Black Metal Videos, Take 2 (2016 Edition)

DUDES. I’m sorry this is late. I got bogged down in work and homework and then I went to see Jaws in a theater and I forgot to post. Anyway, here’s this spacefiller post that I’m totally not happy with. Hopefully someone gets something out of it.

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The other day, I read back over the post that I did on black metal music videos a few years ago, and decided it was probably time for another. This coincided with the release of the new Dark Funeral video for “Unchain My Soul,” which is astoundingly goofy and worthy of sharing (although the song is very decent, says the girl who doesn’t like Dark Funeral all that much). There’s not much of a point to this post beyond “look at this cool stuff that has happened” and some observations about the changing nature of black metal cinematography, but it’s always good to have more music video fodder, yes?

So let’s just start Dark Funeral, shall we? Dark Funeral has a new album coming out this year, and I actually like “Unchain My Soul,” despite my typical stance that they haven’t done anything good since the 90s (it’s horribly overproduced, in my opinion, but it’s catchy). The video, however, J described as looking “like a video game from 2004.” I’m not sure what the message is here, unless it is that dark hooded figures associated with black metal and Satan like to walk in the woods, which is kind of a given. Although the pig’s head is a nice touch in a throwback-to-the-early-nineties-Mayhem sort of way. (Aaand I’ll be reviewing this album soon over at Burning Fist, so yay!)

My personal favorite part of this video is the flaming pentagram and inverted crosses. It’s got a certain “Satan’s first Geocities website” flair to it.

Fortunately for all of us, it seems that we may get more silly black metal videos as Dark Funeral’s competition over in Norway, Dimmu Borgir, have promised us a new album for 2016. You know you’re excited for more stuff like this. I share this one because it’s obviously the best Dimmu lineup.

I also share it because I don’t know what’s going on here. At all. But it’s going on in glorious, high definition.

Rotting Christ has also been busy with the video-releasing in support of their (awesome, excellent, you need to check it out if you haven’t) new album Rituals. First of all, there’s this little gem that I yelled a bit about last week, which is a hymn to Shiva, and then No Clean Singing brought this to my attention a couple of days ago, making me glad I held off on this post. Watching this video brings out even more really cool aspects of the record, and now I’m looking forward more than I was before to doing a review of this for y’all.

Additionally, Abbath’s new video for Winterbane is also really cool. You get traditional Immortal synchronized headbanging, but that’s… about it really. There’s no crabwalk, and this video actual features a shaman-ish troll-ish forest creature thing… I have no way to accurately describe it. But it crawls into the water all Jenny Greenteeth-like, but since I’m pretty sure the imagery isn’t Celtic that doesn’t fit. Either way, it’s super cool, and where the stars go all sparkly at 3:07 makes me super happy. King ov Hell’s bass lines also get emphasis in the video, which is cool (hooray for bass in black metal!) and Abbath’s look at the end is fantastic.

Bonus- there’s an un-corpse-painted Abbath face in this video.

At the risk of inundating you with lyric videos, because that is the hip thing to do if you are black metal band putting out music in 2016, I will leave you here with an older video. I like to imagine that Aosoth made this video at the behest of a long-suffering agent, and chose the longest song on the album out of which to make a terrifying visual. It’s gloriously creepy and obnoxious because of it’s sheer length, and you get to listen to Aosoth while it plays (you luckies).

Enjoy, kids. And I’ll be back soon where I will assuredly scream about fun things like the fact that I get to see SHINING and PANOPTICON in the fall and DESTROYER 666 and GHOST next month and that MARDUK ❤ is coming back to play in ma ville. Also the brand spanking new book that Necrobutcher wrote that appeared on my doorstep yesterday, and all sorts of fun things.

-H

 

 

Happy Birthday, Dead!

Happy (would be, and slightly belated by about an hour and a half) 45th to Pelle Ohlin, one of black metal’s godfathers. In honor of this day, I’m linking to the following video, which you will probably recognize as the famous Mayhem rehearsal footage video, in glorious HD! This magically appeared on the internet, as far as I know, in the last couple of days. It is lovely.

LOOK AT THAT SMILE. LOOK AT IT. His smile makes me smile.

Happy Birthday, Dead. You had a lovely smile. May you rest in peace always.

-Hagalaz

Some Silly Black Metal-Themed YouTube Fads

So I am still working on making the political French black metal post a good one, and in the meantime, I will direct your attention to some humorous videos on YouTube. Regardless of how kvlt we are and how little we may want to admit it, if we allow ourselves to step out of the zone, black metal can be kind of silly sometimes. Perhaps this is why atmosphere is so important- for us to take all the more over the top parts of black metal seriously, we must be willing to pretend for a moment that there is nothing silly about black and white face paint and 12 inch long spikes on gauntlets. Nothing at all. (Note: I happen to think that corpsepaint is amazing, and I know that there are deeper meanings behind it than those whom Nathan Explosion would refer to as “regular jackoffs” can see. That’s not the point I’m making. The point I’m making is that if you don’t get corpsepaint, you really don’t get corpsepaint).

