Anyone from Norway know what everyday people in Norway think of black metal? Do people for the most part think bad about it or is it just a normal thing that some people enjoy it. I've heard that there's actually a plane with Euronymous on it and then there's this:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/06/ ... diplomats/

IIRC there was a petition for Euronymous on a plane but it never happened.

And that picture used in that article looks like a joke.

Really? I thought I even saw pictures of the plane but now looking at them more closely I can see its fake.
And the picture is weird but the topic was that their foreign ministry is apparently now training diplomats in black metal.

Different country, but same situation maybe.

I once met this dude on Omegle (some kind of chat-roulette without the video) from Sweden and he told me that most people were scared of metalheads or something like that. Like I know Sweden and Norway are two different countries and this dude could have been lying, though. I've always asked myself this question, it would be nice if someone could answer it with certainty.

I have a sister who has lived in Norway for longer than I've been alive, and she basically is pretty clueless about the whole thing. Then again, she knew some metal musicians like Jorn Lande but that's because he was from the same town before he did music. Most of these black metal bands stick to their own, apparently. However, her husband, who lived here in Seattle for most of his life, knows all the big name metal bands over there and sort of gives the other perspective. Still, they stick to their own. I think it's easy enough to block out when you have a country of ~6 million over a large area like Norway.

Earlier this year I spoke to two Norwegian girls about music. They were both studying music at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, and thus probably have a bigger than usual interest in music, but both could readily mention a band when I told them I listened to Norwegian black metal...they mentioned Satyricon and Dimmu Borgir.
When I mentioned other names like Immortal and Darkthrone, which to me are quite big names, I just got blank stares and a "sorry, haven't heard of them". (It really surprised me they hadn't even heard the tiniest thing about them.)

They both knew that not all black metallers are church-burning baby-eaters, and I had a nice chat with one of them about Varg Vikernes and the church burnings. The other, who played the accordion, thought it was very interesting to hear that Valfar incorporated that instrument in his music.
But again, I don't know if those two represent the "everyday Norwegian" because they both were musicians as well.

Also, there was a Norwegian girl in a university class once. She came from the punk/anarchist/left-wing scene in Oslo, and I don't remember her liking the black metallers that much. I think she thought they were a bit out there, to put it mildly. (I believe she was between 2-5 years younger than the most of the members of the second wave, so she's probably seen them out and about when it was more wild than nowadays.)

In another class there was this very christian Norwegian guy from Bergen, but I never got around to ask him what he thinks about black metal.

A friend and I have talked about going to Oslo for Inferno, or something similar, and also meet up with the local pagans while we're there. We're just afraid that the pagans will shun us because we like black metal, and that the metal people will think we're a couple of hippie tree-huggers and shun us.

In my experience, it's more or less analogous to the question "what do people who aren't into metal think of metal". All of the Norwegians I've met essentially don't care for it, but it's more of an indifference than any particular view.

^it's probably like asking what everyday Americans think of black metal. If you're into it, then you're into it- otherwise if you're like any average joe you either a) actively dislike it or b) dont really give a crap about it either way.

I do remember reading that at the time of the whole 1991-1993 scene, and the drama and subsequent media blitz that unfolded as a result, there was apparently a big backlash against it. People with long hair and "metal" clothing were automatically assumed to be church-burning murdering satanists, and a lot of average people really weren't down with that. I think now enough time has gone by that it's all blown over and it's just like anywhere else now, as far as how one small subculture of music is percieved by society at large.

I imagine this is like asking what Australians think of Crocodile Dundee. Sure, it's a sterotype some people associate with the particular country but doesn't have much impact on people's daily lives.

I only know one person from Norway, who is staying in Canada for his undergrad. He is very much into black metal, I think Emperor is his favourite band.

strut up and down the street in BM-outfits in Norway, and you will find that it is usually your attitude and not your clothes that will decide if that old woman crosses the street rather than passing you.

That applies for larger cities.

The real thing though, is the cuntryside of Norway. Ain`t that right, fellow Norwegians? Go rural, and people might still (in the year of our lord 2012) call you a gay clown and beat you up. You will not get laid and you will not be invited to the "pæædy" and if you are, they will not go beyond Nickelback or Metallica as for "pæædy-metal". F#¤k this shit `splainin the suburbs and whatnot.

Rule of thumb: Suburbs are usually not that welcoming when it comes to digesting things that seem different on the outside. I would ask you to lurk more in life before moving to the Norwegian cuntryside.

That's quite unlikely, isn't it?

People will bitch about you - if you like BM. More so than not.

And least we forget - you will bitch about people. If you are a cunt.

Not quite, pretty much everyone knows Crocodile Dundee or has seen it. Black metal is still an underground style which wouldn't hit too many people's radars unless they have a really good memory of the news headlines and a few names dropped two decades ago. It's more like asking what someone here thinks of the Australian black/thrash scene.

Go ask a Swede by the way. They are more fond of their ego than us Norwegians. They would probably tell you that the only way to be BM is to wear a mace in your pants. You all should know by now that us Norwegians - we don`t need you - Sweden is more more fond of people in their own "packs" of cultural beings.

Norway is about fitting in. Sweden is about standing out. Finland about satan-worshipping. So where would you wield your spiked mace?

Asking about Norwegian BM is so German folk-metal.
German folk-metal is so much better than Norwegian glam-rock.

