Which of his texts should I check out then?

I remember something like this:

Nature provides the material means of production.

Individualism is something only the ruling class can afford.

You must have never listened to Horde.

I do agree that some topics won't work with black metal, or rather: haven't worked yet. But communism and christianity as counter to satanism and nazi-attitude definitely do have their place in black metal, as much as nature-inspired black metal (which can be very much linked with leftist ideologies). Of course, it couldn't be a "everyone loves each other, every human is wonderful and should be happy blabla we're all equal", but if you think that's all communism has to offer, you should sit down and actually get some education in that area.

If we're talking about "wrong" lyrics and interpretation, we could as well mention how Nazism shouldn't work with black metal, as it's obviously against the in black metal praised individuality. I may actually approve of your idea to a certain extent by saying this though, as most plain NSBM is just plain shit. However, if it ain't plain hitler-worshipping it can work extremly well. Just as much as black metal inspired by communism and leftist ideologies can work extremly well, but probably get's shitty once it crosses the line of being way too dull and leaving certain, important aspects of black metal culture out of consideration.

Your argumentation reminds me of this btw:

Nice strawman!

TYI I have got some education in that area.

Fair enough

There's lots of black metal bands that have nationalistic and post-humanist viewpoints who choose not to identify with the NS community. I can't blame them, seeing how the NS/WP/WN/WS community is generally an asylum for informants and schizoids.

The idea of left-wing black metal is laughable. It's all warmed-over grindcore made by soulless drones. It's as "legitimate" as "Christian black metal," which is to say as legitimate as KKK reggae or pro-McDonalds neofolk.

I'd say NSBM is just as ridiculous a concept.

Interesting that you identify nationalism as compatible with BM but anything left wing as not, when nationalism is often expressed through left wing politics. For almost the entire 20th century, various permutations of Leninism were the go-to for any national liberation movement anywhere in the world.

Even today, when socialism isn't hip anymore, there are plenty of left-nationalist movements and supporters around the world. > Hello!

[edit] come to think of it, I don't know any leftists who don't support national liberation movements all around the world.

I think it's fair to say that any political ideology can work with black metal, provided the band focuses more on making good music than the message.

It's hard for me to take Jarost Marksa and Mrakobesie seriously. For one thing, just look how silly the artwork is on the Jarost Marksa releases. And Mrakobesie has silly music and silly lyrics, I mean, "Comrade Satanalin", that just says it all.

But I think I've heard communist power/heavy metal before. I think maybe this band from Angola: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0IHNbFE2BOU and I also remember a band from Vietnam, I'm not sure if they're on the Archives, but I do remember a myspace page.

I don't know anything about Mrakobesie lyrics, but what's silly about JM's art? The star, hammer, sickle, and wheat are all common communist symbols. I'll grant, the sketchy line art style is a bit art-studenty...

I get more out of Rage Against the Machine's "Producer" than some of these songs (probably because it's in English?) Whenever I prefer to hear "communist metal," I'm hoping for aristo-rape and ultraviolent revolution in the song. Not satisfied here, and communist punk isn't...

One of the aspects of communism is conformity and black metal is about the individual, so the term "communist black metal" makes about as much sense as NSBM or Christian black metal.

All the communists I know must've read Marx wrong.

edit:
False. This is one of the aspects of authoritarian bullshit, which is fundamentally antithetical to Marxism.

Communism is a utopic vision possible only after a long (and in the end, bloody) process of learning from and eliminating the failures of capitalism and, thence, socialism (another lengthy phase known as "the dictatorship of the proletariat"). I could see a communist putting the "radical" back in the radical left with the style if not the spirit of black metal. Also, communism isn't so much a revolt against rich people as against oppression and the use of capital to leverage power over citizens, who ultimately should be without submission to authority, but be equals in most (if not all) respects. Wealth is not the enemy except to the very foolish who lack the comprehension that a thriving economy is of value to everyone so long as the surplus is not hoarded. It isn't a revolutionary philosophy so much as an evolutionary one. The fact that communist movements and revolutions have been undertaken is no surprise, considering how appealing it would be to a ground-down factory worker perpetually under the heel of the bourgeoisie, but they were false communism. It is impossible, even according to the philosophy of the Dialectic, to skip steps. Capitalism has to first fail in order to even begin the transformation.

As far as the spirit versus the style of black metal, and though it is unrelated to communism whatsoever, I recently read this quality review by Nightgaunt.

Politics is the realm of Punk music. Black Metal has never done well when the focus of the music is politics, no matter what they are. Burzum knew best in this regard, Varg being extremely political and yet never allowing it to play a major role in Burzum's music. Black Metal should represent the mythical and higher concepts; the best of the genre always did.