I’m going to address these simply in categories, because there seem to be several people posting them. First, there are

60s Surf Rock Covers

I don’t know where the idea came from to do 60s surf rock covers of black metal songs, but it’s brilliant. The posters usually alter the titles somehow to correspond with cheesy surf rock titles (well, except in the case of Dunkelheit, which I suppose would be difficult to surf-ify). They are actually pretty catchy arrangements for the most part, and probably the only way you’ll get your mother to sit through “Transilvanian Hunger.”

[This is probably my favorite. Sometimes I listen to it just to listen to it]

[There is one for Beherit. That makes me happy]

8-Bit Black Metal Covers

Many moons ago, Darth Eniak’s “I Am the Black Robots” showed up on Reddit. I thought it was about the most awesome thing ever, and when I went to YouTube to investigate further I learned that 8-bit black metal is totally a thing. Like, way more popular than the surf rock thing. Everyone with a mixing program on their computer seems to have done one of these, and that’s probably why there are some that are much better than others (perhaps it’s just me, but some black metal songs don’t really lend themselves to 8-bit remixes). For those of us who straddle the line just a bit between music geekery and nerd culture, however, they are a lot of fun.

[Even in MIDI format, Windir is epic]

[Darth Eniak’s versions are still my favorites. I love the extra work he put into recreating the music video in this one]

Cooking Shows

Obviously, the most famous of black metal cooking shows is Vegan Black Metal Chef. He utilizes those over the top black metal tropes I mentioned above while teaching you how to cook some really great meals (I have made a couple myself. Vegan Black Metal Chef knows what’s up). There are others who have tried their hand at the black metal cooking show as well, and also videos depicting black metallers cooking things, because hey, we’re good in the kitchen.

[The All Star Redneck Medley is YUM. You can also buy the episodes on DVD now]

[This guy also cooks on YouTube. He reminds me of a cross between the above and Epic Meal Time. I wouldn’t eat that sandwich, but I love his decor]

By the way, if any of you know where I can get an altar to cut my potatoes on, please let me know.

Parodies

Black metal is very easy to parody for the reasons I mentioned above- unless you are a black metal fan, it probably appears very silly. Often these parodies come in the shape of music videos and song parodies. The humor often lies in over exaggeration, or in taking the music out of context in some way.

[The Black Satans are probably the most famous parody black metal band]

[Andy Rehfeldt’s song parodies are hilarious, especially when Dark Funeral starts singing about Santa]

Black Metal Fans

Some of the best of these videos, I think, are the ones in which black metal fans make fun of themselves. These play on the same conventions that I mentioned earlier, but they take them to another level, depicting black metal fans in the way that regular jackoffs probably assume we are. Usually the videos depict regular dudes doing regular stuff… but with corpsepaint.

[To this day, every time I hear “One By One” I think of this]

[Teach ‘em while they’re young]

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So there you have it. Some fun and amusing black metal themed shenanigans, because school is picking up on my end and I need some fun and amusement. Believe me when I say I have a lot of great ideas for the blog before the year is out, as long as I can find time to write them. I plan to do something Sunday, even if it is small.

Until then,

Hagalaz

The New Dethklok Video is Hilarious and Awesome and also NSFW (Just to Warn You)

So, the nice guys over at Metal Sucks informed me (as well as everyone else who reads that site) that Dethklok has a new video out for their song “I Ejaculate Fire.” The song itself is what you would expect from Dethklok- catchy, highly accessible melodic riffs and so on and so forth. It is great music to bang your head to and good for a laugh as well, however, which is really what you want from Dethklok. The video is part lyric video (which has become quite a trend lately. Samael recently did an excellent one for their song “In Gold We Trust”), part PSA warning about the dangers of not being careful where you stick your naughty bits. Basically, it’s hilarious, and just when you thought it couldn’t get any funnier, the last scene happens. Ha.

Be warned, the video is NSFW, and you should probably be 18 to watch it and all that jazz.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/47734215″>Dethklok – I Ejaculate Fire (Official Music Video)</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/wmstrecs”>Williams Street</a> on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Dethklok is also touring the US this fall, which is awesome, but means I will have to re-evaluate my concert attendance. Showing up to a Dethklok show with an “Explode Me” shirt is another bucket list item (Nathan is totally my type). It’s just something I have to do.

Dates are below, courtesy of Metal Sucks (who got them courtesy The PRP).

