'Black Metal: The aural expression of Esoteric Racial Mysticism' by Jarl von Hagall

"When the long winter nights come on and the wolves follow their meat into the lower valleys, he may be seen running at the head of the pack through the pale moonlight or glimmering borealis, leaping gigantic above his fellows, his great throat a-bellow as he sings a song of the younger world, which is the song of the pack."  The Call of the Wild

 Black Metal in the early 80s started as another branch of Metal based on extreme aesthetics and music, satanic/occult imagery and lyrics, but without a particular ideological background. The antichristian spirit was dominant and basic element of this new genre, and the battle between good and evil, always taking the side of the dark forces, was presented with an imperious and warlike way - just look at the lyrics and the early pictures of Venom, Slayer, Bathory, Onslaught... The bands appear with axes, chains, spikes, evoking ancient warriors in a battle against the new foreign religion of compassion and passivity. Some characteristic examples like "Evil Has No Boundaries" (Slayer), "At War with Satan" (Venom), "The Devils Legions" (Onslaught), "Burst Command Till War" (Sodom), "Massacre" (Bathory) etc. prove that war and bloodshed was always a basic element of Black Metal since the very beginning. This healthy and atavistic, but still immature, attitude and hatred against christianity, was hiding an approach and return to the primeval ideals and traditions of paganism, something that will be realized for the first time in "Blood, Fire, Death" of Bathory and would continue in the next two albums of the new epic era of Quorthon's horde. Bathory must be considered the progenitors and the forefathers of the direction that Black Metal took in the 90s. Through Bathory, the racial and ancestral element was awakened for the first time, influenced by the Wagnerian epos and the works of Manowar, to be evolved into what become later known, initially, as Norwegian Black Metal, Viking/Pagan Metal and of course the intolerant political and ideological underground movement of National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM).

[caption id="attachment_769" align="alignnone" width="700"] Bathory[/caption]

Except the bright example of Bathory, in the early 90s the first wave of Black Metal was an old memory from the 80s, the completely alien and foreign to Metal hippie grunge was at its peak promoted by press and Death Metal was losing its original concept and foundations as it was infiltrated by peacepunk/grind core elements like the anti-fascist clowns Napalm Death who introduced anti-war and leftist social/political lyrics, polluting this important branch of Metal that was made to praise Death and obscurity. Nothing foreshadowed the storm that will follow... The beginning of it was "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", as it was called the second album of Darkthrone that changed everything... It was the beginning of the second wave of Black Metal (of course there were important bands from other countries except Norway, like Master's Hammer, Mortuary Drape, Samael etc. that were playing Black Metal even when Darkthrone was still a Death Metal band, but here we will mostly examine how the Norwegian Black Metal was an influence for the insertion of extremist political and religious ideas in the underground). A whirlwind followed with more northern hordes like Burzum, Immortal, Satyricon, Hades, Enslaved etc. joining this unholy crusade and the world witnessed a barrage of violence and church burnings. This second wave was extreme and primitive in its aesthetics. Lyrics that talked about the frozen dark forests and the cold of the north, glorifying the age of the Viking raids and declaring war and vengeance against the christian invaders. Pictures with medieval weapons, black leather and warpaint, a reference to the legends of the Oskorei, Odin's army of the dead, and the ancient Germanic war tribes...

But what pushed these teenagers to scream about War, Fire, Death and Destruction? It was an opposition to the modern world and its rotten and corrupted values, the self-complacent consumerist society of comfort and apathy, and generally against the judeochristian ethics, that were imposed on Europe and dominated all the facets of life. The vision for a new world, the dream for a society without the spiritual and political plagues, under which we suffer for centuries.

[caption id="attachment_773" align="aligncenter" width="764"] Count Grishnackh[/caption]

All this publicity and the noise that was generated around Black Metal, as it was normal, attracted the curiosity and the interest of many new fans but also of major Metal magazines and record labels that hustled to take advantage of its growing popularity. The commercialization and the transformation of Black Metal into a new trend had just begun...

This new development of things brought the necessary cleanup that was needed, so that in the pure underground, the National Socialist Black Metal would go forward and develop more the blending of music with ideology and the propagation of political and heathen religious positions. The European mythology, Ariosophy, the National Socialist cosmotheory and Blood Mysticism are some of the main subjects that constitute the concept of NSBM.

Those involved in NSBM, denying to be a part of the total sell out of the purpose and values that Black Metal originally represented, betrayed by the Norwegian B.M. stars (with only bright exception being that of Varg Vikernes and Ildjarn), dissociated themselves from the rest of the "scene" and walked alone the uncompromising path of Honour, defining themselves as heralds of the forbidden and dangerous ideas of Blood and Honour. They gave back worth and sense of existing, to an underground music movement that was going downwards...

