Black Metal:
Black Metal is a form of highly theatrical, dramatic, orchestrated metal that originated in Norway in the early nineties in reaction to the increasingly punk, street, non-theatrical bent of Death Metal. Black Metal Bands such as Dark Funeral, Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth integrate gloomy synthesizers, strings, and complex arrangements, sometimes going far enough to be called Progressive Metal. Mythology and religion are central to Black Metal, as most bands are vociferously anti-Christian, often grounding themselves in Nordic or Pagan beliefs. The story of the more outrageously violent and shocking early Black Metal bands such as Mayhem and Emperor can be read in Michael Moynihan's excellent, thoughtful book, Lords of Chaos.
