National Socialist black metal

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National Socialist black metal
Stylistic origins	Black metal
Cultural origins	Early 1990s, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe
Typical instruments	Vocals - Electric guitar - Bass guitar - Drums
Mainstream popularity	Underground

National Socialist black metal (also known as NSBM) is a term used for black metal artists who promote National Socialist (Nazi) beliefs through their lyrics and imagery. These beliefs often include ideas of white supremacy, racial separatism, antisemitism, heterosexism, and Nazi interpretations of paganism or Satanism. They see “national socialism as a logical extension of the political and spiritual dissidence inherent in black metal [...]. Although fascist and heathen sentiments constitute a discernible trend within the black-metal underground, they remain a minor part of black metal and certainly do not define the whole scene.”^[1]

Contents 1 Definition 2 Ideology 2.1 Anti-Christianity and Anti-Semitism 2.2 White supremacy 2.3 Fascist Satanism 2.4 Fascist Paganism 3 Development and organisation 4 NSBM and the broader white nationalist movement 5 NSBM and the broader black metal scene 5.1 False allegations 6 List of bands 7 See also 8 Literature 8.1 English 8.2 German 9 References

[edit] Definition

The criteria for a band to be labeled as NSBM has been a subject of much controversy. However, the general consensus holds that the criteria are:

• The musicians hold Nazi beliefs and make references to these in their lyrics and artwork
• The music should be definable as black metal - the criteria for what defines such a controversial subject in itself

Bands whose members hold Nazi beliefs but do not express these through their lyrics are generally not seen as NSBM by black metal musicians, but are labeled as such in media reports.^[2] It should also be noted that some black metal bands have made references to Nazi Germany purely for shock value; much like some pioneering punk musicians, or heavy metal band Slayer.

[edit] Ideology

The ideology usually consists of Nazi beliefs as well as traits found in conventional black metal such as hostility to Chrisitianity and other religions labeled by some as Right-Hand Path and preocupations with Satanism and paganism, often with Nazi-oriented interpretations. The ideology may also hearken to the preocupations with paganism and esotericism practised by various officials and organisations in the Nazi era such as Alfred Rosenberg and Thule Society. Hendrik Möbus of Absurd described Nazism the “most perfect (and only realistic!) synthesis of satanic/luciferian will to power, elitist Social Darwinism, connected to Aryan Germanic paganism.”^[3]. The band Der Stürmer - named after the anti-Semitic newspaper edited by Julius Streicher - are cited as an example of a band whose members subscribe to esoteric Hitlerism leaning on the works of Savitri Devi and Julius Evola.^[4]

To a part of the scene, Nazism is the only ideology fitting to black metal.^[4] Athalwolf, who is involved in several Greek bands, labels, fanzines and mailorders, accuses apolitical bands and fans of not being “true”. He sees them as idols for the weak and the very antipode to the “true” NS underground.^[5] Carl Warslaughter of Bestial Mockery and the dissolved NSBM band Sons of Satan said every black metal worshipper should at least sense the grandiosity of fascism.^[6] Some NSBM fans, however, only approve this mixing if it fits their definition of black metal. An example is Laurent Franchet of French band Kristallnacht who said black metal is ideologically based on Elitism and Anti-Semitism, but no exclusive NS music.^[7]

[edit] Anti-Christianity and Anti-Semitism

In line with Nazi anti-semitism, many NSBM musicians regard Christianity as a product of an alleged Jewish conspiracy to undermine the so-called Aryan by eliminating their “Artglauben” and their “original” culture.^[8] These musicians usually refute the existence or legitimacy of Christian antisemitism at different points throughout history, as well as the fact that some bishops in Nazi Germany were ardent Nazis and various Nazi officials such as Ludwig Müller - who headed the German Christians designed to synchronise the Protestant churches - were practicing Christians. Hjarulv Henker of the band Der Stürmer, for example, said:

I don’t think that a dogma like christianity has a place in Aryandom. There is no way to make christianity fit into the Weltanschauung of the Aryan Overman. Christianity teaches humbleness, the loss of National and Racial identity, and equality, things alien to our cosmotheory. You cannot combine jesus with characters who represent Aryan ethics. The term “Aryan Christianity” is oxymoron, it is like trying to mix marxism with NS. The outcome will be something completely alien and it will prove dangerous in the future. One is either Aryan or christian. On the other hand, why should one blend christianity with Aryan ethos and ideals instead of reawakening the Ancient Archetypes in their original, pure form? Christianity is christianity and it is jewish by its very birth and conception, a vehicle in the jewish world domination and designed as such.