NSBM consists a weapon of propaganda in the form of fierce and hateful music. It serves the purpose to awake the racial instincts and reconnect the individual with the ancestral past that lies in his subconscious and his bloodlines. It's a call of battle and resistance against the Zionist Occupational Government and its regime of democratic tyranny and enslavement, a voice of racial awareness and awakening of the archetypes and ways of an ancient soul that lives inside us inadvertently hidden, waiting for the sparking that will summon it from the oblivion and stand again in the strife for the defense of our Aryan heritage. It consists a REAL threat and danger for the current system because it's turned against the REAL enemy that is the international jew and propagates ideas that are “cursed” for the modern world, that’s why NSBM is forbidden and hunted in many European “democratic” countries while the harmless “nihilist-suicidal-orthodox-vampiric” entertaining jokes are widely accepted. They consider themselves as “dangerous”, but it’s them that they have the exposure, their releases are available everywhere and none of their gigs was ever cancelled, while NSBM is forbidden and persecuted in many European countries and many N.S. fighters are jailed… NSBM, unlike the immature and superficial rock/metal way of life of partying and drinking, advocates the ideal of the disciplined and cold warrior, who acknowledging that he is a being of duty, he is ready to sacrifice everything at the altar of fight, reaching transcendence.

[caption id="attachment_776" align="alignnone" width="770"] Lord of Evil[/caption]

I don't want in any way to idealize things, and it has to be admitted that NSBM in its early early form, when it was just called Aryan or Nazi Black Metal, fascinated to a great extent by the image of "evil" Nazism, the way it is presented by the jewish media, was inspired by the "holocaust", Nazi "war-crimes" mixed with Satanism and medieval vampirism, trying to provoke and to look as much extreme as possible. Of course with the passing of time, the scene matured and evolved and NSBM found its way and true identity, having as source of inspiration the endless European tradition and mythology, the N.S. Weltanscauung and driven by historical truth and knowledge, against the zionist and judeochristian lies.

Inspired by Burzum, some of the first bands that openly associated themselves with N.S. imagery and could be called as Nazi/Fascist Aryan Black Metal back then, were Black Funeral/Darkness Enshroud/Sorath (US - now Mike Ford has rejected anything that has to do with N.S., racism and his past. He had published a fanzine called "Crimson Arckanum" in 1995 that was a mix of NS, Satanic, Heathen and vampiric topics), Nastrond (Swe), Lord of Evil (from Gdynia, Poland- they liked to call it with its German name Gottenhafen - they chaned their name to WAR88, to fit more to their ideology, after renouncing Satanism. They had their own small circle of bands including Thorn, Hödur and Kohort and they released a compilation tape called 'Gottenhafen Kommando'), Legion of Doom (Gre), Funeral Winds and Liar of Golgotha (Hol), Osculum Infame (Fra), Spiteful (Swe - I still remember the great picture with the SS flag in "Tales of the Macabre" zine), Utux Xul (Fin - they claimed to play Fascist Black Metal) dark ambient bands like Lamentation and Wintergods (Gre) and followed shortly after by even more pure NS and politically extreme bands like Schwarze Sonne (Ger), Dysangelium (Fin), Spear of Longinus (Auss), Funeral (Fra)...

I will refer to Poland separately because this association there was stronger and wider. Polish Black Metal bands (Graveland, Fullmoon, Veles, Mysteries, Legion etc.) in collaboration with Pagan W.P. skinheads created their own organization 'Temple of the Fullmoon', inspired by the myth of Norwegian Inner Circle and the German 'Teutonic Brotherhood', whose members united the common fight and believes. T.O.F. decided to seize its activities at the summer of 1996 (during their third meeting in Misdzyrzecz city) and its members continued to be active through organizations like 'Union of Native Faith' and 'Social National Union', after the police operation during their second meeting in Szldarslea Poreva city at the summer of 1995, that caused serious problems. The police interfered after the march that T.O.F. organized in the centre of the city, where black-dressed long haired Black Metallers and skinheads were flying Swastika and Celtic Cross banners! Many of them were arrested and police seized propaganda material, swords, knives and flags.

