Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult

by Dayal Patterson

An epic 600 page tome exploring the history and development of black metal from its beginnings in the early 1980s to the present day. Featuring many dozens of interviews with the most significant protagonists and a wealth of previously unpublished images.

This visually exciting musical genre, known for its extreme views and actions, have finally breached the mainstream in televised parodies and bestselling publications by Vice and Feral House. Despite a history of criminal actions, black metal has become Norway’s biggest cultural export, earning it support from the government itself.

Spanning 600 pages, Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult traces the progress of the genre, from its infancy in the early 1980s to today’s scene. Combining dozens of interviews with iconic photographs, this epic tome examines the artistic, musical, spiritual development of this controversial genre. Included are interviews with:

Venom • Mercyful Fate • Bathory • Hellhammer • Celtic Frost • Sodom • Slayer • Kreator • Destruction • Vulcano • Sarcofago • Blasphemy • Samael • Rotting Christ • Necromantia • VON • Tormentor • Master’s Hammer • Beherit • Mayhem • Vomit • Thorns • Darkthrone • Burzum • Thou Shalt Suffer • Emperor • Gehenna • Gorgoroth • Trelldom • Cradle of Filth • Dimmu Borgir • Mütiilation • Vlad Tepes • Belketre and the Black Legions • Dissection • Watain • Marduk and Funeral Mist • Shining • Graveland • Infernum • Behemoth • Enslaved • Satryricon • Isengard/Storm • Ulver • Windir • Negura Bunget • Hades • Primordial • Arcturus • Manes • In the Woods • Ved Buens Ende • Fleurety • Sigh • Dødheimsgard • Mysticum • Aborym • Blacklodge • Amesoeurs/Alcest • Fen • Wolves in the Throne Room, Lifelover

Alongside band interviews, Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult includes exclusive interviews with:

Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski (Behemoth)
Alan ‘AA Nemtheanga’ Averill (Primordial)
Attila Csihar (Mayhem / Tormentor)
Benny ‘Cerastes’ (Mysticum)
Christophe Szpajdel (Designer for Emperor, Graveland etc)
Conrad ‘Cronos’ Lant (Venom)
Dani Filth (Cradle Of Filth)
Edmond ‘Hupogrammos’ Karban (Negura Bunget)
Eirik ‘Pytten’ Hundvin (Producer for Emperor, Gorgoroth, Mayhem)
Fabban ‘Malfeitor’ (Aborym)
Frank ‘The Watcher’ Allain (Fen)
František Štorm (Master’s Hammer)
George ‘Magus Daoloth’ Zacharopoulos (Rotting Christ / Necromantia)
Gerald ‘Black Winds’ (Blasphemy)
Greg ‘Damien’ Moffit (Cradle Of Filth)
Gylve ‘Fenriz’ Nagell (Darkthrone / Dødheimsgard / Isengard / Storm)
Hans ‘Mortuus’ Rostén (Marduk / Funeral Mist)
Håvard ‘Mortiis’ Ellefsen(Emperor)
Ian ‘Tjodalv’ Åkesson (Dimmu Borgir)
Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved)
Jarle ‘Hvall’ Kvåle (Windir / Vreid)
Jason ‘Venien’ Ventura (VON)
Jon ‘Metallion’ Kristiansen (Slayer Mag / Head Not Found Records)
Jonas ‘B’ Bergqvist (Lifelover)
Jonas Åkerlund (Bathory)
Jørn ‘Necrobutcher’ Stubberud (Mayhem / Kvikksølvguttene)
Jorn Tunsberg (Old Funeral / Immortal / Hades)
Kai ‘Trym’ Mosaker (Emperor / Enslaved)
Kim ‘( )’ Carlsson(Lifelover)
Kim ‘King Diamond’ Petersen (Mercyful Fate)
Kjetil ‘Manheim’ (Mayhem)
Kjetil Grutle (Enslaved)
Kristian ‘Gaahl’ Espedal (Trelldom / Gorgoroth / Gaahlskag)
Kristoffer ‘Garm’ Rygg (Arcturus / Ulver)
Lee Barrett (Candlelight Records)
Marko ‘Holocausto’ Laiho (Beherit)
Michael ‘Vorph’ Locher (Samael)
Mikko Aspa (Clandestine Blaze)
Mirai Kawashima (Sigh)
Morgan ‘Evil’ Hakkansson (Marduk / Abruptum)
Niklas Kvarforth (Shining)
Ole ‘Apollyon’ Moe (Aura Noir / Dødheimsgard / Immortal)
Paul Ryan (Cradle Of Filth)
Peter Tagtgren (Producer for Dimmu Borgir, Marduk)
Preben ‘Prime Evil’ (Mysticum, Aborym)
Rob ‘Darken’ Fudali (Graveland / Infernum)
Robin ‘Graves’ Eaglestone (Cradle Of Filth)
Robin ‘Mean’ Malmberg (Mysticum)
Roger ‘Infernus’ Tiegs (Gorgoroth / Borknagar)
Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen (Mayhem / Aura Noir)
Saint Vincent (Blacklodge)
Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ)
Shawn ‘Goat’ Calizo (VON)
Simen ‘ICS Vortex’ Hestnæs (Arcturus / Dimmu Borgir)
Snorre Ruch (Stigma Diabolicum / Thorns / Mayhem)
Steffen ‘Dolgar’ Simestad (Gehenna)
Svein Egil Hatlevik (Fleurety / Dødheimsgard)
Sven ‘Silenoz’ Kopperud (Dimmu Borgir)
Sven-Erik ‘Maniac’ Kristiansen (Mayhem)
Terje ‘Tchort’ Vik Schei (Emperor / Carpathian Forest)
Thomas ‘Pest’ Kronenes (Gorgoroth)
Tom ‘King’ Visnes (Gorgoroth / Ov Hell)
Tom ‘Warrior’ Fischer (Hellhammer / Celtic Frost)
Tomas ‘Samoth’ Haugen (Thou Shalt Suffer / Emperor)
Tor-Helge ‘Cernunnus’ Skei (Manes)
Vegard ‘Ihsahn’ Tveiten (Emperor / Thou Shalt Suffer)
Ville ‘Shatraug’ Pystynen (Horna / Behexen)
Willy ‘Meyhna’ch’ Rousell (Mutiilation)
Yusaf ‘Vicotnik’ Parvez (Dødheimsgard)
Zhema Rodero (Vulcano)

