Native scream. Norwegian black metal

Norwegian Black Metal was originated by teenagers from Oslo and Bergen, who were involved in burning down churches and in a murder conviction during the 1990s. Since then the genre has gained a great popularity all over the world and has become social democratic Norway’s largest cultural export item.

The author has travelled around the world in the footsteps of Norwegian Black Metal. In cities like Singapore and Beijing, Moscow and Rome, Rem has met people who have had their lives changed by Norwegian Black Metal bands such as Burzum, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor.

This is the first comprehensive history of Norwegian Black Metal, from the 80s to today, based on a careful study of the chronology of events. While the media focused on Satan, the artists were writing songs about Odin. The Old Norse orientation led to the burning of churches and National Socialism, but also to a cultural awareness about a pre-colonial and pre-Christian identity and mythology.

Other rock genres, such as Punk and Grunge, have faded from view but Metal continues to thrive. Not least the Norwegian version of Black Metal; Viking Metal, Extreme Metal or Svart Metall, as it is called in Norwegian. Native Scream casts new light on the movement – with material that will surprise followers, next of kin and outsiders alike.

Schibsted 2010