Murder Music: A History of Black Metal
David Kenny, United Kingdom, 2007, 64 min

‘Murder Music: A History of Black Metal is a heavy metal music documentary aired on British pay-per-view channel Rockworld TV. Murder Music centers around the controversial black metal subgenre. It was written by renowned metal journalist Malcolm Dome and hosted by Rockworld TV’s and Contraband Candy’s René Ackermann, who was also the documentary’s associate producer.

The main themes of Murder Music are: the musical origins of black metal, from Birmingham, UK heavy metal group BLACK SABBATH to Newcastle extreme metal pioneers VENOM; the anti-Christian sentiment of its practitioners; the controversies surrounding the criminal acts (arson and murder) of the early Norwegian scene; and the paradox of a Christian form of black metal, represented by Scandinavian band FROSTHARDR.

Musicians from some key contemporary bands in the scene are interviewed, such as SATYRICON, IMMORTAL, MAYHEM, DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH. Some non-musicians are interviewed as well, including Terrorizer magazine editor Jonathan Selzer and Didrik Søderlind, co-author of the Lords of Chaos book.

Black Metal: The Norwegian Legacy?
Bill Zebub, USA, 2008, 90 min

‘The term ‘black metal’ was coined by the band VENOM but the meaning has changed. It now refers to a style that was developed by Norwegians. But some argue that the music is from Sweden because BATHORY created the quintessence of Black Metal. This documentary discards the sensationalism and conducts riveting chats with bands like ENSLAVED, DARK FUNERAL, NAGLFAR, ROTTING CHRIST, BLOODTHORN, DIMMU BORGIR and other dark artists. Exclusive footage of live performances spices up the enjoyment.’

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One Man Metal (2012) presented by Noisey (December 20, 2012)
Xasthur par BRYAN SHEFFIELD, Self-Titled numéro 8 (June 23, 2011)
Black Metal Satanica (2008) by MATS LUNDBERG (June 13, 2011)
‘Black Metal’ (2005) photographs by STACY KRANITZ (June 4, 2011)
‘Svart Metall’ (2009) par GRANT WILLING (June 2, 2011)
Until the Light Takes Us (2009) by AARON AITES & AUDREY EWELL (June 1, 2011)
Norsk Black Metal (Norwegian Black Metal) (December 4, 2010)
Det Svarte Alvor (1994) A Black Metal Documentary (December 2, 2010)

Vivek Venkatesh presents
Grimposium: Trve Kvlt Arts, Films, Sounds and Texts in Extreme Metal
April 11 & 12 2014, 9am-5pm, Concordia University, Montreal

Grimposium is organised by Vivek Venkatesh, Associate Dean at the School of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Eduational Technology at Concordia University.

Grimposium is Vivek’s ode to the extreme metal scene – a ritual offering that Vivek is making to the men and women who define, redefine and stretch the artistic boundaries of what this niche scene has become. The event will be held at the de Sève cinema at Concordia University in Montreal on April 11 and 12, 2014.

It features key members of the global extreme metal scene including filmmakers, musicians, journalists, visual artists, authors, creative writers, musicologists and academics. The event will feature film screenings, book launches, panel sessions, art exhibitions and much, much more. Stay grim, posers.

Download the schedule.

Viy: Or The Spirit of Evil
Georgi Kropachyov, Soviet Union, 1967, 77 min

‘While losing himself, wandering home whilst on leave from his seminary, novice monk Khoma stays in the barn of an old woman. A scuffle breaks out. Later, he is summonsed to stand and prey over a young dead woman, in the local church, for three nights. It is here that while in the long, dark nights, of the locked doors, that the dead regain life, the souls of Hell taunt the young monk to near terrifying insanity and the test of Faith will be as powerful as the witches, monsters and the mighty demon Viy who haunt his every step and bay for his very soul.’ — IMDb

KRIST MORT

‘Austrian based artist mainly working with photography aswell as moving pictures. She was born in 1991 and since then, has taught herself how to operate a camera by trial and error.’

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TOMMY NEASE (August 27, 2013)
ELLEN ROGERS (August 7, 2013)
ALEXANDER BINDER (February 17, 2010)
RIK GARRETT (rikgarrett.tumblr.com)

The Satanic Temple, a burgeoning community of worship devoted to the Dark Lord, has performed a “Pink Mass” over the grave of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps Jr.’s mother. The Pink Mass is a Satanic ritual performed after death that turns the deceased’s straight spirit into a homo one—it’s not unlike the Mormon practice of baptizing the dead, only much gayer.

On Sunday the Satanic Temple, which first came into the national spotlight last January when the organization announced its support for Florida Governor Rick Scott, went to the Phelps family graveyard in Mississippi to perform the ritual. (Two Pink Masses were performed, one with a female couple and another with men.) I contacted Lucien Greaves, the Temple’s spokesperson and officiator of the ceremony, to find out what exactly the Pink Mass entials. While he didn’t get into specifics, he told told me via email that « there were, in fact, scriptures recited, candles lit, and a ceremonial proceeding that we may eventually post the details of at our website, westboro-baptist.com. That is, if the Pink Mass generates sufficient interest to the point that other responsible parties, respectful of the graveyard, wish to perform their own. »

The idea for the mass came about in April, when the WBC announced their intention to protest the funerals of the Boston Bombing victims. The church never showed up, but later issued a statement saying they were there “in spirit.” As is always the case when WBC does or says anything, both the initial plans and the subsequent statement pissed off everyone in the world, including Satanists. And so, according to a press release, the Satanic Temple decided that a ceremony celebrating same-sex couples « at the gravesite of Fred Phelps’ mother was an appropriate way to meet the Westboro Baptists, ‘in spirit,’ but this time on our terms.”

Now the spirit of Catherine Idalette Johnston is officially into other chicks, meaning her gravesite is a viable target for one of her son’s “God hates fags” protests. Lucien told me, « We believe that Fred Phelps is obligated to believe that his mother is now gay in the afterlife. Further, if beliefs are inviolable rights, nobody has the right to challenge our right to believe that Fred Phelps believes that his mother is now gay. »

When I asked Lucien if the Temple has plans to perform Pink Masses on any other deceased members of the Phelps family, he said, « We haven’t gayed Fred’s father yet, or his great-aunt, Irene Jordan, who raised him after his mother died. We will perform Pink Masses for each of them, and more descendants of the Phelps, each time they picket funerals or applaud horrific terrorist actions, as they are known to do. Fred himself is getting pretty long in the tooth, and I hope to be presiding over his Pink Mass before long. »

The Temple is encouraging other gay couples to make the trek to Magnolia cemetery in Mississippi and suck each others’ faces at the grave. They say that every time a same-sex couple makes out over the grave of a Pink Mass recipient, the spirit of the deceased “is pleasured in the afterlife,” presumably with spooky ghost orgasms.

And for couples interested in performing an official Pink Mass of their own, Lucien told me, « I would encourage them to try to arrange such a thing with us, so that we might have a High Priest formally officiate. »

In addition to supporting Republican politicians and turning ghosts gay, the Satanic Temple has launched a bid to adopt a highway in New York City. They are hoping that their Pink Masses will raise awareness for their highway campaign, which is lacking in public support. You can watch a video about the project above, and they’ve set up an Indiegogo page where you can donate money and help the Temple achieve their dream of contributing to the betterment of society by keeping our highways clean and litter-free.

In conclusion, your mom likes to scissor now, Fred.

Jonathan Smith
Vice.com