black metal
Raw ferrous material
Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal characterized by shrieking vocals, blast-beat drumming, heavily distorted guitars, and lo-fi production.
The genre emerged in Scandinavia in the early 1990s, associated with corpse paint, anti-Christian imagery, and notoriously with church burnings and violence.
The sound is deliberately raw and abrasive: The band's black metal recordings sound like they were made in a frozen cave.
Total absence of light
moon · fog · mist · mountains · wolves · ravens · desolation · grimness
Distortion-heavy ethereal rock
- tremoloRapid tonal wavering
- etherealDelicate beyond earthly measure
- hypnoticInducing trance or slumber
- transcendentExceeding usual boundaries
reverb · layered · immersive · cinematic · wall of sound
Norway's chief city
- BergenNorwegian coastal city
- second waveRecurring spike after lull
- church burningsDeliberate destruction of sanctuaries
Veneration of the devil
- misanthropyHatred of humankind
- anti-ChristianityOpposition to Christian belief
- occultismBelief in supernatural forces
- nihilismRejection of objective meaning
paganism · nature worship · Norse mythology · darkness · blasphemy · antitheism · individualism · heathenism
Emitting shrill, loud cries
- distortionTwisting from original state
- double bassLargest bowed string instrument
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- rawnessUnrefined or exposed state
Venom
Alien symbiote character
- LeviathanScriptural marine serpent
darkness
Total absence of light
night · moon · fog · mist · mountains · wolves · ravens · desolation · grimness · cold
shoegaze
Distortion-heavy ethereal rock
- tremoloRapid tonal wavering
- etherealDelicate beyond earthly measure
- hypnoticInducing trance or slumber
transcendent · reverb · layered · immersive · cinematic · wall of sound
Oslo
Norway's chief city
- BergenNorwegian coastal city
- second waveRecurring spike after lull
- church burningsDeliberate destruction of sanctuaries
Satanism
Veneration of the devil
- misanthropyHatred of humankind
- anti-ChristianityOpposition to Christian belief
- occultismBelief in supernatural forces
nihilism · paganism · nature worship · Norse mythology · darkness · blasphemy · antitheism · individualism · heathenism · ancestral
shrieking
Emitting shrill, loud cries
- distortionTwisting from original state
- double bassLargest bowed string instrument
- dissonanceLack of harmony
rawness · harsh vocals · fuzz
depressive
Causing or feeling dejection
- microgenresmicrogenre, subgenre, chillwave, vaporwave, synthwave
- genresaction, comedy, detective fiction, fantasy, horror
- musicmusic, song, songs, singing, singer
- rock genresalternative rock, classic rock, hard rock, indie rock, progressive rock
- ScandinaviaNorway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland
- Heavy MetalMetallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne
black metalwhite metal
Pale tin-based alloy
Christian metal · worship music · gospel · praise music · pop
black metalChristian metal
Faith-based heavy rock
sacred music · praise and worship · gospel · worship music · gospel music
black metaladult contemporary
Mellow mainstream radio format
elevator music · muzak · easy listening · bubblegum pop · soft rock
black, metal, blacken, blackness, blackened, blackening, blacksmith, metalwork, metallurgy