Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground

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When I was a junior in high school, this book occupied pride of place on the shelf above my friend Paul’s television. I'll also say I thought the movie "inspired" by this book did an excellent job finding a relatable, human angle to follow (though I'm sure scene purists probably hate it). With Lords of Chaos Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind paint a portrait of a fantastic realm where Satanism, neo-paganism and National Socialism energized a musical scene in which fantasy was actualized in the burning of medieval churches in Norway …a uniquely valuable history of Black Metal music in general and of the Norwegian scene in particular as it is viewed by the participants themselves. Having said that, if you are into niche music subcultures like I am you will definitely find this book compelling. The first section is certainly the most engaging, but also the one I knew best, as it delves into the actual music scene around Black Metal with a well constructed history of the style from early heavy metal through Venom, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Hellhammer, et al, up to the late 1980s and the beginning of what became Norwegian, aka second wave, black metal.

Ultimately, it ends abruptly, feeling as though perhaps 25% of the book was spent recounting events that happened. It feels like you're being yelled at by a crazy person on the street who won't leave you alone, and all you want to do is get your groceries to the car. I picked up this book on a recommendation, expecting it to be all about the music scene of early Norwegian black metal. I have said that black metal is associated with Scandinavia, and much of the book is dedicated to documenting its rise from bands like Bathory in Sweden and especially Mayhem in Norway. Excepto por las ultimas cincuenta paginas donde el relato revisa lo que sucedía en aquellos momentos en otros países del mundo, principalmente europeos, y presenta ciertas relaciones políticas del black metal con la derecha radical.It does not require 344 pages (plus appendices) to become disenchanted with the authors' rather disorganized history, but rabid fans will find much to savor here, such as lengthy interviews with the scene's icons. The story of Norwegian black metal is, perhaps necessarily, wrapped up in Satanism and pagan beliefs. As someone who has never been able to be an atheist, that’s a personal beef, but he also does little to separate the theistic Satanists of the sort like Watain from the kids who “sacrifice” people because they watch too many horror movies. The 2003 edition of LORDS OF CHAOS is revised and expanded, adding fifty new pages, detailing outbreaks of Black Metal crime in Finland, Germany and the United States; and includes the secret history of occult Rock, a new section on Varg Vikernes’ promulgation of bizarre Aryan UFO theories, and material on the career of Hendrik Mobus, an international neo-Nazi fugitive.

However, some people just stay in a state of arrested development, and end up sounding ridiculous at age 40. Black Metal’s “medieval Satanism” is the logical fulfillment of Christianity’s worst apocalyptic fantasies, or at least the ones the media have irresponsibly legitimized. Which is why they got so livid when Marduk laughed at their allegations that they were an NSBM band.I already knew these guys were nuts from the things I've read and heard over the last 30 years, but I never heard the full story with all the details of the things that happened in between. It is also important to note that he didn't go to the halfway house until after he had served half of his sentence. Lots of interesting stuff about the relationship between adolescent identity crisis and counterculture movements. Okay, I see that the book is trying to find out how Black Metal evolved, where it comes from, its motives and how the violence can be explained. On their agenda is the liberation of an imprisoned comrade, whom they hope to safely smuggle out of the country.

Published by Feral House, he co-authored the 1998 book Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground with Norwegian journalist Didrik Søderlind won the 1998 Firecracker Alternative Press Award.This is the guy who boasted upon being arrested that he wasn't mistreated enough and they should throw him in a hole. Also, it gives a great overview of the roots of blackmetal and the type of people involved in the scene. It also explains why it is that our mental patients can reproduce exactly the same images and associations that are known to us from the old texts. Now I do understand he played a large role in the early Norwegian scene criminal events, but this book almost gave the impression that it all had to do with him to the exclusion of others.

To their credit, Moynihan and Soderlind manage to avoid both the frequent flippancy of the mainstream media as well as the backward bending apologizing of the counter culture press.I've been a fan of black metal for three years now, and although I've never really been into the "evil" satanic underground that the black metal bands used to get into, I still loved reading this book. The only thing more ridiculous than a person who acts exactly like everyone else is a person who spends all their time trying to act exactly unlike everyone else. This definitive study of Black Metal bridges the gap between fans and students of music subcultures, avoiding the twin evils of fanzine hype and academic detachment. Whereas gangsta rappers might cite ancient African traditions that have been violently uprooted as a cause for their crimes against society, Norwegian black metal-heads cite the slaughter of their pagan traditions at the hands of early Christians as their justification.