[caption id="attachment_780" align="alignnone" width="770"] Absurd[/caption]

On April 29, 1993 an incident took place, that brought German Black Metal scene and the name of Absurd in the centre of the attention and gave to the band its notorious and sinister reputation. In the 'Forest of Retaliation', Absurd will put an end to the miserable life of a homosexual mongrel named Sandro Beyer, when he started to be very annoying. Hendrik Möbus and Sebastian Schauseil were sentened to 8 years in prison (they served 5, because of their young age). Absurd belonged to the 'Teutonic Brotherhood', a closed circle of Germanic Black Metal bands that its intention was to keep the scene clean from various parasites that infested the scene, through terror and other nice methods. Except Absurd, T.B. was consisted by Morke, Coven of the Worm, Silexater, Apokryphus, Fjell and Sacrifice Slaughter Jesus.

I have to explain here about the vampiric concept. Before it was twisted to a laughable sexualised fetishism, with pictures of gothic sluts posing nude, by commercial poser sell-outs like Cradle of Filth and their copycats (I speak here about their promotional pictures, merchandise etc. because C.O.F. started with very well-written Byronic, poetical and philosophical lyrics, but later they auto-ridiculed themselves and turned by the labels to some kind of funny caricatures), the European medieval legends and superstitions about vampires, werewolves and figures like Vlad Tepes and Erszebeth Bathory, were a basic and very important and serious concept and a part of the Black Metal aesthetics as it was summoned by the French Black Legions and bands like early Carpathian Forest, Nastrond and Countess… The archetypes of the bloodthirsty cruel vampire and the werewolf beast will forever haunt the Transylvanian nightmares created by true Black Metal…

[caption id="attachment_783" align="alignnone" width="770"] Countess[/caption]

Black Metal is naturally appealing to dreamers, thinkers and unique, romantic personalities (with the meaning that was given to the romantic movement in art and literature toward the end of the 18th century), way different than the average feeble-mined members of this society, that share a fascination for the ancient times, the middle ages and also with everything that has do to do with the bleaker and obscure side of life. Such a fascination could be a way of escapism but also a disgust for the current reality that we are all forced to live in, and a longing for the old ways of the past. The disgust for humanity and misanthropy can be healthy feelings and a stance of life that is born out of contempt for the degenerated and hedonistic way of life, the materialism and mental mediocrity of the mass. But this natural reaction must not be the reason for a denial of life and will to live (that usually is fake and pretentious, just a game by attention seekers), but the motivation to rise from the depths of depression & melancholy and stand up against the status quo and the forces of decadence; to turn apathy into action and convert chaos into order… Power is what separates strong individuals from the weaklings, and Black Metal should not be the sanctuary of such losers. An elitist revolutionary movement, as Black metal should be, needs those who will to fight and sacrifice, rejecting the unnecessary elements, the hypocrites and wannabes, who don’t mean to turn their words into actions and see Black Metal as a safe and non-dangerous hobby.

Here comes the hypocrisy of those who claim that Black Metal should not deal with politics – and by saying ‘politics’ they mean National Socialism. It’s right and acceptable to preach any kind of violent actions against christians and declare war against christianity but every reference against jews or Zionism is a "don't touch" topic, rejected and unacceptable. Those cowards who portray themselves as so “evil” and “misanthropic” are afraid in case that are going to be considered as “Nazis” or “antisemites”, they are so “extreme” and “intolerant” that are ass-licking the antifa scum and major record labels, assuring that they have nothing to do with politics. There also various examples of bands that used to be considered by the fans or even call themselves as NSBM or Aryan Black/Pagan Metal, but they ended up writing apologizing statements. Just flirting with imagery and ideology is something very easy and harmless that everyone can do, but when the things are getting really serious, then they deny any involvement with extreme and politically incorrect ideas and movements because they don’t want to have any bad consequences to their careers and personal lives… These cowards are afraid that speaking openly against the jews or admit that they have racist and anti-democratic ideas, it’s going to cause boycotts from major labels, gig organizers and threats from antifa scum (they shiver at the mere idea of it). So, it’s proved very easily that these so-called “elitists” are nothing but normal musicians and fake posers, trying to be something that they are not. They don’t differ from any pop-star, they are whores of the capitalist music industry hiding behind an “extreme” image, trying not to cross the line that they will make them a real threat for the current system; you need balls to do something like that, something that they simply don’t have. Black Metal has to be DANGEROUS, THREATENING, IDEALIST and serving a CAUSE, it must not be another kind of “extreme” music for the entertainment of frustrated kids and teeny gothic whores who try to escape reality and look cool and “evil” to their friends and shock their families and society… The majority of the non-NS black metal “community” (bands & fans) is just ignorant metalloids, weak and apathetic escapists who their only motivation in life is to drink, collect music and bang their empty heads. They deny fighting for any ideas and they are indifferent for anything that is happening around them, living in their own fictious world. They think that they are “extreme” and they “shock” the society by cutting their flesh like junkies and declare how much they hate the world and wish to end their own lives - but they don’t have the guts to do it, of course.They cause more laughing and pity than “fear”…



 

And those who claim that National Socialism has no place in Black Metal, because is an ideology against individualism, they have no idea of what they are talking about. Adolf Hitler clearly spoke about it in MEIN KAMPF: “It must start out from the principle that the blessings of mankind never came from the masses but from the creative brains of individuals, who are therefore the real benefactors of humanity. It is in the interest of all to assure men of creative brains a decisive influence and facilitate their work. This common interest is surely not served by allowing the multitude to rule, for they are not capable of thinking nor are they efficient and in no case whatsoever can they be said to be gifted. Only those should rule who have the natural temperament and gifts of leadership”.

