as heavy metal, but it has thousands of followers around the world.  These fans experience the scene and indulge in all of their pleasures, without fear of the rules of society.  They display their allegiance to the scene by joining the black metal scene’s crusade against the oppressive Christian religion and show no mercy or restraint towards authority.  Black metal fans are a unique breed, and it is one of the most extreme forms of metal due to its violent past and rhetoric.