The same subculture that initially embraced obscurity, solitude, and its inherent marginality instead has reverberated around the world, trickling into the mainstream and becoming Norway’s largest musical export. The spectacle of tabloid journalism and the well-documented violence of the early 90s fail to explain the constantly expanding, worldwide appeal of this movement. Everyday Norwegians have responded with shock and loathing while the mainstream has responded with abject horror and tabloid outrage. Leather, spikes, face paint, and brandished weapons are standard and go along with a clearly stated stance of outsider-dom. Sonically, it is heavy metal pushed to its maximum: Blitzkrieg pace, guttural vocals, and visual and lyrical subject matter embracing what most people try not to think about. In the early to mid-1990s, members of this extremist underground committed murder, burned down medieval wooden churches, and desecrated graveyards.īlack metal music and its visuals comprise the most extreme rock ‘n’ roll youth movement to date. Its roots stem from a blend of horror movies, heavy metal music, satanism, pagan mythology, and adolescent angst. Over the last two decades, a bizarre and violent musical subculture called black metal has emerged in Norway. Intro from True Norwegian Black Metal, 2008 With extensive contributions from the personal archive of Jon 'Metalion' Kristiansen, publisher of the original Norwegian black metal publication Slayer Magazine, a unique opportunity is here presented to see original artifacts and ephemera from this secluded rock community, and to read accounts of these events in the words of the people who were actually there at the time.Leather, spikes, face paint, and brandished weapons are standard and go along with a clearly stated stance of outsider-dom. Peter Beste and editor Johan Kugelberg have created a unique photographic narrative that explores black metal from a truly visceral perspective.

True Norwegian Black Metal is a visual testimonial to this subculture. With each visit Beste saw more, photographed more and eventually accumulated enough material for this book. Beste has earned the respect and trust of this impenetrable, suspicious and often elitist community. Beste's access and insight has been without precedent, resulting in an amazing photographic journey.

American documentary photographer Peter Beste has spent the last eight years working in the milieu of black metal’s insulated and secretive community.

Peter beste black metal book