Dayal Patterson has been following the black metal scene since the mid-1990s and writes and photographs for Metal Hammer and Record Collector magazines, and also contributes to The Quietus, Terrorizer and Classic Rock Presents, as well as writing biographies and liner notes for Marduk and Killing Joke.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, Art, Biography, Religion, Historical

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Founder of Cult Never Dies publishing

Dayal is a writer, photographer and designer. He began writing professionally in 2005, having previously created a self-published music journal entitled Crypt Magazine. Since that time he has contributed regularly to the likes of Record Collector, The Quietus, Terrorizer, Decibel, Classic Rock Presents... and, most prominently, Metal Hammer magazine, whom he has written for since 2006, providing numerous lead and cover story features. Since completing a BA honours degree in photography at London College of Communication Dayal has been taking live, portrait and promotional pictures for numerous magazines including Record Collector, Terrorizer and Metal Hammer as well as for bands, individuals and companies.

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally I am relatively new to black metal. The subgenres death metal (Cannibal Corpse) and thrash metal (Slayer) are musically described as technical, aggressive, complex, and with low-pitched growls. Black metal has the musical characteristics: high-paced percussion, high-pitched "screamed" vocals, fast tremolo picking on the guitars, but place an emphasis on the atmosphere and feeling (dark, dissonant, unholy). Black metal is also visually dark with Satanic themes, corpsepaint on the faces, spikes and chains, and sentiment of coldness and darkness.



This was a great history of black metal from the first wave up to this publication on 2013. Dayal Patterson wrote this tome over a four-year period and it contained countless interviews from his personal account, magazine interviews, research, promo art, and tons of color and B&W photographs of the bands. Patterson wrote extensively about these bands (Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost), the rise of the Norwegian black metal scene (Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum), the "Satanic terrorism" and church burnings, the rise of the Swedish black metal scene ( Marduk, Dissection, Watain, Shining), the rise of mainstream popularity in the genre, and influences in Polish (Graveland, Infernum, Behemoth) and various countries throughout the world. Patterson even wove in roots and differences of heavy metal death metal, thrash metal, and their influences in black metal. He charted the evolution of classic black metal into subgenres of folk & legend (Viking black metal, Nordic pagan black metal), industrial, and even racist National Socialist black metal (Zyklon-B, Thor's Hammer).

These are some songs that I have grown to appreciate in the recent years.
1. Mayhem - Freezing Moon (w/ Dead on lyrics) https://youtu.be/WKIqRh6vzwM
2. Burzum - Dunkelheit https://youtu.be/-ZENtivAi6I
3. Darkthrone - Quintessence https://youtu.be/wUw7mo6CeVw
4. Gorgoroth - Sign of an Open Eye https://youtu.be/73Za2PVVDcI
5. Bathory - One Road to Asa Bay https://youtu.be/cE-UIbpag3I

This was such an articulate book and I learned a lot. The book flowed well, segwayed seamlessly into each new band/overarching subject, and was an enjoyable read. There was a lot to learn about Mayhem, Dead, Euronymous and Varg Vikernes, and Burzum. If you're into black metal this is a must read and goes beyond your basic Wikipedia article on the bands and the musicians. Highly recommended. Thanks!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

To get the comparisons out of the way first, this is not the infamous 'Lords Of Chaos' by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderlind. Author Dayal Patterson has not embarked on a personal mission to prove that some sort of global Satanic Network exists and he also manages to get his facts right in a book which devotes almost equal time to both Black Metal music and philosophy. Neither is this Gavin Baddeley's 'Lucifer Rising' - the interviews in Patterson's book having been conducted during the past six years for the most part and also in their proper context.

By 'proper context' I mean that this book differentiates between those statements made for shock effects, those made through what could generously be described as "Youthful exuberance" and those made thoughtfully, sincerely and with the benefit of hindsight. It is sometimes the latter which are most shocking, as the book reveals a multitude of protagonists for whom time has not extinguished their passions and hatreds. Indeed, the likes of Necrobutcher and Mortiis may express a distaste for the more extreme actions of their fellows, but it seems that this was ever the case even during youth. On the other hand 'Family Man' Tchort never really expresses any remorse whatsoever for his violent attacks on Christians during his formative years.

