Black Metal
Abstract: Black metal is a subgenre of metal that is characterized by distorted guitar riffs, shrieked vocals, quick tempos, and unusual song structures. Oftentimes songs are recorded raw giving songs a very muddy and flat mix. The lyrical and artistic themes focus on satanism and the occult. The artwork for albums, live performances, and music videos all focus on a dark gritty atmosphere. My goal was to tap into this dark and isolated atmosphere. With digital photography and editing techniques, I wanted to create images reminiscent of photos from the 1990’s Norwegian black metal scene and other album covers adding my own artistic vision. I feel the isolation and darkness present in black metal is very relevant as we are all housebound due to the ongoing pandemic that our nation is struggling to take seriously. When brainstorming for this project I knew I wanted to create some collection having to with covid-19 and the isolated situations it has created. Although this isolation has really given me a lack of motivation I’ve been fascinated by how mass isolation is affecting the rest of the population. The genre of black metal is a great parallel to this current situation. Many fans begin listening because they relate to that feeling of despair and disconnection from society. The entire genre is self-isolated, gate-kept, originally by its creators and later by hardcore fans. My goal is for anyone new to extreme music, in general, is to showcase the aesthetics of the genre and encourage others in the class to give the music a listen. Please be cautious though as there are sub-genres of black metal that are written by and for Nazis. A quick google search will provide a list of bands with far-right extremists.
Practical Outcomes:
- 7 High-resolution images of a subject (my partner) taken in and around my home.
- For viewers to understand and appreciate the aesthetics of black metal.
- To create a sense of unease in viewers.
- For people to take an interest in experimental music.
Methods/Materials:
- Canon EOS Rebel SL2
- Canon EF-s 10-18mm wide angle lens
- GIMP Photo editing software
- Black and White Halloween makeup
References:
CW: Violence
CW: Violence
