True Norwegian Black Metal on Vice TV

by Art Fag City on May 22, 2008 · 12 comments Events

gaahl.jpg
GAAHL, lead singer of Gorgoroth, screengrab from Vice TV

“I don’t think of myself as someone who can paint. That’s why I quit art school…” explains Gaahl to Vice TV, the lead vocalist of Gorgoroth, the most feared black metal band in Norway. The ex-painter turned musician, Satanist and convicted felon goes on to liken violence that began self defense to art. “It’s like a painting,” he says, “you don’t stop until it’s finished.” Of course by this rationale you’d think he’d be creating the most overworked paintings on the planet, since he is comparing art making to torturing a victim for 6 hours and collecting their blood in a cup.

Gaahl’s art doesn’t give the viewer too much additional insight to his psyche, but it adds shape to an already nuanced documentary portrait on the band and lead singer. The five part series titled True Norwegian Black Metal features interviews with Norwegian music journalists, band members, and the documentarians themselves, challenging Terrorizer magazine’s title for Gaahl, as “the most evil man alive”.

More likely, he’s simply a sociopath who needs more alone time than his isolated village and band life permits. Showing the singer to be thoughtful and considered, part 3 of the documentary includes musings on religion such as “God is within nature, and nature will always grow that is the force within all life” and incredulous recollections from the documentarians in response to Gaahl’s unprompted decision to take each of them aside to give them remarkably valuable feedback on how to improve their lives. This of course, is juxtaposed with the artist roughly explaining in part 4, “…Just by saying no to someone you’ve punished them enough. And some you probably need to cut to small pieces and sew back together.”

Disturbed rationalization of violent acts aside, the documentary makes certain to express the band’s desire to present a message — the word of Satan — over the music. Or to put it a different way, says former drummer Kvitrafn, “We demand something from the listener.” And indeed they do.

To watch the five part series (all but the last video is 5 minutes each) click here.

{ 12 comments }

Rachel April 25, 2009 at 1:59 am

You shouldn’t talk about things you know nothing about. Black Metal isn’t all about violence and Satanism! Most of them only use Satanic imagery becasue thats what people understand- As Gaahl himself said we live in a Christian world and have to speak their language. It’s about holding yourself to a higher standard- thats why Gaahl stands up for himself and demands something from the listener. He should.

Rachel April 24, 2009 at 8:59 pm

You shouldn’t talk about things you know nothing about. Black Metal isn’t all about violence and Satanism! Most of them only use Satanic imagery becasue thats what people understand- As Gaahl himself said we live in a Christian world and have to speak their language. It’s about holding yourself to a higher standard- thats why Gaahl stands up for himself and demands something from the listener. He should.

Art Fag City April 25, 2009 at 2:04 am

Did you even watch the videos or read the post? Who said Black Metal is all about violence and Satanism?

Art Fag City April 24, 2009 at 9:04 pm

Did you even watch the videos or read the post? Who said Black Metal is all about violence and Satanism?

Vicotnik May 17, 2009 at 3:30 am

As i see it, lot of the whole ‘Satanic’ approach that Black Metal musicians take is just a way of getting back at the people who have come to their raped and killed their families, destroyed their culture and forced a whole new culture onto them and for those who did not follow this new way were tortured and killed. The people that did all that was the Christians, and it really gets to them when people do not follow their religion, and it gets to them even more if the religion that you follow is Satanism. And also to the best of my knowledge Gaahl follows Anton Levay’s line of satanism what is all about treating yourself as a god and allowing yourself to indulge in what ever worldly fantasies you have, which it fine for most people, but there are some sick fucks out there that do whatever they fucking want. Now as for the violence that your thinking Black Metal is so heavily based on, what they’re saying is no worse than every other rap singer whose message is that it fine to beat women and kill each other, and the people that listen to that stuff are generally the ones who goes around in gangs beating, stabbing, shooting and killing every day people just for the hell of it. Its not the Black Metal listeners that you have to worry about, because we are perfectly happy to live our lives and listen to the greatest genre of music ever created.

