Среда 1 Мар 2006, 15:58

So, I just bought Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone. It's a two disc set, including a DVD that includes some oddball band interviews.

I'm a relative newbie to black metal, and as such my exposure is pretty minimal. I've done a little homework, and find that the sub-genre goes back to bands like Venom, Bathory, and Celtic Frost et.al. From there, we apparently get into Emperor, Immortal, Burzum, and Darkthrone et.al. Then there's a fork in the road somehow, and we go off in the direction of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth, which I understand to be theater bands, rather than "real black metal". Or so the fans appear to say.

I don't know much more than that. It appears to me that black metal has a very few things that must be true to qualify as "black". Subject matter revolving around Satanism is one, or at the very least occult. There is some question about production quality, vocal character, and whether or not one employs keyboards. Hallmarks of "real" black metal appear to be horrible production value, crappy sound, screaming, and silly costumes. Some of the music is pretty cool, most of it sounds like shit to me.

Akercocke appears to qualify as a sort of "progressive black metal". I've read them described as "A thinking man's black metal". They play well, have high production value, and fairly melodic and musical song structures.

All of these questions of defining the sub-genre are interesting and all, but not really why I write. I really want to know about Satanism.

On the Akercocke DVD, it seems clear that the band have a fairly decent sense of humor. The interviewer is a nutjob Italian character who's kind of funny, but the real clue is seeing the drummer, David Gray, in a full blown Darth Vader costume, drumming. Star Wars fandom appears here and there.

One of the questions is, "What would you do for Satan?" to which David responds, "All I do, I do for Satan." with a sort of knowing, dark grin. Their web site has all sorts of postings about "Hail our lord Satan" and this and that.

What I really want to know then, is what is this Satanism thing all about? Is it a joke? When you read their site, and their lyrics, it all comes of as very serious. Then you see the DVD and it all comes off as kind of silly.

I mean, Akercocke appear to carry themselves like "real" Satanists. But, I mean, really? Does one drum in a Darth Vader costume "for Satan"? And seriously, could Satanism possibly be a pratical source of day to day ethics?

I'm an agnostic personally, and don't believe in God or Satan. But it seems to me that the Satan thing is either a gimmick, or a religion that I really don't understand at all. I mean, worshippers of the Cthulhu mythos would prostrate themselves to evil in hopes of minimizing their suffering when the Old Ones came to destroy the world. Satanists come off as sort of unsure of themselves. Do they wish favor from the Great Dark One? Or do they want to be jerks? Or do they want to stab people, burn buildings down and cause mayhem? What is the motivation for "doing all one does for Satan"?

Does one hold down a job as a Satanist? Or go grocery shopping? Or play football? I don't get it. Can some one educate me? Any Satanists here?

The Akercocke album is pretty good, by the way.