As for the structure of the book, every chapter is largely the same. Almost every chapter is devoted to a different band or musician and details their influences, philosophies, recording techniques and those whom they have in turn influenced. There are a few exceptions as there are a handful of chapters devoted to certain scenes such as Poland and USBM and Mayhem garner a slightly excessive four chapters all to themselves. It should not however be thought that this is indicative of some kind of Euronymous-worship as there is much about the Mayhem mastermind's duality, dubious political affiliation, juvenile outlook and utter ineptitude in business affairs. However, it also rightly paints him as the architect of 2nd wave black metal and a champion of obscure and extreme music.

A book on the history of Black Metal, even a non-sensationalist one cannot help but to cover the violence and chaos which surrounds it and this is no exception. However, the detailing of the events around the murder of Euronymous by Varg Vikernes are perhaps the most sensible and sobering that I've yet to come across. It is perhaps the only account which places fairly equal blame on the heads of both men. Euronymous often threatened the lives of rivals and those who had crossed him, he was just unlucky enough to encounter in Vikernes an individual paranoid and unhinged enough to take him seriously.

An obvious criticism to level at this book is that it doesn't cover whichever bands the reader personally feels contributed a great deal to the Black Metal scene. While most criticisms will undoubtedly be quite churlish its genuinely perplexing that Abruptum don't earn a chapter of their own, despite that experimental bands who followed many years later earn the author's undying praise. Patterson also courts disaster by including several chapters on Post-Metal bands but really only time will tell if these too will be seen to have contributed something to the "Evolution Of The Cult".

Perfectly well written, Patterson also wins points for his access to previously-unpublished photographs and even previously unheard recordings and does well to reprint the former and describe as well as he can the latter. This is true journalism, albeit an unobtrusive one as - in the style of the best documentaries - the author conceals himself and allows the protagonists to flesh out their own histories.

What is Black Metal? This book offers so many viewpoints that any one view immediately becomes necessarily false, but from Venom through to Lifelover, Patterson has provided a slightly incomplete roadmap with many awesome sights along the way. All-in-all a significant achievement.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to read definitive, comprehensive book about black metal, this is the book.

Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult covers the early pioneers of the genre before it was even named black metal, the second wave coming, central persons, phenomenons inside the genre and ideology, for example. Many notable bands as well as smaller ones are featured. Rather than mainly sensationalizing certain events (we all know what book I’m pointing at here), the central focus is the music, what makes black metal the music genre it has come known to be, and how different bands have contributed.

One thing I like about Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult is that the author Dayal Patterson has a genuine interest about black metal and personal insight on the subject, going many years back. It really makes this book thorough.
The book actually includes many earlier interviews with central black metal figures that the author himself done for magazine such as Metal Hammer. As for the music, Patterson doesn’t rub his opinions about the certain bands music to readers face, leaving it for the reader to determine whether to like it or not.

To me this is top notch example of well written and thorough book about a music genre in general.

[Kostas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since 1998, when a girlfriend made me a black metal compilation tape with the likes of Emperor, Satyricon, Cradle of Filth, Marduk and Dark Funeral, I have remained intrigued by this genre without ever becoming a die hard fan. Besides the church burnings, murders, crime and all controversy surrounding black metal, there has always been a mystical, atmospheric element which strongly appealed to me, a spirituality not found in death or thrash metal.

While my own journey has taken me into slower and heavier musical territories, I must confess that I have always reserved some envy for this musical genre that always seems to find a way to evolve and reinvent itself while at the same time retaining its traditional core sound and ethos with ease. This wonderfully detailed book further illustrates this point in its colossal 600 pages. I liked Lords of Chaos as it gave a convincing account of some of the personalities and peculiarities of the people who are at the forefront of the genre, but in retrospect it almost feels like no more than an intro to black metal after reading Dayal's book, which is much more exhaustive in detail and thematically very cleverly structured.

The book follows more or less a chronological outline of the genre's history and events, but only inasmuch the timeline illustrates the main branches of black metal. After a short but essential course on the founding fathers of heavy metal and the satanic philosophy which came to be so closely associated with the genre, the book slowly unfolds a history which started with the first generation bands such as Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer, before it goes on to explain how black thrash played -in retrospect- a significant part in black metal's development. The South/Central European and South American scenes -both flourishing before the Norwegian explosion- are not forgotten either. The second generation of bands -with the Norwegian scene at its epicentre- is then exhaustively recounted. Mayhem serve as the main protagonists whose story is broken up in three parts which illustrate how their philosophy and mentality have been interwoven with the evolution of that second generation of bands.

The story is told through countless interviews with the protagonists of the genre themselves and while it's impossible to do everyone justice, I don't think that there are any reasons to complain, even for diehard black metal fans. The main characters appear to be as eccentric, challenging and unpredictable as the music they play, which makes for very entertaining and at times even humorous reading. An extensive photographic section in the middle of the book -in chronological order- gives a visual spin to the story as well, and those who tend to only read headlines of chapters and parts featuring bands they are interested in, will still find a convincing guide of the visual evolution of black metal simply by browsing through some chapters and the photo's.