10/30 Norfolk, VA – Norva
10/31 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
11/02 Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore
11/03 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
11/04 Worcester, MA – Palladium
11/05 Montreal, QC – Metropolis
11/07 Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
11/08 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
11/09 Columbus, OH – LC Pavilion
11/10 Detroit, MI – Fillmore
11/11 Grand Rapids, MI – Orbit Room
11/13 Fargo, ND – The Venue
11/14 Minneapolis, MN – Myth
11/15 Milwaukee, WI – Rave / Eagles Club
11/16 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
11/17 Kansas City, MO – Midland
11/18 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
11/20 Denver, Co – Fillmore
11/21 Salt Lake City, UT – Great Salt Air
11/23 Seattle, WA – Showbox SODO
11/24 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
11/26 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
11/27 Hollywood, CA – Palladium
11/28 Phoenix, AZ – Marquee
11/30 Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
12/01 Austin, TX – Stubbs
12/02 Houston, TX House of Blues
12/04 Orlando, FL – House Of Blues
12/06 Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
12/07 Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
12/08 Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

-Hagalaz

Review: Watain- Opus Diaboli (DVD)

Well, this one is long overdue. However, last night the Void compelled me to watch Opus Diaboli again, and I thought “Well, there. Yes. That is what I shall write about for Thursday.” So here it is, the long-awaited review of Watain’s new movie.

And that is sort of what it is. Because Opus Diaboli isn’t like any other live DVD I’ve ever seen. There’s not long segments of the fans milling around out in the venue, there are no shots of the band lounging around backstage, and it really does have somewhat of a narrative, which is what I consider needed to make a “movie” as opposed to simply a live concert film. These parts embedded in the film pretty much are the special features, so don’t expect to find a button for it in the menu. Of course, ultimately Opus Diaboli is a concert film, but the two parts weave in and out of one another to create a tapestry that is 100% Watain.

The live portions of the DVD are amazing; from Watain you would expect nothing less. They sound every bit as fantastic on stage as in the studio, and the pyrotechnics they use are simply mind-blowing. Some personal favorites like “Reaping Death” and “Stellarvore” are on here, and they even threw on “On Horns Impaled,” which is really cool. I do wish that “Four Thrones” had made it onto the DVD, because that one just sounds like it’d be awesome live, although I’m not sure how much of the words the crowd knew based on the CD, so that might be why (you’ve got to be able to chant along, or something isn’t right). “Wolves’ Curse” also wasn’t on there, and I think it would have been perfect, especially right around where they talk about wolves, but you, know…

If the live concert portion of the DVD is awesome, the other parts just make it even better. Interwoven throughout the live show is several interviews with Erik Danielsson (how come no one ever interviews the other guys? And I understand there may be a reason for this, like maybe E is the mouthpiece since he writes most of the lyrics, but I always wondered…), where he explains the symbolism behind images like Watain’s trident and the wolf. He also goes into depth concerning the band’s spiritual message and goals, which I think would effectively shut up those people out there who claim that Watain is just a gimmick. These guys are very, very serious. I think no matter what your spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof), it is cool to see the dedication and the solemnity that the band has concerning these things.

By far the best part of the DVD is the last fifteen minutes or so, when the band performs “The Waters of Ain.” Though Watain puts their all into every song, I’m sure, this finale neatly combines the past hour and a quarter of giddiness-inducing pyrotechnics and solemn spirituality in one final, emotionally-charged performance. And when I say that I mean it- the guy in the front row towards the end of the song with his face buried in his hands, seemingly in tears, is testament to the power of Watain in their element. The ending of the song and DVD is probably the most moving thing I have ever seen from a metal band, and I can’t, and won’t, ruin it for you. Suffice it to say that even the crowd falls silent. BAM. And Hagalaz is sitting on her couch and the dark crying like a little girl because the darkness is beautiful.

The packaging is also the sort of thing that you would expect from Watain- E’s design work is all over it. I ended up purchasing the poor college student edition, so I don’t have pictures of all the awesome memorabilia that comes with the fancy box set to show you. Here are a few pics of the version I have, however.

The front of the poor college kid version.

The back of the DVD (and the back of Watain).

Fire! That devil on the right is like “Aw, HELL yeah.”

The guts. Yes, my coasters have cats on them. Cats are awesome.

Opus Diaboli also comes with a live CD (yes, even mine did!). The CDs are split in an odd way (seven tracks on one, six on the other), thirteen tracks in all. The accompanying booklet is also cool, with posters from throughout the band’s thirteen year career and pictures from the recordings and the road. Its design reminds me a lot of the Morbid compilation that came out last year, which shouldn’t be surprising as E did the design work for that too. The real point is that it is every bit as nice and professional as the Morbid comp; great packaging for a great piece of art.

One of my favorite parts of the design work. Oh, Watain. You guys make me smile.