That said the original concepts of Black Metal seem quite incompatible with communism. Black Metal was never about individualism until the genre began to be populated with those who didn't really understand it in the mid-late 90's. Those who think its all about individualism and simple rebellion are dead wrong, Black Metal was different because it went so much deeper than that. Black Metal's concerns were power, magic, war, the ancient, nature, natural order, Gods and Anti-Gods, all of these were hailed religiously. This whole "Black Metal is about the individual nonsense" came along when the genre started stagnating, most of the progenitors left, and the imitators filled in the holes. They didn't understand Black Metal, so figured it was, like everything else, a playground to support the notion that the individual is the highest rung of existence. I believe this is why Anton Lavey's Satanism was largely rejected by the early Black Metallers. In fact, the early Black Metal scene seemed very infatuated with totalitarian ideal; Euronymous wanted to own slaves, Fenriz recounts how people or bands that weren't liked were threatened out of the scene, Varg talks of others who burned churches as peons who performed his will.

^Far left politics is often as totalitarian as far right; maybe moreso, historically speaking.

Black metal has never been homogenous. Its draws from a diverse range of viewpoints, with the common ground often being a certain extreme, black and white-ness.

C'mon guys, this is an old thread.

Lord Tempestuous is right about black metal not being based on individual egoism.

Perhaps, but i'm critiquing how the views of communism as expressed here(especially anti totalitarian) are seemingly antithetical to the genre. Black Metal has expressed a certain diversity in regards to its viewpoints true, but in order to discover common ground in a genre, you must find the point in which it all overlaps. That most of the original Black Metal bands were obsessed with the mythical cannot really be dismissed; this precludes the importance of politics.

I have no idea what the NSBM scene is like OP. Nor do I really care, honestly. Some of my favorite black metal bands are highly racist. Like Drudkh. At least one member is a Nazi. Burzum, too. I understand why alot of metalheads wouldn't like bands like that, but personally I don't give a shit. As long as the music doesn't soley serve as a medium to promote (those) ideas, none of which Drudkh, Taake, Burzum, or WITTR do, then what does it matter? I know this isn't on topic, but I've realized many people judge those bands based on illusions. People need to listen without cognitive bias!

I want more black metal about black metal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsnOp2quEck

Our order mocked
And cast aside
This birthright realm,
To a son of clay
Reclamation of our
Lost prominence
Behold a vacant throne!

Wretched! Loved by our hate!
Weeping to a light finally failed
Fall upon our spears
And give praise
We reward faith with
Sanguine blessings
Consent to kneel
And find a winged king!

Bear witness to the
Triumph of the wing and blade!
A new reign of tyranny
In the absent lord's domain

Speak no more!
Of spoiled conquest
Ashen in your mouth!

Listen not!
To blind supplication's
Damnation!

To wield the faith
To conjure and kill
Mere tools with which to reign?

Insane and lost
The sovereign fell
And left us to decide

Let them drink of the cup
And taste the fire
Let them eat of the flesh
And be poisoned within

Injurious glory
Perilous acclaim
Lost prominence regained
A coronation of murdered souls
To this... are we condemned

Why would you included WITTR with those bands?

I thought there was something funky about one of the Weaver brothers' political idealology. Believe I was thinking of a totally different band, lol.

Why want more when you already have this masterpiece?

I think I've heard them described as "eco-fascists" whatever the hell that is....

We can make reasonably accurate inferences, though.

Is black metal's overall sound -- lyrics notwithstanding -- more reminiscent of love or hate? Does it evoke summer or winter? Does it remind you of futuristic cityscapes or ancient forests?

Using a little bit of common sense, we can see that what something sounds like isn't completely subjective.

Black meta-l

You are talking about established connotations; black metal music does not denote any such themes. What you claim simply isn't an objective fact, but your personal interpretation of the music.

"Eco-fascism" is a sensationalist term made up by the media (especially the right wing) to make environmentalism (radical and not so radical) seem scary as in:
Media: 'the logging operation was stopped by eco-fascists'
People: 'fascists! I'm gonna throw batteries in the recycling bin'

Communism is somehow Jewish or kind of caused/prompted by those people, Nazism is obviously Christian, no matter how many "evil" stuff they did, Black Metal is anti-all of that, let all this humanistic hooliganish crap rot behind, even if some get fascinated by the "genocides" happened by those, we are worse, focused evil, a strong daily dose of diabolical obsession done and renewed by the rituals of Black Metal, separate your self now from all of this, humans are worthless, direct your hate to them just because they exist.



Check out the following track lyrics (Black Metal Must Be...!!!) from Lucifugums album: http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Lu ... or33/84826 (Use the spolier)

This is probably my favourite:
Behexen - Black Metal Baptism

Cool suggestions guys

I derailed the thread, but the thing is, my favourite lyrical theme is metal itself. Metal about metal, that's it.

I know that communism in Marx's view is a classless, stateless society, but wasn't one of the steps an authoritarian state that re-educates people to accept that utopia?

No, those are anti-Marxist slanders of Marxism.