Black Metal Music of Norway

Norway is popular for black metal. However not originally established in Norway, Norwegian ensembles and artists have helped to establish the genre, influenced by ensembles like Merciful Fate, Venom and Bathory. Norway’s early black metal music was quite differed in experimentation and invention of some ensembles like Mayhem, Gorgoroth and Emperor concentrated on making a dark sound, others concentrated on using the Viking elements (Enslaved, Borknagar) and others like Dimmu Borgir and Limbonic Art also include the use of keyboards to make the subgenre known as symphonic black metal. Though, the use of the keyboards is uncommon in black metal in general. Most of the bands tune in the key of E and the lyrics focus on themes like darkness, sorrow, cold evil, depression, Norse mythology and Satanism.

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Mayhem is one of very popular black metal bands as it has helped to describe the content of the genre. The leader of the Mayhem known as Oystein Euronymous Aarseth fought with bandmate Varg count Grishnackh Vikernes (also known for his ensemble Burzum). This finally led Vikernes to kill Aarseth. Other contentious actions in this scene include the suicide of the former Mayhem vocalist Per Yngve Dead Ohlin in the year 1991 and the murder of a homosexual man in Lillehammer in Norway by then Emperor Drummer known as Bard Fuast Eithun in the year 1992. After the detention of Vikernes’, the Norwegian black metal scene moved to a more open and creative place and in the year 1995, the second wave of the Norwegian black metal started. Black metal which had once been a very underground occurrence in its beginning became more popular throughout the world. The center of attention was no longer laid on death threats and burning of churches, though most ensembles now still lie towards Satanism or are atheists.

The new lyrics are still made up of themes concerning Norse mythology, evil, sex, violence and war. Most Norwegian black metal ensembles sign with companies in the United States and England. Dimmu Borgir even uses elements of the classical music to increase their music to a wide extent of spectators. As a result, their records show most commercial achievement, especially in the United States. In the beginning, Norwegian black metal songs were recorded on four-track tapes, but in the present time, the music has become more refined. With the better technology, the quality of the music gas becomes better. Some criticize the artists, of whom many of them has background in classical music and they are highly talented and well educated, and many believed that black metal should underground, raw and obscure.

What makes Norwegian black metal so special from other countries black metal is because Norwegian has an almost inaudible echo that warms of magic and evil, black metal ensembles from other part of the country have frequently tried to reproduce Norwegian black metal sounds and they have not successful.

The Norwegian black metal has a unique sound, as it keeps on being inventive and new, it sells almost all the world.

Norwegian black metals ensembles include Helheim, 1349, Khold, Old Man’s Child, Natterfrost, Arcturus, Ihsahn, Peccatum, lldiarn, Aura Noir, Borknagar, Immortal Ragnarok, In The Woods, Satvricon, Isengard, Burzum, Carpathian Forest, Kampfar, Taake, Darkthrone, Keep of Kalessin, Thorns, Tsiuder, Koldbrann, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, Dodheimsgard, Ulver, Zyklon-B, Hades Almighty, Mayhem, Manes, Windir, Gorgoroth, Limbonic Art, Vreid, Enslaved, The Kovenant, Urgehal, Gehenna and Thous Shalt Suffer.