If you haven’t seen Opus Diaboli yet, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you just can’t find it, as it was a bit difficult to track down for a while. I expect you to get thee hence and see it, though, or I will chastise you for being silly. Watain has portrayed in their DVD what they claim to be their goal as a band- to give their audience something more than just a show, but a taste of something larger than ourselves. Opus Diaboli is thought-provoking, meaningful, emotionally stirring, and also entertaining, and is a perfect way to commemorate thirteen years of lawless darkness.

Until next time,

“Let us praise the flowering darkness.”

-Hagalaz

Black Metal Videos

In keeping with the theme of over-theatricality from my post on Cradle of Filth earlier this week, today we will address black metal videos. This has been on my mind lately, as Marduk has a new video out (strange, huh?).

The black metal music video is an extremely weird genre. In a subgenre as opposed to the mainstream music business as black metal is, music videos almost seem counterproductive. And yet, they show up. Sometimes they are very good. But not often.

In the black metal scene there are certainly the classic videos, and those I don’t want to look at much today. Primarily because you’ve probably already seen them, and in my efforts to bring you to new horizons, I want to show you things you may not have seen.

[You’ve probably seen this, but I’m putting it here in case you haven’t, because you must]

Immortal is perhaps as good a place to start as any, as their videos are legendary for being silly (see above). Immortal is a shining example of the fact that it’s difficult to make a serious music video if you’re dressed up in corpsepaint and leather. You just look kind of ridiculous, even if you’re being serious. The best part of Immortal’s videos, however, is that the music is still Immortal, and therefore, still amazing. Their most recent album, All Shall Fall, had a video accompanying the title track that they released when their DVD came out (which I still need to get). It, while still full of classic Immortal goofiness, is a very good video.

[My favorite part is the fact that Demonaz makes a cameo. Made my little black heart sing]

Also always ready to contribute to the silly black metal music video department is Dimmu Borgir. They are both blessed and cursed, I think, to be the biggest band related to black metal on the market. And attention from the mass media calls for music videos. Unfortunately, they tend to turn out like this:

[This may be the silliest thing they’ve ever done. Which is impressive]

Their most recent album, Abrahadabra, which bummed me out in a number of ways but isn’t the point of today’s post, came accompanied by a music video for the track “Gateways,” which, with its lack of forests and abundance of white, looks less like a black metal video and more like a commercial for everyone’s favorite dairy drink.

[Got milk?]

Satyricon is probably most famous for their “Mother North” video, which is fantastically cheesy but also really cool. They have also released videos for their later works.

[“Ahem, ladies. I’m drumming. BUSY.”]

As you can see, little has changed- there’s still scantily clad women, and Satyr’s glossy, shiny hair. This video depicts Frost destroying a drum set in all his glory (he is amazing. I am not completely bummed that he won’t be playing with 1349 in a couple of weeks because 1349, but he would have been the icing on my metal cake).

My searching in black metal videos also taught me that apparently Emperor made videos. This is strange to me. Emperor would not have struck me as a band that would make a music video (but then again, neither does Marduk). But they have, however, and you would think that they would be no less dramatic, but still somewhat subdued.

[You’d be wrong, though]

Well, they were young, and besides, I still think that Emperor just might be the greatest black metal band ever. They can do what they want, in other words, and still be perfectly fine because my goodness is that a good track. This video is more of the kind I’d expect from Emperor, however.

[Same band. Different kind of awesomeness]

Marduk has released a couple of music videos, too, and they are equally strange. First there’s this. It often gets an 18+ rating on YouTube, which is confusing to me as it’s pretty much just Mortuus rolling around in the dirt and screaming a lot:

[It’s plenty disturbing, but I don’t know that there’s anything 18+ about it]

And then there is the new video, which is a little cheesy in the way that black metal videos will be, but Mortuus in particular is on his scariest behavior.

[Hello there. Yikes]

Also dramatic are the kids from Poland. I’m not going to show any Behemoth videos because they are easily stumbled upon, but this video I have seen less interest in, and that’s weird because it is a lot of fun.

[DUDE. Check out them horns]

And remember Hate? The guys I went on about a couple of weeks ago? They have made videos too. Here is one of them, for which I will issue a warning because it contains some artistic nudity. But I promise you it is one of the unsexiest things ever.

[Unless, you know, vomit is your thing]

As you can see, the black metal video market is alive and well. We’ve come a long way from the performance vids of Immortal, but the theatricality has, if anything, gotten more grandiose. At the same time, Marduk’s video for “Throne of Rats” seems to serve as proof that black metal videos can be decidedly unfunny and serious if gone about it correctly, as well as showing that sometimes all you really need is some moist dirt and a bloody vocalist. The videos themselves do a great job of demonstrating the precarious nature of black metal, always straddling the line between the silly and the sublime, even if the silliness is often unintentional (I have my doubts about the Immortal videos, though).

Until Sunday.

-Hagalaz