| Norwegian black metal | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Thrash metal, hardcore punk, punk rock, black metal |
| Cultural origins | Early 1990s, Norway |
| Subgenres | |
| Symphonic black metal | |
| Other topics | |
| List of musicians | |
The early Norwegian black metal scene of the 1990s is credited with shaping the modern black metal genre and producing some of the most acclaimed and influential artists in extreme metal. It attracted significant media attention when it was revealed that its members had been implicated in three murders,[citation needed] a suicide, and a wave of church burnings in Norway.
The scene had a distinct ethos, and its core members referred to themselves as "The Black Circle" or "Black Metal Inner Circle." This group consisted of men who congregated at the record shop Helvete ("Hell") in Oslo. In interviews, they expressed anti-Christian and misanthropic views, presenting themselves as a cult-like group of militant Satanists intent on spreading terror, hatred, and evil. They adopted pseudonyms and appeared in photographs adorned with "corpse paint" and wielding medieval weaponry. The scene was exclusive, creating boundaries around itself and incorporating only those it deemed "true" or committed.[1] Musical integrity was paramount, and artists sought to maintain black metal's underground status.
In August 1993, several of its members were arrested, and in May 1994, they were convicted of arson, murder, assault, and possession of explosives, most notably Varg Vikernes for the murder of Euronymous. Most showed no remorse for their actions at the time. Some Norwegian media referred to them as "Satanic terrorists," and one Norwegian TV channel interviewed a woman who claimed that Satanists had sacrificed her child and killed her dog.[2] The early Norwegian black metal scene has since been the subject of numerous books and documentaries.