Black metal

Black metal is an extreme style of Heavy metal music that started in the early 1980s. Unlike other metal subgenres, black metal vocalists shriek instead of growling. Many black metal bands promote satanism in their lyrics and outlook. Some bands promote Paganism instead of satanism. Black metal musicians often wear corpse paint for performances.

The Cross of St. Peter is a common image in black metal.

Black metal is split into two waves. The first wave began in the early 1980s with bands like Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Mercyful Fate. Venom's first albums, Welcome to Hell and Black Metal are usually said to be the first black metal records. The second wave is the most popular wave of black metal and it started in the early 1990s. It started from Norway and has bands like Darkthrone, Enslaved, Burzum, Satyricon, Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Immortal, and Emperor.

Black metal is also very controversial, especially in Norway. During the early 1990s, certain black metal musicians burned old churches in Norway. One of the people who was found guilty for burning churches, Varg Vikernes, was also found guilty for murdering Øystein Aarseth, a fellow black metal musician.

Subgenres

• Ambient black metal (also atmospheric black metal) uses synthesizers to create a dark atmosphere.
• Symphonic black metal uses orchestras.
• Viking metal talks about Norse mythology instead of satanism and the occult. Bands in this subgenre often use some folk instruments as well. Bathory is usually given credit for creating the subgenre with their album, Blood Fire Death.
• National Socialist black metal (also known as Nazi black metal or NSBM) has Nazi themes. Nazi black metal artists are a small minority.
• Deppresive Suicidal black metal (also known as DSBM) talks a lot about depression, suicide, self-harm, misanthropy, and death. DSBM is often made by one-man bands.