The story then takes us to the weirder and more avant-garde sub branches that have evolved more recently, as well as the cross-pollination of genres. However this is without failing to warn us that the term 'post black metal' (the prefix 'post' is nowadays annoyingly used in conjunction with most metal genres, as if there is a whole new generation of bands that have reinvented warm water) doesn't necessarily mean that traditional black metal is dead: it's merely a different approach.

Dayal has a detached and confident writing style that successfully manages to retain its neutral stance despite certain controversial -and quite frankly ethically repulsive- views voiced by some of the main characters in the book. His approach is that of a scientist, or more accurately a cultural anthropologist who merely describes and outlines some general tendencies of this subculture, without judging or moralising. He doesn't shy away from controversies either, and discusses in detail the commercial explosion of the genre in the mid nineties and the rise of NSBM in countries such as Poland.

It's somewhat pointless seeking for highlights as the book flows extremely well and can be read in one go, but personally I will retain mostly two things: firstly the clever way in which Euronymous managed to inspire a whole scene by defining it conceptually rather than musically (in his view black metal was all about literal devil worship) which freed up its artists to explore shockingly diverse musical paths that are often incompatible with each other; and the assertion that black metal never really accepted NSBM not because it thinks its views are too extreme or unethical, but because -quite the opposite- they are too positive(!) as they focus on the procreation of the race, brotherhood and loyalty rather than the genre's inherent individualism and unrelenting misanthropy.

In summary, this is probably the ultimate black metal encyclopaedia, or is bound to become this over the next few years, simply because I really can't see anyone else taking up such a massive challenge to write a similarly gargantuan book. Whether you are a fan of the genre or not, it offers a highly engaging and thoroughly entertaining read about a genre that speaks to the imagination unlike many others and the equally extreme and controversial subculture related to it.
Fiendishly recommended.

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re into Black Metal, this is a must-read, even though you’re probably familiar with some information revealed between the covers of this excellent work. However, the incredible depth and detail given to each of the artists / scenes / sub-genres brings a new appreciation to even the most familiar. For example, I enjoyed the extent to which the author discussed the inner workings of the Norwegian scene, and I went away seeing all the artists in a much more personal light.  The sections no Emperor and Mayhem are indispensable, but Patterson writes about every band with pure adoration, reverence, and care. My only complaint is that the section on Wolves In The Throne Room was too brief for my tastes. I also wish it included Panopticon in the Post-Black Metal section. I’m sure that the author spent time on his favorite artists, though, just as I would do. This may be a trivial matter of personal taste, though as, all things considered, the author has produced a formidable work. This book is probably too lengthy and in-depth for the casual reader of music biography, but for the serious music history nerd or Black Metal fan, this is essential.

[KB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good, although I think it's a bit of a hard sell. If you're going to pick up Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult, I think you either have to already be into black metal, or have a genuine interest to learn about it, and learn about it deeply. This isn't a short book, and I think the length and detail would maybe prove too much for just a casual 'let's try it' kind of read.

I've just started getting into black metal myself over the last month or so. This was probably spurred on by a recent re-watch of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, although I've seen it many, many times since I was a teenager. The black metal scene is probably most known for the events that went down in Norway in the early 90s, which resulted in murder, arson and suicide. And because of this, it's easy to dramatize and sensationalize the genre, but the music on its own is really damn good.

The vast majority of the chapters in this book act as a biography for a specific band, generally flowing chronologically. We begin with the so-called 'first wave' bands such as Bathory, Venom and Celtic Frost - the bands that laid the foundation for what would come later. Then we move on to the second wave, including the likes of Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth. From there we see the further development of the genre, getting more industrial, electronic or folk-inspired, depending on the band.

Author Dayal Patterson does a very good job of keeping things fresh. You might think that reading chapter after chapter of band bios would get old very quickly, but generally that's not the case. Patterson provides info on albums, and events surrounding the music. It also helps that he personally interviewed most of the musicians featured in the book at one point or another. And Patterson is clearly a fan; the book is obviously written with a lot of love and respect for these bands, but he's not above critique either. There are a few chapters that are more thematic, focusing on things such as underground vs. mainstream, and NSBM bands as well.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of shitty people making really good music, and Patterson doesn't shy away from including these individuals' views. It's something that can't be divorced entirely from the scene. Mayhem also does get a lot of attention throughout the book, so if you're sick of hearing about them and the lore around the band, you're out of luck. I think it can't be helped though; they were so massively influential (as a group and Euronymous on his own) that it needs to be included. The story of black metal wouldn't be complete without the murders and church burnings.

As someone just getting into the scene, this book was really invaluable for giving me bands to look into and seeing what albums are sort of 'classics' of the genre. I'll keep going back to it as my knowledge and listening expands. But more than just being a tool for discovery, it was simply a really good read. Although filled with some seriously interesting characters and some outrageous stories, Black Metal is able to go beyond the sensationalism to discuss what matters most: the music.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

That fateful 1993 Kerrang! Magazine featuring Norwegian Black Metal movement was conveniently gifted to me by my first boyfriend 3 years after the release date. The first time I heard about the Scandinavian music scene and the vivid picture painted around it. It was music to the ears for a kid who was just out of a Christian school that tortured her soul for not being a Christian whose only escape was Slayer. The hunger I felt for this new form of music was indescribable. Unfortunately, being in Asia, finding this new extreme music from the North was next to impossible at that time. Internet was a scarcity.!!!!! Years later got my hands on the curious music called ‘black metal’; love at first sight it was!