—Hjarulv Henker, ^[4]

[edit] White supremacy

In order to prove their beliefs in the inherent superiority of the so-called “Aryan race”, NSBM bands refer to a Germanic “Hochkultur”, the cultures of the ancient Greeks and Romans and the claim all “Hochkulturen”, like the ancient Sumer and Persian ones, were originally founded by Aryans or built on Aryan achievements.^{[citation needed]} The cause for their end would have been “race mixing” and “degeneration”.^[9] Therefore, their goal is to bring back the alleged “ancient values” and “highlights” of these cultures and especially of Nazi Germany. These views are comparable to those in the chapter “Volk und Rasse” in Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

Whereas the National Socialists’ racial theories (as manifesting in Mein Kampf and the Nuremberg Laws) were founded upon the views of select Nazis such as Adolf Hitler himself who deemed certain groups such as Slavs to be inferior), the NSBM scene has had its German and Polish activists work together from the very beginning, though Germans and Poles have been enemies from a historical point of view. This contradiction is either masked, relativised or excused as a historical mistake. A well-established conspiracy theory says the Jews would have prevented an alliance between Nazi Germany and other Eastern European countries.^[10] Knjaz Varggoth, singer and guitarist of the Ukrainian band Nokturnal Mortum, gives the following explanation for the contradiction:

Goruths of the Russian band Temnozor sees the Slavs and Germans as a part of a Hyperborean Aryan race and nowadays differing due to its degeneration.^[11]

Para Bellum of Blackdeath and formerly of Draugwath sees Nazi Germany’s war against Russia as Hitler’s only mistake: “Russland und Deutschland hätten in diesem Krieg zusammen gegen die Juden und Amerika kämpfen können.”^[12] (“In this war, Russia and Germany could have fought against the Jews and America together.”)

[edit] Fascist Satanism

Besides heathen beliefs, a part of the NSBM scene embraces an interpretation of Satanism depicting Satan as an ancient Aryan counterpart to Yahweh, the god of the Jews and Christians. This view is often called “völkisch Satanism” (“völkischer Satanismus”^[13]) or “Aryan Satanism”; Chraesvelgoron of The True Frost called the “white race” “Satans Rasse”^[14] (Satan’s race). Chraesvelgoron sees Nazism as a promising trial to apply Satanism on a collective, as the political appearance of Satanism and the collective deification of man as a social animal, as godliness instead of humaneness^[15]. His band mate Sadorass calles the same ideology a consequent development of blood and soil (völkisch way), diverse occult teachings and the ideas of Nietzsche in connection to Darwin’s evolution theories^[16]).

On the other hand, many pagan and far-right bands see Satanism as a part of Christianity or Judaism, like Capricornus (of Capricornus, formerly of Graveland and Infernum) called Satan “Jewish shit” (“jüdischer Scheiß”^[17]). On the other head, select black metal musicians hold pagan bands in contempt and do not recognise them as black metal bands, as their lyrics and ideology does not include Satanism.

[edit] Fascist Paganism

Unlike in Rock Against Communism (RAC), most bands rather include references to Nazi notions such as blood and soil, the worship of their alleged ancestors or a mixture of Pagan and Nazi elements, whereas obvious political content is quite rare.^{[citation needed]} An example for such a mixture is the Absurd album Asgardsrei; its booklet depicts the Knights Templar, the Teutonic Knights and the Waffen-SS as warriors of the “Asgardsrei” (see Wild Hunt), which the bands defines as a term for an alleged godly and Germanic group of warriors. Varg Vikernes of Burzum expressed comparable views as he called Adolf Hitler a warrior of the Asgardsrei.^[18]

NSBM ideologists refer e. g. to Swiss Psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, SS member and esotericist Karl Maria Wiligut/“Weisthor” and French/Greek philosopher Savitri Devi. Hendrik Möbus, for example, interprets the church burnings in Norway as “a cultural atavism, a sudden and inexplicable plunge back into pre-Christian, medieval conditions in all but outward reality. Like the Swiss psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, would have said; Ancient archetypes resurfaced from our collective unconscious and repossessed receptive minds - which were, as a rule, still developing and thus especially impressible. The thus affected teenagers found themselves with an archaic state of mind and like in a mass-hysteria, they induced their condition unto others. It goes without saying that a, say, 18 year old adolescent who suddenly felt out of tune with his environment lacked the insight for a self-analysis.”^[19] Later on, they would have realised the meaning of these emotions, begun to identify with Paganism and taken “an active interest in Nationalist politics designed to preserve and to cultivate this very heritage.”^[19], NSBM being “the logical conclusion of a movement set in motion by A Blaze in the Northern Sky ten years ago.”^[19]

[edit] Development and organisation

Although often mistaken for a new appearance of RAC or a new trend in black metal, NSBM has more complex roots.