Many so-called Pagan/Viking Metal bands publicly deny any connection with politics and racialism (and even worse, joining ridiculous “organizations” like “metalheads against racism”), in the name of political correctness and popularity, forgetting that Race and Blood consists a basic element of an ethnic religion and culture. Most of these bands have a very facile and superficial approach of Heathenism that tends to be juvenile and cartoonish. Their music and lyrics are not offered for a deeper understanding and experience of our forefathers’ faith, but it’s just funny entertainment and cheap folklore, for drinking and partying, as you can witness in all these festivals where all these party “Vikings” gather, with their drinking horns and tasteless costumes. The same goes for Asatru groups that accept non-Europeans in their ranks and form coalitions like “heathen against hate”.

As an answer to all those who defiled and twisted the real meaning of Black Metal, an alliance of the worthy and noble ones was necessary. THE PAGAN FRONT combined the National Socialist ideology with the Creed of Ancestral Warlike Heathenism, as they are connected with common unbroken bonds and they are indivisible parts of the same Weltanschauung. PAGAN FRONT is a Brotherhood of people involved in the NSBM scene (bands, zines, individuals) united by the same Ideals and Faith. THE PAGAN FRONT is beyond any chauvinist attitudes and stupid conflicts between Aryan Brothers and the aim is to unite all the worthy Sons of Europa for a common Fight under the Black, White & Red Sunwheel Banner. THE PAGAN FRONT wants the young people that start to have an interest for white music like Black Metal not to just stay music fans but become educated and aware of their culture, heritage and racial identity, ready to become themselves useful soldiers (warriors, musicians, thinkers, authors etc.) in the service of our Cause. (NS)BM is just the vehicle and not the main aim, that will recruite the noblest part of our youth, guiding them to the right path and make them devoted soldiers of our cause.



Antifa is another tool of the enemy used to cause problems to our activity. I was asked by ZERO TOLERANCE magazine to express my thoughts about this "threat" against us:

"What are your thoughts on the antifa and how their current actions could impact the underground in the decade to come?" 

"Antifa are just puppets of the new world order, used and patronized by the Zionists, to spread the syndromes of anti-racism, politically correctness and hatred towards anything National and Racial... It's not a surprise that they are waving Israel flags and f.e. they support war crimes like the bombing of Dresden... Also, every criticism against the criminal policy of Israel is considered "anti-semitism".  About how their "actions" could impact the underground, I believe that as long as there are still (a few) bands that they don't care at all if they will be labeled

as fascists or Nazis and they continue, ignoring any "boycott" of this sort, then they are completely harmless and not to be taken seriously... Their "war" is only in the internet and by threatening venue owners by phone or even calling the police... Also, any physical confrontation would end up disastrous for them... Seeing bands that are considered by many (or calling themselves) as "Aryan", "Racial" or even "N.S." apologizing to the antifa, writing pitiful statements, denying any links with politics and N.S. ideology, asking for the mercy of the antifa, hoping that the boycott will stop, is (at least) laughable... These bands deserve scorn for being such cowards and asslickers..."

About politics: as Aristotle said in his book "politics", man is a political being. Everything in life is politics. Speaking about overthrowing christianity is politics too. A strong man’s mission is, except changing and evolving himself by seeking wisdom and knowledge, is to change his surroundings and the environment in which he has to live and create. This environment has to be according his standards, culturally and aesthetically. Lyrics about fighting against the current political system that is influencing negatively our lives in every aspect or about kicking out the alien immigrants from Europe, could be a subject that a Black Metal band could deal about (the same way that many bands writing about killing christians). There are esoteric and spiritual elements but also exoteric ones that influence our microcosm. A musician can express his personal believes and opinions through a medium as music and it’s up to him to choose… And Black Metal is above all about hatred, isn’t it? Of course other forms of White Power music (RAC, Hatecore) are talking mostly about the daily problems that our Race is facing nowadays like immigration, race-mixing etc. and about the Pride of being White, while NSBM is concentrated mostly in the esoteric aspects of our Weltanschauung that consist and the epitome of National Socialism. I think that this is the most important and makes NSBM the Mystical Voice of the Aryan Soul…

