BLACK METAL
by Nahizul Asran bin Abdul Rahman [View Writer's Profile]

Abstract
Black metal enormously expands throughout the world. It begins from western country such as Norway, Sweden, Greece and many more. Black Metal reveals Satanism, pagan and occult themes in their songs. In Malaysia, it is starting to reach and twist the mind of our generation. Many black metal groups exist in many names such as Black Fire, Sil-Khannnaz, Bismi Iblyss and so on. There are certain Black Metal group which is not include Satanism ideology in their song but most of them are following the other way round.

In order to prevent the Black Metal music from affecting our new generation, government takes a stern step by banning Black Metal music in all forms. The firm actions taken by government invite unsatisfaction among black metal followers. To them music is music and never mix with ideology and belief. Print media like Mastika and Kosmo convey the dirty side of Black Metal music to our Malaysian.

Nowadays, black metal music are already banned by the Government. Many ex-followers of Black Metal music have repent themselves to Allah and promise for not follow the Black Metal music anymore. Some of the previous Black metal group in Malaysia switched their music to another genre like rock, heavy rock and so on. Once again, our nation have been saved from the Western ideology created to disrupt the life of Malaysian especially Malay. Hopefully, after this case, there is no more Western ideology like Black Metal emerges to our country.

Introduction – What is Black Metal

Black metal is a musical genre which emerged in the early 1980s and come out with extreme image of heavy metal. Black Metal are divided into two fragmentation.One is a form of music which adhere to particular style in order to be part of the genre while second is a ideology of music to define the genre itself. The main originators of black metal are bands from Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Hellhammer, Bulldozer, Celtic Frost and Mayhem. Albums that first sounded like what is generally considered to be black metal today are considered to be the recordings of Bathory in the mid 1980s, Black metal solidify its current form (known as the second wave of black metal, which is rooted much more heavily in classical musical theory) through the influence of Norwegian bands such as Darkthrone, Enslaved, Burzum, Satyricon, Mayhem, Immortal, and Emperor, who began with the earlier style and introduced elements from mainstream heavy metal, classical music and popularised the style to a growing underground audience. Their influence is most apparent in the Satanic or pagan imagery, anti-Christian lyrics and occult themes¹.

The distinct feature of the black metal is the use of corpse paint, a special kind of black and white make-up which was used to make the wearer look like a corpse or plague victim.Another distinct feature of black metal is the use of dark or Satanic names pioneered by Venom (the original line up being Cronos, Mantas & Abbadon). Another examples of this are Quorthon (Bathory), Darken (Graveland), Euronymous (Mayhem), Goat, Count Grishnackh (Burzum), Fenriz (Darkthrone), Nergal, Inferno (Behemoth), Zephyrous (Darkthrone), Frost (1349), Abbath (Immortal), Demonaz (Immortal), Horgh (Immortal), Iscariah, Hellhammer (Mayhem), Maniac (Mayhem), Necrobutcher (Mayhem), Blasphemer (Mayhem), Dead (Mayhem), Hoest, Ihsahn (Emperor), Samoth (Emperor), Faust (Emperor), Trym (Emperor), Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest), Nordavind and Tchort (Emperor) Apart from that, Black Metal music often has these characteristics such as fast guitar, lyrics about satanic, pessimistic, pagan or occult themes, electronic keyboard, distorted screeching vocals, swift percussion, aggressive drum and gloomy or melancholy atmosphere².

In new Black Metal groups they are struggle to placed themselves among those established group like Venom and Mahyem.In 1986 two Italian mans named themselves as Wildness Percersion and Without Name set up Black Metal band namely Mortuary Drape. Others who be members in the group is Witch and Alchemist. They come out with the album entitled Necromancy failed to attract black metal fans.To placed themselves same as Mayhem, Burzum,Immortal, they emerge with black –occult metal ideology which prevails satanism,mystic and supernatural.In addition, they come out with a new album in 1989 called Doom Return and the cover album is pictured with human skull and skeleton over a coffin light up by two candles.To make more interesting they take human skull and skeleton freshly from human grave.During their performance, they throw up all skulls and skeletons on the stages and worship it as a satan deity. In United Sates of America, Profanatica naked in flesh and shower it with blood due to make them different from other black metal groups³.