Varg Vikernes of Burzum is generally seen as the main person to have brought Nazism into the black metal scene.^[20] According to an interview in Blood & Honour magazine, he got in touch with neo-nazi organisation Zorn 88’s (later called Norges Nasjonalsocialistiske Bevegelse [NNSB]) magazine Gjallarhorn in 1992^[20] and joined White Aryan Resistance before he murdered Øystein Aarseth.^[21] Although his lyrics do not express Nazi ideology and his music is therefore not seen as NSBM by the scene (but by external sources, like Mattias Gardell^[22]), his writings are part of its ideological fundament.^{[citation needed]} Furthermore, he has applauded NSBM bands for having “the guts to be different and politically incorrect, unlike the spineless poser-bands in the "Black Metal" scene”^[23], and has posted some arguably racist essays on the Burzum website.^[24]

The NSBM scene is internationally organised and mainly acts conspiratively.^{[citation needed]} In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus the NSBM scene has about as many bands as the RAC scene and is one of the most important parts of the far-right subculture.^{[citation needed]} Other geographical focal points are e. g. Poland, Greece and France, and in Germany Thuringia, Saxonia, Franconia and Brandenburg. The NSBM scene has close contacts and personal overlaps with “Blood & Honour” and “Hammerskin Nation”.^{[citation needed]}

Some NSBM bands cover RAC bands’ songs, like Totenburg (whose singer is also a member of RAC band Eugenik, and political activist) having a Landser cover version with changed lyrics on their album Pestpogrom.

Due to the scene’s growth during the last years, anti-fascist and left-wing organisations, web sites and campaigns like “Turn it down!” and “Rock gegen Rechts” fight NSBM and try to inform about it. The black metal scene, however, rejects them because of claims seen as exaggerated, like the campaigns against Impaled Nazarene^[25], and sometimes badly researched articles, but also because of the effect onto the apolitical image of the remaining scene. According to authors Christian Dornbusch and Hans-Peter Killguss, völkisch pagan metal and neo-nazism are the current trends in the black metal scene and also affecting the broader metal scene’s mainstream.^[26] This development is also seen as a trend by bands sharing or at at least not rejecting the views of NSBM bands,^{[citation needed]} or rejected because of the mixture of black metal and political elements or its use as a propaganda instrument, like Greek band Der Stürmer does.^[27] Mattias Gardell, on the other hand, sees NSBM artists as a minority within black metal.^[1]

[edit] NSBM and the broader white nationalist movement

While many white nationalists have warmly received NSBM for its lyrical content and ideals, others have not due to the music employed as well as what they have perceived as its association with “sex, drugs & rock’n’roll” culture, and expressed views comparable to the Nazis’ attempts to ban music they considered “degenerate”, so-called Entartete Musik. Some also reject black metallers for having long hair, which they associate to groups like hippies and left-wingers.^[28]

William Luther Pierce—founder of the white nationalist National Alliance as well as the author of the controversial novel The Turner Diaries which allegedly inspired Timothy McVeigh to carry out the Oklahoma City bombing—sought to promote NSBM as well as other forms of white nationalist music through Resistance Records, believing that music would 'make the National Alliance rich and spread its message most effectively.^[29] To this end, he accommodated Absurd frontman Hendrik Möbus while the latter had fled to the United States in order to evade authorities from Germany. However, although Pierce appreciated the ideological mindset of NSBM and Resistance Records as well as the financial gains, the music itself apparently did not personally appeal to him, especially as much like Varg Vikernes he attacked the “sex, drugs & rock’n’roll” and “negroid” influences.^[30]

[edit] NSBM and the broader black metal scene

NSBM artists are a minority within black metal, according to Mattias Gardell.^[1] They have been rejected or strongly criticised by many prominent black metal musicians – including Jon Nödtveidt,^[31] Tormentor,^[32] King ov Hell,^[33] Infernus,^[34] Lord Ahriman,^[35] Emperor Magus Caligula,^[36][35] and the members of Arkhon Infaustus.^[35]

Many black metallers reject Nazi ideology and oppose its influence on the black metal subculture. Like Christianity and organised religion in general, Nazism is regarded as authoritarian, collectivist, and a “herd mentality”.^[31][32] This ideology conflicts with black metal’s traditional focus on individualism. It also conflicts with the misanthropic views of many artists – this is because Nazism demands a great respect for the “white race”, rather than disdain for all humanity. While some black metallers boycott NSBM bands and labels, others draw a line between the music and the musicians, as they only care for the music. However this stance has been criticised by some, who see it as passive support for NSBM.