I’ve heard lot of shit about books like ‘lords of chaos’ and to be honest it never gave me a good vibe and I never read it. I must’ve watched and listened to everything that has come out on black metal so far and this book is something I wanted to have since it was published. And now, since I laid my hands on it I’m not sure how to review this book. There’s no argument on how gifted Patterson is as a writer. His style can make you a happy prisoner with no effort at all. The presentation, the information, the choice of bands, everything is brilliant. Very informative. The development of the book is flawless. Starting from scratch developing to all the weird twists and turns within the scene, this can be described as the ultimate handbook for a black metal fan. I like the fact that it’s mainly one to one interviews rather than just rumors and stories. After all that’s what a proper fan needs.

The structure of the book is more or less the same. Every chapter has a gradually developing flow of each band from day 1 going through all the ups and downs to the point where the book was published. Those who stayed in touch with the active bands may have seen latter releases, line up changes but one must remember where this book ended.

Only thing I wasn’t happy about is the absence of bands like Immortal, Naglfar, Carpathean Forest or even Taake. I also found it a bit odd about the way Satyricon was limited to one very bitter paragraph. Felt bad there, specially cos it’s them who got me into black metal and still they remain as my number one, no matter who says what.

Still, this is a must read for any black metal fan. Highly enjoyable, educative and fucking mind blowing story of how the beautiful form called black metal spread its wings throughout the time. I fell in love with this book without a second thought. And if you are a genuine lover of the genre, I have no doubt you will feel the same.

PS: Everybody loves Fenriz, Frost makes everything better, No one escapes Hellhammer, Necrobutcher is such a lovable bloke and Black Metal is immortal....😊

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-have for all black metal fans!

I couldn't put it down again after I found it in the store. It took me ages to read it though, it's so long! 50 chapters between 485 chapters.

In this you can read about all the bands you can think of that can connect to the black metal scene somehow (though I missed Immortal in this one, I find them pretty important, as they have self-irony and don't take themselves seriously and joke around, which I love. You seriously can't think that you have to be so motherfucking tough and KVLT all the fucking time.)
There's also 64 glossy pages of cool pictures in the middle of the book!
Every chapter features a band (or several - some chapters future different ''parts'' about a certain country and mention different bands throughout it. Mayhem gets several chapters of course. They're my favorite band, so I don't mind at all, but some may.), and tells us how they started, with who, when, how they got into metal, what equipment they used, how they rehearsed, how they made songs, how they were received by people... Everything you need to know basically about bands you like musically. It goes on to tell about the rest of their carreer and releases, though most aren't ''up-to-date''. The author has interviewed basically everyone for this book, so you will get ''personal insight'', funny stories and quotes and so on.

As for how the book is written, I guess that's the reason I'm giving it a 4/5. When he quotes band members, it's very confusing to know which one he's talking about, since it switches a lot. He also writes about himself inbetween, which of course he did with intention, he's just one of many metalheads after all - but I just found it a little weird. And I just didn't feel so ''drawn'' to reading it as I thought I would be. It took me like three months to read it, which is pretty shameful for me, hahah.
But nevertheless, it's a book I've wanted for a while, I liked it a lot and will probably read it again (maybe not from cover to cover), and contains a lot of new information!
So I definitely think fans of black metal should get this.

[Arnel Šarić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. This is how you get your homework done.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a monumental work - telling a story that spans decades, featuring the recollections of dozens (hundreds?) of people. I first bought and read this book when it came out in 2013, back when I was the age many of the black metal protagonists were when they created their influential first recordings. I loved it then, and love it now.

I remain firmly impressed with how Dayal organized this tome; some especially smart choices being that he prefaced the chapter on Les Légions Noires with “Underground Ethics”, and featured one on the rise of NSBM before covering Poland’s notorious bands.

Rather than pouring gasoline on the already sensational acts black metal’s history is known for (church burnings, suicides, and murder to name a few), Patterson provides context to the reader on how they came to happen. This book offers a more well-rounded representation of the musicians as people, allowing you to think “they were crazy”, “those poor depressed teenagers”, and “they were prodigies” - all about the same characters.

With the magic of YouTube, listening to the recordings referenced as you’re reading turns flipping pages into an immersive event. I found myself with a few new favorite bands in my repertoire, using their chapters as the reason to finally get them off my “I’ll check them out one day” list.

Obviously it is not possible to include a chapter on every influential band, and cuts had to be made at some point. Still, I found the omission of a Satyricon chapter strange due to them being mentioned many times elsewhere in the writing. I assume that they are in the expanded version of this book that came out a few years ago.

To leave off on a less nitpicky note, I had a blast reading this book and I’m so happy to have it in my collection! Long live black metal!

[Ettore Pasquini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro perfetto.