I think us Norwegians should start the first wave of folkglam-metal. In our traditional bunads.
Smell the new day, the coming of Norwegian folkglam-metal. That would be so shamefully perfect for Norway.

We can act as the harbringers of fake folkglamsters. All that is shiny and new would appeal to the "soul of the popcultural crow of Norway" especially silver, because silver is the new gold and only us Norwegians are rich enough to be sad about life and how we live it. And analy, us Norwegians can once more come together and laughcry because there is nothing to be left to be had - exept more silver in the cabinet, and more of the stupid "learn it yourselves and come back when you are a man" philosophy.

For it is truly Norwegian folkglam-metal to kind of steal your mom`s thunder when her bunad finally has all the silver it needs. Let it be known that you are not a man in Norway before you can be cranky every friggin day of the year, except christmas-eve, for that is the day that Jesus blew his dear mother`s water.

What baffling nonsense? Is that supposed to be an analysis of each nation's black metal scene, or what?

It`s about the core of people that doesn`t know they like Black Metal, but still carries the blessed black-metal label from the long-lost time of the 90`s

It`s the black-metaller that lives in your nations soul. Lol. It`s the snowballs you hid in your fridge for summer, when "ze Germans" get here.

I've known young people from Finland who didn't listen to metal. In fact, I would say none of the Finns I've met were into metal. They seemed to be aware of its existence though.

I've met Swedes who listen to metal but have never heard of Swedish metal bands that I thought were pretty well known, like say Crystal Pride or Lake of Tears.

Haven't met many Norwegians.

Is it just me or does MariusBR not make any sense?

One of the funniest things I've read on here in a long time.

OP, what would the average American have to say about black metal? There is your answer.

And yes, if you wonder, the mountain of forgiveness is truly to be found in Norway. For it is known, Norwegians are quick to forgive but slow to forget.

And yes, Sweden is poor in our eyes. And the finnish are lonely, and the danish people sounds like the devil when they talk.

And yes, may your first independent thought of Black Metal (that does not involve Nowray) be a masculine one.

Sorry. I just.. I`m so zorry.

I seem to have rolled of the mountain and I had an accident and I hammered straight into the gate of someones imagination and ztuff.

I`ll straighten myselves out and go outside and peek in my real-life mailbox. I mean, that shit is harsh man.

90% of the non-metal-listening Norwegians I've met know nothing about black metal. It's a small subculture and while it's big in metal circles, in the outside world it's a complete and utter non-event. The best I can imagine is that for about 2 weeks sometime in the early 90s it was talked about, before fading back into relative obscurity.

He doesn't. It's reminiscent of a certain quote from a rant from Schmier a while back where "Artists worldwide must be destroyed by the scene" after Destruction got screwed over by one of their agencies.

it's almost like Marius is trying to convey his ideas but can't quite articulate them, possibly the language barrier is a factor, and possibly I just don't quite grasp his metaphors...but I am trying, really I am. I want to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they're not trolling. Or maybe when he said "I seem to have rolled of the mountain and I had an accident and I hammered straight into the gate..." that WASN'T a metaphor, he might have a concussion or something; and not be thinking too clearly.

Or he's playing on the age-old Northern European stereotype of melancholia and low self-worth and getting a bit too deep down the rabbit hole trying to explain himself.

I guess Marious is: high, drunk or ill, or maybe all of them...

So i just had some Norwegian backpackers in the shop and i asked them (remembering seeing this thread) if they have ever heard of black metal never heard of it,

I don't know what fjord you've been camped on but you need to come on back down because apparently the oxygen is a little thin up there. Or you should pass around that snow you found.

I once met two Americans and asked them if they thought Wrest is as much of a douchebag as I do, and they didn't know what I was talking about. Weird huh?

In Germany do they play power metal on the radio? It seems that every German I have talked to has heard of and listened to Helloween, Blind Guardian, Edguy etc

Wouldn't know about Norwegians but when I was having a conversation with a Swedish guy a few years ago, we got talking about metal and he said "Oh, bands like Marduk?"
Thought that was pretty cool and he looked like a normal tourist and also had no knowledge of metal past that.

He also mentioned that you can quite commonly see old people in their 70s who take on "the whole dark gothic look" and no one looks at them twice.

No.

Germany rules. I've been there. All the people I met knew about metal and the good stuff, not the chaff.
I was in Essen though.

They're big national exports or their time, so certain age groups have likely heard the names even if they've never listened to the bands.

I have not seen any of these people of which you speak. Sure, there's a couple older people at gigs usually, but its not "common".

Thread could have ended here. It just doesn't really make any strides in the national consciousness over there.

I had a chance to visit the eastern coast of Norway. Most of the people there were quite aware of the existence of black metal, church burnings and surrounding controversy. Dimmu Borgir is about as well known as some pop band. According to people in their 40's, the teens on average actually quite enjoy DB. Varg Vikerness is still remembered. One person said something like this : "He wanted publicity and he got it, even more than necessary".

When I was in Germany in the summer of 2010 there were huge Blind Guardian billboards in downtown Berlin and Hamburg advertising their new album. I'm sure power metal gets some other mainstream exposure there, and Ramstein is one of their most popular bands, so yeah, Germany rules.

Norway has an eastern coast!??