The band Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult claimed that they share “certain views of so-called NSBM bands” but stated that “there will never ever be any of this misuse within our ranks. We do not want to have anything to do with this newest trend”.^[37] According to them, politics in black metal is “as inappropriate as black metal concerts at daylight”.^[38] Darkthrone have also maintained an apolitical stance throughout their career – although Fenriz claimed he was once arrested while participating in an anti-apartheid demonstration.^[35]

The bigger print metal magazines tend to ignore records by NSBM bands.^[8] The book Unheilige Allianzen caused a short debate, leading Legacy magazine to stop printing advertisings for NSBM labels. Another debate happened in the “letters” section of Rock Hard magazine following the article Der rechte Rand im Black Metal (Black Metal’s Far-right Border).^[39]

[edit] False allegations

The band Marduk was accused of supporting Nazism after the release of their album Panzer Division Marduk (1999). This was because the songs on the album made numerous references to World War II and because the album title referenced Nazi Germany’s panzer divisions. However, the band stated that they were simply using war as a lyrical theme and denied supporting Nazism, although its guitarist Morgan Håkansson had stated “that we in Marduk want to prevent immigration to Sweden and that I was proud over the fact that my grandfather was a serving German officer during the second World War” when approached on the issue by Rock Hard Magazine from Germany - known for having pressed many black metal bands such as Gorgoroth on the subject of NSBM.^[40][41] On the other hand, the lyrics of the song Crush the Lies by Aryan Terrorism - sideproject of Nokturnal Mortum frontman Knjaz Varggoth - decry Marduk for their exploration of these themes ("What a painted mug? These are the businessmen from Marduk. Panzer Division Marduk? Huh! Motherfuckers Division Marduk!") alongside other "Jewish bloodsuckers" such as Ihsahn from Emperor and Nergal from Behemoth.^[42].

Similarly, the Singaporean band Impiety were accused of supporting Nazism and anti-Semitism due to their depiction of Auschwitz and the practices of Josef Mengele in the lyrics of the song "Carbonised" on their album Paramount Evil (2004).

There are also bands who say they use Nazi imagery simply for shock value. An example is the band Taake, whose singer had painted a swastika on his chest before a concert on March 20th 2007 in Essen, Germany^[43] and attacked the audience. He later claimed to have done so only to be provocative. On the same occasion, he called the club owner an “Untermensch”.^[44]

[edit] List of bands

• Absurd (Germany)
• Ad Hominem (France)
• Grand Belial's Key (United States)
• Infernum (Poland)
• Nokturnal Mortum (Ukraine)

[edit] See also

• Nazi punk
• Neo-völkisch movements
• Occultism and the far right

[edit] Literature

[edit] English

• Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke: White Noise and black metal in: Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism and the Politics of Identity (S. 193-213). New York University Press, 2002, ISBN 0-8147-3124-4
• Mattias Gardell: Hail Loki! Hail Satan! Hail Hitler! Darkside Asatrú, Satanism and Occult National Socialism in: Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism. (p. 284-324). Duke University Press, 2003, ISBN 0-8223-3071-7
• Michael Moynihan, Didrik Søderlind: Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground. Los Angeles, Feral House Books, 1998, ISBN 0-922915-48-2

[edit] German

• Christian Dornbusch, Hans-Peter Killguss: Unheilige Allianzen. Black Metal zwischen Satanismus, Heidentum und Neonazismus. Münster, Unrast Verlag, 2005, ISBN 3-89771-817-0
• Johannes Lohmann, Hans Wanders: Evolas Jünger und Odins Krieger - Extrem rechte Ideologien in der Dark-Wave- und Black-Metal-Szene in: Christian Dornbusch, Jan Raabe: RechtsRock - Bestandsaufnahme und Gegenstrategien. (p. 287-311) Hamburg/Münster, Unrast Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-89771-808-1.

[edit] References