Illustra tutti i gruppi fondamentali e le principali reincarnazioni del genere. Black Sabbath, Bathory, la scena greca, Tormentor, Beherit, Von, Thorns, l'industrial black metal, Trelldom, Les Légion Noires, Shining, le tendenze folk, Sigh, Dodheimsgard, Lifelover fino agli Alcest e ai Wolves in the Throne Room, e oltre ovviamente ai gruppi (norvegesi e non) più noti. E' diviso appunto per gruppi, a parte alcuni sezioni di più largo respiro dedicate alle principali scene, etiche, influenze, circostanze. Molto interessante il fatto che ogni capitolo sia sempre lungo 10 pagine: in questo modo il libro è di agile lettura nonostante le quasi 500 pagine. Quando l'argomento necessità di più spazio, viene spezzato in varie parti: per esempio, i Mayhem sono divisi in 4 capitoli, la scena norvegese in 3.

L'autore ha intervistato la maggior parte dei protagonisti nel corso di decenni, spesso come giornalista di varie testate musicali. Nonostante si capisca che è coinvolto nella materia, Dayal Patterson la espone in modo preciso e distaccato. Discute anche le tendenze più destrorse e ignobili: queste vengono descritte per quello che sono, senza fare sconti ma allo stesso tempo giudicando solo la musica, senza condannarla in modo moralista. Torna alla mente il conflitto di molta arte, tipo le meraviglie costruite dagli schiavi dei Romani, i capolavori horror del razzista Lovecraft, o la moltitudine di hip-hop esplicitamente sessista.

Un passaggio nel finale mi ha colpito, forse perché mi sembra più letteralmente vero nel black metal che in altre forme artistiche radicali: "black metal is a cry for wiping the modern world out of your mind and wiping it off the face of the earth and replacing it with something ancient, simple and more primal. The negativity and darkness of black metal is therefore not merely a means to an end, but a starting point for something broader."

[Lara B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad mas confesso que estou esperava outra coisa. Talvez não estivesse no mood, irei reler.
Muito informativo e acrescentei umas bandas à lista

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn't matter how I approach this review. As soon as you hear the term black metal you've already conjured a picture of Satan in your head. It's okay though because everyone does. Black metal has one hell of a reputation but where did it all come from? How did this blackened form of noise catch the ear of metal fans?

That's what makes this book so interesting. Dayal had written a book that is must read for metal fans and it shows just how impressive black metal is. Evolution is a book that explains how the blackest form of metal evolved and also gives us the major players in its evolution. It's a lengthy read but it's never boring. I wasn't all that familiar with black metal's history or how it came to exist and I'm sure if you ask most people what black is you'll either get satanism, or it's that one form of music where all of the members wander around in the woods. It's extreme and yes, satanic, but look at the state of music when it appeared. It was a way to branch out and try and do something different and that's what makes black metal so good. As I read it I saw it as it is truly was and Dayal doesn't want to recruit fans and doesn't gloss over its satanic lyrics or other controversial topics because its all a part of the history.

Being a casual fan of black metal I was able to jump right in because I knew quite a few of the bands and as I write this I'm listening to Dissection's Storm Of The Light's Bane which is a huge record for the growth and importance of black metal. The writing here is easy to follow and broken up by bands and even the notorious church burnings in Norway. Also a lot of time is spent discussing not only Mayhem, but the death of Euronymous. It's a huge thing that had a huge impact on black metal. For anyone who is afraid of what black metal represents this is not a book you want to read because you'll find yourself not only shocked but unable to grasp most of what these bands represent. They offer no apologies and Dayal chooses a variety of source material that Christians will no doubt find offensive.

As a whole this is well a 600 page book that flows well. The main complaint I'm sure from most fans is the inclusion of the influential bands, but you'll have that with any book that features some type of music. If you've never listened to black metal before and just want to see what the big deal is you'll find that Dayal has compiled a book from a fans viewpoint. Each band is given a lengthy bit of space and testimonials from other bands on their importance to the genre. It's a damn good book that taught me a great deal and I now have a huge amount of respect for the bands that have given us some of the darkest, and heaviest forms of metal.

[Elliot]

I’m kind of mixed about this,
It was pretty informative and I enjoyed reading but I had two main issues:
1. It was too much info at once. I know this is a me problem and not really the author’s fault because it makes sense to cover that many bands and artists but it was not easy to keep track, especially after the book progressed past the second wave era
2. I don’t like how Patterson treated extremist ideology with “objectivity” while at the same time putting his own input in when it came to the music itself. I get that this book is supposed to focus on music over ideology but I think it’s pretty tone deaf to be so nonchalant about the rampant Nazism in this genre (not to mention the fact that the verbiage was toned down a lot so that the extremist ideologies were more inconspicuous. I feel like also the fact that many black metal bands identify as apolitical to avoid ideological criticism should have been actually addressed, rather than these political statements (or lack thereof) just being documented in the interview sections.
Generally, this was a pretty solid read in that I now understand black metal much more on a musical level, but I think the tone of this book could be harmful to those unaware of just how bigoted many musicians in this genre are.
At the same time though, I appreciate how Patterson distinguished between the quality of the music according to him, bs the general public, vs the scene.

[SHUiZMZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read LORDS OF CHAOS and the beautifully photographed TRUE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL by Peter Beste (well, I did not read it cover to cover--- I got caught up in the pictures, dammit!), I really can't think of ANY book in existence that comes anywhere close to covering the genre of Black Metal as fully and as in-depth and personal as author Dayal Patterson has done. This book is a fucking masterpiece! I dare someone to write a better book on the subject. I took 50 pages of notes while reading this jotting down bands I wanted to explore and check out, classic stories that amused me, epic quotes, names of sub-genres I was totally unaware of, and at times historical events or books cited that I was intrigued by. Read this book if you enjoy music of any kind, particularly if you love metal, and ESPECIALLY if you listen to Black Metal. I was thoroughly entertained reading this book, even on the bands that I was not familiar with. Enough writing here---I have an official review to write up on my website.

