It's really not as bad...

(Reader Contribution to 8 Bizarre Subcultures)

To be fair, Norwegian black metal fandom isn't nearly as extreme as it is portrayed in most media. True enough, there were a handful of violent crimes in the early 90s and most black metal artists are staunchly opposed to modern organized religion, but for the most part it's purely theatrics for the purpose of enhancing the dark and evil atmosphere of their music. Very, very few black metallers are actually pagan or Satanist (they're usually atheist) and next to none are murderers or arsonists. To say that black metal is a war against Christianity and mainstream culture is somewhat akin to saying rap artists are all sociopathic drug-dealing cop killers; not a baseless accusation but an extreme exaggeration.

The truth is that due to the small number of eccentric or criminal figures within the scene's early years, black metal soon became the default target for those days when the "moral guardians" go on crusades against "devil worshipping rock music". The accusations these groups place on the Norwegian scene are usually completely false.

Just a bit of elaboration from your friendly neighbourhood (admittedly not Norwegian) metalhead.


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