KB's Reviews > Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult

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.