Vicotnik May 16, 2009 at 10:30 pm

As i see it, lot of the whole ‘Satanic’ approach that Black Metal musicians take is just a way of getting back at the people who have come to their raped and killed their families, destroyed their culture and forced a whole new culture onto them and for those who did not follow this new way were tortured and killed. The people that did all that was the Christians, and it really gets to them when people do not follow their religion, and it gets to them even more if the religion that you follow is Satanism. And also to the best of my knowledge Gaahl follows Anton Levay’s line of satanism what is all about treating yourself as a god and allowing yourself to indulge in what ever worldly fantasies you have, which it fine for most people, but there are some sick fucks out there that do whatever they fucking want. Now as for the violence that your thinking Black Metal is so heavily based on, what they’re saying is no worse than every other rap singer whose message is that it fine to beat women and kill each other, and the people that listen to that stuff are generally the ones who goes around in gangs beating, stabbing, shooting and killing every day people just for the hell of it. Its not the Black Metal listeners that you have to worry about, because we are perfectly happy to live our lives and listen to the greatest genre of music ever created.

MidnightInertia August 8, 2009 at 8:52 am

Vicotnik, Did you know that well over 80% of Vikings who turned on their traditional beliefs for Christianity converted themselves, and the common belief that Christians raped their lands, their women, and took their religion away from all Vikings, is horribly false. Most Vikings turned to western beliefs to enhance trading options, as being heathen, most major powers in the world (who were predominantly Christian) would not trade with them to to their faith. Many other Vikings abandoned their own gods because they thought that the gods they worshiped had abandoned them due to the changes that were going on in the society. Few Vikings actually had conversion forced upon them. I love Black Metal, but I refuse to be apart of the culture. If Black Metal artists rely on Satanic themes in their music to “get back” at Christianity for their “forced conversion”, then it makes me wonder if these bands and artists are really worth my support, the concept is so petty.

MidnightInertia August 8, 2009 at 3:52 am

Vicotnik, Did you know that well over 80% of Vikings who turned on their traditional beliefs for Christianity converted themselves, and the common belief that Christians raped their lands, their women, and took their religion away from all Vikings, is horribly false. Most Vikings turned to western beliefs to enhance trading options, as being heathen, most major powers in the world (who were predominantly Christian) would not trade with them to to their faith. Many other Vikings abandoned their own gods because they thought that the gods they worshiped had abandoned them due to the changes that were going on in the society. Few Vikings actually had conversion forced upon them. I love Black Metal, but I refuse to be apart of the culture. If Black Metal artists rely on Satanic themes in their music to “get back” at Christianity for their “forced conversion”, then it makes me wonder if these bands and artists are really worth my support, the concept is so petty.

MidnightInertia August 8, 2009 at 9:00 am

And no, Gaahl does not follow Anton LaVey’s line of Satanism. Gaahl on many occasions has stated on many occasions has opposition to the Satanic church, which was set up by Anton LaVey. He believes that they are weak, and cannot stand alone, so they are just as bad as Christians.

Having said all that, I do completely agree with you on one point, that being, somehow people think the violence attributed to Black Metal is unacceptable, yet they will gladly sit around listening to Rap about Negros shooting each other in Compton. That genre of music is completely BASED on violence, yet we are somehow screwed up because we listen to Metal, it’s ridiculous.

MidnightInertia August 8, 2009 at 4:00 am

And no, Gaahl does not follow Anton LaVey’s line of Satanism. Gaahl on many occasions has stated on many occasions has opposition to the Satanic church, which was set up by Anton LaVey. He believes that they are weak, and cannot stand alone, so they are just as bad as Christians.

Having said all that, I do completely agree with you on one point, that being, somehow people think the violence attributed to Black Metal is unacceptable, yet they will gladly sit around listening to Rap about Negros shooting each other in Compton. That genre of music is completely BASED on violence, yet we are somehow screwed up because we listen to Metal, it’s ridiculous.

Metallica September 6, 2010 at 5:02 pm

I personally think that Black Metal influences Satanism. Therefore they suck.

Metallica September 6, 2010 at 1:02 pm

I personally think that Black Metal influences Satanism. Therefore they suck.

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