Thurston talks black metal
 

http://decibelmagazine.com/Content.aspx?ncid=305305

I think I'm going to put on Dodheimsgard - 666 Internationale right now.

"I really drew the line between black metal and death metal. Death metal was obviously more of a technically proficient kind of playing, which I had no interest in. I wanted to hear music by people who had no desire to impress with any kind of traditional, skilled playing."

haha. That's how I always felt about all the death metal I've heard.

Great interview. Thanks!

why are mercyful fate considered black metal? they sound more like straight up heavy metal to me.

Hmm... I see what he's saying there, but a lot of black metal is insanely difficult to play... and indeed just as "technically proficient" (though not as complex, structurally.. usually)... It may sound like shit, production-wise, but jesus, try playing some of that shit as fast as they play it, for as long as they play it. Granted, the difference is moreso that black metal bands often just tremolo-pick power chords as fast as possible (kind of a faster punk rock in a way... so I can see why it would appeal to Thurston) whereas death metal bands often are trying to further their techniques and the complexity of their approach, sometimes even adding elements of classical music in their solos and riffing (see Necrophagist)...but tons of black metal bands are skilled... perhaps they just sound sloppier in comparison. Interesting. Both genres have shitloads of amazing bands, either way...

i like black metal more... there's a lot more emotion involved and i don't like guitar noodling.

Derek... Mercyful Fate, Bathory, and Venom are all considered important inspirations for the black metal genre, as far as imagery and lyrics and speed is concerned.

To put it in a different context, think of the Sex Pistols and their inspiration to the punk genre. No one's going to argue with the fact that they're an influential punk band, but in all reality, their songs sound a lot different than the punk bands that were to influence. For one, there was actually some somewhat "technical" (comparatively speaking) playing on Never Mind the Bollocks.. not to mention all the songs were so damn slow (again, in comparison to the bands who followed). However, they were influential in their lyrics, attitude, fashion, and so on.... even if most punk bands don't really sound like them.

I am not going to choose one genre over another. Both genres have amazing (and shit) bands. I guess if I think about it, I'd rather listen to Weakling's "Dead as Dreams" over any metal album ever made, so yeah.. black metaaal, if I have to choose here. Hah.

yeah you're right, mercyful fate just always reminded me of iron maiden haha. king diamond rules.

I want to hear about those bands influenced by 'Cross The Breeze.

Moore gonna paint his face and lips, talking about devil and how to kill god, playing fast guitar? uhhhhhh!

"I basically spent the winter of 2007-2008 standing on my roof with my shirt off with two axes over my head in a crisscross shape just listening to black metal."

thanks for the interview link man

Is there anything that Thurston is not up on? I mean, the guy seems to be into everything.

Black Metal scares me

Look Spectral, LOOK!




Ha, you just peed!

Mercyful Fate are proto-black metal and very integral to its formations. Thurston seems to have the right idea with black metal. I was never too big on it personally, I was pretty much rooted in thrash but black metal and noise go hand in hand. The soundscapes that bands like Darkthrone made can't be topped.

Not that kind of scared.


It's just sort of baffling. The art, the look, the whole thing. It's all rather silly and that people take it that seriously. . . well, scares me.

Although technically you could say that about any counter-culture to some extent.

Thanks for this. I might check out some of those bands he mentioned.

I prefer black metal over death metal by far. It's not that I think death is worse than black because of the technical proficiency, some of it is to do with the vocals and the imagery - I really dislike death vocals, and black imagery can be pretty cool sometimes. Not the bands usually, but the pictures of forests on, say, a Striborg album are interesting.

You can tell some of the more discordant French black metal bands like Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega have been listening to Sonic Youth.
Black metal seems to be more high brow conceptual/'arty' whereas Death Metal these days seems to have more in common with sport than any sort of art. But fuck it, I'm seeing Morbid Angel tonight - gonna be off the hook.

this thread make crypto the best fan of sonic youth?
cause if it is he's the avant-gard of blackmetalsonicyouthfan

It's more interesting to me to hear of all of the black metal dudes into Sonic Youth than Thurston being into them. SY have always checked out and promoted fringe music, but to hear of it crossing back is fascinating. I remember an '80s interview where they admitted they didn't figure the hip hop artists they were into would likely listen to them and like it. However, apparently that's not the case with this genre/culture and they actually have made an impact.

The only hip hop artists I've ever heard give SY love were Chuck D, El-P,
Slug, Can Ox and Cage.

Are there any black metal bands whose lyrics is lacking the obvious thematic bollocks about Satan and the occult stuff?

Except Wolves in the Throne Room. I know about them.

Yeah, that was cool.

Although I've always thought of 'Cross the Breeze as being Sonic Youth at their most hardcore moment.

I figured as much. It is true, and I always wonder if the whole thing isn't a bit tongue-in-cheek; not the music, because I'd like to think that if they devote this much time and effort towards the music they take it seriously, but more the culture, what with the crazy face painting and the pentagrams and the hanging out at Wal-Mart and whatnot.

Do it! Do it!

Not that it would matter, since it's probably plastic. I'm sure he just grabbed it out of his little brother's $1 "Adventure Kit" he got in the bargain bin at Target.

"That's my toy, you can't have it!"

"God, I just need it really quick for an awesome picture, I'll bring it right back!"

cant keep up w/ all the sub genres but sepultura(metal of some sort?) in an interview in the mid 90s said they were really into sy.

It's no shocker that bands would be into bands out of their genre. It's bands that only listen to their own type of music that end up coming off as a complete clone of the genre.

xasthur perhaps, if you count that as BM.i could remember more. also striborg.

i remember listening to burzum in my teens, in my parents house, back in my room. couldn't care less 'bout satan, but hey. mute the vocals and filosofem is in GY!BE territory. also les legions noires stuff and later like blut aus nord -- THE WORK THAT TRANSFORMS GOD.

Also pretentious or not, bm produced real myths: for example, an album where a murderer and a victim play together.

Wow, I didn't know Striborg had ever attempted to play live... but I did learn recently that he used to play in a band called MSI, short for Mutilated Spastic Iguanas.

I've been listening to a lot of Woods of Infinity the last couple of weeks, one of the bands Thurston mentions. It's probably worth checking out some of the other ones I haven't heard of.

Thanks for the link, Moshe

If a black metal band doesn't write about Satan and occult stuff, usually they'll write about history or nature.

paganism, folk mythology

or lycanthropy

the first black metal album i heard was Ulver's "Nattens Madrigal - Aatte Hymne til Ulven i Manden"
and that's as great an introduction record as you can get.

Immortal, on the later albums, have been writing about snow and Norwegian nature only.

pioneers in corpsepaint + real satanism + ambitious arrangements = bm daddies.


one of my fave live bands, incredible intensity whenever i see them.


plenty sing about depression and suicide; wigrid and shining come to mind.

but can someone really listen to the lyrics?

Hmmm...We're talking black metal in 2009. I'm not sure exactly what this says about us as a people....