Back in the 90s there was not any politically correct frenzy among the bands and the fans as we can see nowadays. You could see racist and extreme political statements in interviews, done by well-known bands that nowadays are famous and successful. Nobody cared or spoke against such phenomena back then. It was natural and obvious for a Black Metal musician to have such believes and views and the only ones that may were offended were some non-whites bands from Asian or third world countries… I remember Goat Penis threatening to kill Mystifier if they would appear to play live in a festival, Mortiis saying that bands like Impiety should not play Black Metal because it's only for white people and members of bands like Dark Funeral and Dimmu Borgir making racist statements in interviews. Political Correctness was a result of the commercialization and exploitation of Black Metal by the music industry and its acceptance by wider audiences, as these newcomers considered it as another branch of metal music and a phenomenon of the pop culture…

Satanism and occultism were since the beginning of this kind of music a basic element if a band would be determined as Black Metal or not, especially in the 80s where the bands had their own, unique & original sound and the only connection between them was the lyrical concept. There are very slight musical similarities between Mercyful Fate, Hellhammer, Death SS, early Destruction etc. but there is no doubt they are all Black Metal. Satanism as a notion is something very general and indeterminate and it’s including materialist atheists like “The Church of Satan”, goat worshipers, weirdos and fetishists, perverts, liberals, religious "orthodox" or anti-cosmic satanists (this is a new fruit) etc. Everyone has its own opinion and version about what Satanism is or it should be. In the extreme Black Metal underground of the 90s the most dominant and acceptable version of Satanism was the one that recognizes the Faustian and Aeonic Spirit of European civilization, the fascist, cruel and remorseless laws of nature and the survival of the fittest as the highest values. The sinister shadowside of the European racial soul was a basic element of a Satanism that was adapted to each individual’s cultural and national characteristics. It was a darker side of what we call Heathenism (which of course is the purest form of our ancestor’s believes, even many times almost christianized by dualistic influences, with rejection of the dark/sinister side). Many interesting booklets were circulated and many articles were published in fanzines, of organizations like Order of Nine Angles, The Black Order, Order of the Left Hand Path, The Werewolf Order, Sinister Order of Fenrir, White Order of Thule and some very interesting publications was Atheosophia, Nexus, Key of Alocer, Order of the Evil Eye, Crossing the Abyss etc. Even “Church of Satan” had some very interesting views as they were expressed by known and notorious members of it, like Nikolas Shreck, Michael Moynihan and Boyd Rice.

In the early 2000s a new phenomenon appeared mostly in Sweden and France, expressed by some, mainly, young bands that called themselves “religious Satanists”, claiming that they play “orthodox Black Metal”.  These spiritual jews adopted Yiddish biblical doctrines and created their own form of judaic Satanism, praising Jehovah, rabbis and jewish kabbalah. Also anti-cosmic Satanism or “dark Germanic heathenism” that are based in some unreliable books that their "facts" exist only in the imagination of their authors, their believes are based on a judeochristian dualistic battle between “good’ and “evil” forces, they distort and misinterpret mythology and generally all the believes of our ancestors and every known occult and magical system.

Anti-cosmic is the modern society of today, which is unnatural and chaotic. The cosmos is sacred and it’s an obscenity against the universal laws and the Gods to turn against it. There is no real battle between the Solar and Dark Gods, they don’t represent “good” and “evil” in a christian way, but real archetypical forces and symbolisms that strive to bring the harmony in universe and man, after the necessary destruction of a cosmic cycle and the dawn of a new one…

[caption id="attachment_801" align="alignnone" width="720"] The Wild Hunt[/caption]

This is the opposite of the judeo-christian (“Abrahamic”) eschatological doctrine that considers that time is following a straight course with a start and an end, so the “believers” have to repent for their sins to save their souls before the end of the world – fear and submission was always the mentality of the slaves… Knowledge, wisdom and experience helps the individual to surpass the dilemma of “good” and “evil”, because what matters then is only the enforcement and triumph of the inexorable and fierce laws of nature and not the ephemeral and selfish interests and complexes of the common human psychism… Estimating and separating things according the logic of religious dualism influences the judgment and affects the will that is the driving force of this world, with result the individual to become weak and captive of this ethic, being unable to act accordingly… A total contempt, a complete inversion of the current false values and ascending beyond "good" and "evil" through a numinous way, this must be the goal of Black Metal.

 

From the book "Black Metal: European Roots & Musical Extremities"