[Andrew Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extra star on the reread. First enjoyed whilst on tour a few years back, not always the best way to read.

The story of Mayhem as presented here was something I was groaning about before reading, but I think Patterson has probably written the definitive piece about Mayhem. He doesn’t skip anything, but treats the shock and awe aspects largely for what they were - unruly and dysfunctional youth who also happened to make some genre defining music.

I’d say this is worth a look primarily for Mayhem, but there are several other profiles in here that stand out (Beherit, Thorns, Enslaved, Tormentor, and others).

Like absolutely everyone in the world I have my picks for who I thought should have had chapters but didn’t (for the record Mortuary Drape, Root, and Abruptum, and for the record, who cares what I think?), and the book definitely loses steam towards the end; the last few chapters can be read if you have an interest in the bands in them but aren’t really necessary to get a sense of Patterson’s project.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An expansive, thorough, and totally readable overview of black metal. Ranging from the earliest roots to current bands, Patterson forgoes the easy sensationalism of the early 90's Norwegian scene and focuses more on the records, the evolution of the craft, and the human stories behind important bands worldwide. There is a bit of repetition towards the beginning - with so many bands drawing from the same handful of influences, I've pretty much got the list memorized - the book is engaging, interview heavy, and interesting even for the bands you may not know. A great reference that you can just as easily read straight through like I did. If you're interested in black metal, this is a good starting point or a nice way to fill in some knowledge gaps and deepen your understanding of some key players.

[xDEAD ENDx · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a goofy genre full of people mimicking people mimicking being evil while cosplaying as demons with Lord of the Rings names.

The book itself is a pretty good overview and history, but halfway through starts to lose steam due to the repetitive "here is this band, influenced by x, y, z, playing music that sounds like a, b, c, and sometimes believing in these ~outrageous~ things."

[Elen · Rating 2 out of 5]

more like 2.5/5
good info, not terribly written, but fairly apologetic when it comes to some absurdly disgusting shit. (inadvertantly?) portrays a lot of the early metal musicians as the ludicrous foreverteens that they truly are.

[Ra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just one page on Satyricon and nothing about Immortal? Not to mention Limbonic Art, Naglfar, Troll, Dismal Euphony....A pretty good read though...

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. This all you could want from a book explaining and examining black metal. I'm currently so damn hungry for black metal and i find new bands mostly in the DSBM field all the time. I love the aesthetics of black metal and mostly the ideology as well. This book covers it all. From the roots and beginnings to the period of confusion and semi commercialism until today's lively and truly remarkable scene. The scene is now so diverse and you can find your own niche. I love how Patterson tries to talk about as many countries, styles and bands as possible. Of course NSBM has to be mentioned but contrary to the lord of chaos, here it is not stretched painfully and dealt with in a rational way. I totally agree that true convictions are rather seldom. Mostly it's about shocking and being anti everything. And thus black metal will plow its way through conservatism, Christianity and mainstream and leave destruction in its path as it has always done so. What a completely satisfying book this was! Mortiis was interviewed at length, an individual I love very much. I loved to learn so much about him as well as countless other individuals that I admire and fascinate me. Also I love that the notion that all should have stayed trve and what not is not shared by many I this book. It truly does not make sense anyway. We cannot stop time progress and the public eye. Well.. Before I start a discussion now.. Let me just say hail black metal. Hail the black masses!

[Maarten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult (that should've been with a "K" and a "v" :-p) is definitely one of the most inspiring and stimulating books I've ever read. Being a BM fan since 15 years or so, I thought I knew a lot about this life style, but obviously I didn't. I only had some knowledge about the bands I was listening to and the things I had read on the Internet (e.g. reviews). This book connected a lot of dots for me. It gave me a lot of information I needed to know (and some I maybe didn't want to know). It also broadened my views a lot, especially about the founders of the second wave and industrial BM. I listened to a lot of new music in chronology with the book. I am very happy that the book helped me discover such gems as Master's Hammer's Ritual and the music of Beherit...

[Joe Callaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by Black Metal, without really being attracted to the music. I still find a lot of it a little unlistenable to my tastes, and I tend to like the idea of it (the atmosphere and ambience, the passages of repetitiveness, the speed) more than the actual execution of it.

This book has given me a number of artists I need to explore. To supplement this, I watched a couple of BM documentaries on YouTube. After reading this book, all I learned from the docs is that Varg Vikernes is a bit of a bell-end. A very eloquent, highly intelligent, lunatic fascist bell-end.

Good, exhaustive read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six hundred pages! Quite a lot on Celtic Frost, even treatment of Burzum that neither glorifies nor demonizes, coverage of Mayhem that goes beyond the death of Euronymous, and a lot of information on Japan's brilliant, underrated Sigh.

[Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on monosounds.org.

It’s probably bad form to discuss a book in the same way you would an underground record. Typical write-ups consist of comparing a band to a more established act in order to point the reader in the right direction. I don’t think you’re supposed to review literature in that way, but goddamn it if it doesn’t apply in this case.

The elephant in the room… ‘Black Metal – Evolution of the Cult’ is far better than ‘Lords of Chaos’. Dayal Patterson makes a polite mention of this in his foreword in order to not step on toes, not to mention sales, seeing as how they’re on the same imprint. I’m going to be more explicit. This book kicks the shit out of ‘Lords’, out of ‘Until the Light Takes Us’, out of any book discussing the formation of a musical genre. Any musical genre.

Let’s start at the beginning. The most stunning piece of information from ‘Lords of Chaos’ is given in the opening chapters – “A significant degree of Black Metal’s allure and stature does not derive from the accomplished musical achievements and originality of the artists playing the music. The grisly crimes have contributed as much, and maybe even more, to its appeal.” The main author, Michael Moynihan, has a background in the neofolk/martial scene, so I’m guessing this reflects his own outlook and his own fascination with black metal. He saw it as an outsider, the wacky antics splashed on the covers of glossy magazines. I really don’t think the man had an interest in the artistic merits of the genre, rather he was drawn in by the pagan aspect and the nationalist aspect of it. This is just a guess, seeing as others have written quite a bit on his personal political affiliations and the imagery in his own music. He speaks of the Black Widow’s ‘Sacrifice’ by saying “Today it fetches large sums from collectors, clearly due more to its bizarre impression than for any other reason.” Image is much more important in his mind, and his novel, than his actual subjects. If the interviews were conducted solely for this project, and not over the course of years due to a personal love of the topic, then they would also have a bias.

That last aspect does not come into play in Patterson’s expertly researched 600-page book. Most of the interviews came from his own zines, so he’s working with a much fuller palette. The subjects come across as relaxed in their conversations – while in the other book, they’re fully in character. It’s a very logical time line Patterson uses, it’s basically biblical. Venom begat Hellhammer. Hellhammer begat Master’s Hammer. Master’s Hammer begat Mayhem, ad infinitum. It goes well beyond Dead and Euronymous, well beyond Varg, and well beyond Quarthon. It doesn’t dwell on the history of Christian oppression in Scandinavia. It is as in-depth as in-depth gets. And it focuses on the facts of the bands included – there are no leaps trying to connect the ‘Wild Ride’ to the current state of affairs. The only ancient spirits are Sarcófago and King Diamond.

The passage of time is also a factor in making this the superior book. In the early 90s, Tom G. Warrior was persona non grata, he wasn’t even acknowledging his own past – never mind other people acknowledging his past. Some distance was required to fully appreciate how the man influenced an entire generation of musicians. Also, if there’s one fact that will be repeated from ‘Evolution’, it will be how KISS trading cards influenced every single fucking black metal musician in Scandinavia. I really never thought I’d see the day that the church-burning, murdering masses would freely admit their connection to the Gods of Thunder. Attila, Fenriz, Dead, Enslaved, Emperor, everyone sings the praises of KISS. It’s odd but really refreshing. No pretense whatsoever. Most importantly, the interviews with Necrobutcher and Manheim go into exquisite detail about the very early days of Mayhem and how they arrived at each stage of their career. Absolutely meticulous.

I recently read an article on Slate that was suggested to me, and while I agree with that author on some points, I really have to take issue with Robbins saying Patterson did not do enough to editorialize the sections on NSBM. Read ‘Lords’ and have a look at what a wreck over-editorializing creates. ‘Evolution of the Cult’ is not an entry-level book, I’d imagine. It doesn’t sensationalize, so I don’t know if there’s going to be any crossover with this piece with the True Crime genre. The folks picking this up are not going to be swayed one way or the other. Either they do not care or look the other way at some of the sketchier elements in black metal. They may do their homework and actively avoid the fascism and opt for Pantopicon. Or they actually are the sketchy elements. In any case, it doesn’t make a difference. At all.

There are a few chapters that I could have done without, and that’s just due to the fact that I could care less about the history of Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, but I totally understand why they’re in there. I don’t understand the multiple chapters on the introduction of EBM and industrial into black metal. Brevity would have worked better than individual chapters on Dødheimsgard, Thorns, Aborym, Mysticum and Blacklodge. It could be cultural, maybe industrial black metal is a far bigger phenomenon in the UK than it is in the US, but it’s just treading water after Thorns. A chapter on Immortal would serve the book better overall than multiple chapters on a sub-subgenre. Maybe a chapter on modern French bands and not so much focus on Les Legions Noire. That’s just picking nits though.

I cannot imagine the level of attention Patterson gave to this project. I mean, fuck… I’ve wanted to stop writing this review about four times since I started three hours ago. My hats are off to this dude for writing this. I’m guessing (and hoping), that music writers use this as a template – give me the history of death metal and crust punk in the same manner and I’m in. Please consider this review to be my recommendation to pick this up. Quickly.

[Bosco Farr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It bogs a little in places. It's very informative. When you're done, you'll know more about black metal than you wanted to or thought possible. A solid read but only for those with at least a passing interest in the subject.

[Muhammad Abdul Baased · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book 🤘

[Claus Poulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tog forevigt at læse, men man skal jo også høre samtlige bands nævnt. Det er klart. Stærkt anbefalet!

[Mateusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Świetne

[Bo Schokker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ✨ :)