Black Metal's Really Dark Side

This one wasn’t easy to write—because it’s a sensitive topic, and yet here we are. I started this blog nearly two years ago. Lately it’s been full of albums I’ve loved and concerts I’ve barely survived with functioning eardrums. But originally? I set out to look into the deeper, messier history of metal. And as I’ve wandered deeper into black metal territory, one uncomfortable truth kept stalking me like a cursed forest spirit.

As much as I wanted to ignore it, it’s there. And it needs to be addressed.

I’m talking about National Socialist Black Metal—NSBM.

I’m a fan of In the Nightside Eclipse. That Gustave Doré artwork? Iconic. So I went looking for a shirt with Death on a Pale Horse on it—and found it… in a shop that gave me the ick. That was the first red flag. Then, while writing about Mgła last week, the phrases “right-wing extremism” and “NSBM” kept cropping up like a bad rash. And it hit me: I had to be a lot more careful about what I was listening to. Because some things don’t announce themselves with jackboots and armbands. They hide in liner notes and side projects. At least, they did for me.

So I fell down the rabbit hole. Days of research. Threads, interviews, dissertations.

And maybe you didn’t know this either—but yes, black metal has a Nazi problem.

There’s an actual subgenre for it. NSBM. But it’s not just the obvious ones with rune-drenched logos and hate-screeds for lyrics. Some bands prefer dog whistles over foghorns. And the more I looked, the more I realised this wasn’t some fringe curiosity. It’s tangled in the roots. This might get a bit long, but it’s important. So bear with me.

My black metal journey started with Venom and Bathory—the so-called First Wave in the 1980s. Their music was raw and provocative, drenched in satanic imagery mostly used to wind people up and giggle about it later. Venom especially had a “louder, harder, faster” ethos that was more about chaos than ideology. It was underground theatre with a devilish grin. More beer-stained leather than ideological blueprint.

Then came the Second Wave—early 1990s Norway. I’ve written about Emperor, but there’s also Burzum, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Satyricon, Gorgoroth. This era took the theatrics and made them deadly serious.

Musically, it crystallised the sound: shrieked vocals, blast beats, fast tremolo riffs, lo-fi recordings so gritty they should come with tetanus warnings.

Lyrically? It pushed deeper into taboo territory—satanism, paganism, anti-Christian rhetoric.

And then—it bled into reality.

Violent crimes. Church burnings. Suicides. Murder.

It became metal mythos, and yes, there are books, documentaries, and movies about it. People are fascinated. Understandably. Morbidly. Sometimes irresponsibly.

Black metal quickly developed a reputation: violent, homophobic, nihilistic.

Satanism (especially in its Nietzschean, ego-fuelled flavour) came with ideals like power, dominance, survival of the fittest.

Paganism and heathenry brought in themes of bloodlines, ancestry, lost golden ages.

And unfortunately, fascists eat that stuff for breakfast.

So it happened.

Bands began aligning themselves with both black metal and far-right ideology.

Some were subtle. Some were really not. But the overlap is real.

No. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Pagan Metal and Viking Metal are their own genres. Pagan themes ≠ racist ideology. Nor does black metal inherently promote any political view beyond “screw your god, I’m screaming into the void.”

Plenty of bands incorporate paganism or satanism without any trace of racial politics.

But—and it’s a chunky, leather-bound but—these genres are inviting to people with extreme right-wing worldviews.

Some bands are overt. Others smuggle their ideology in under the cover of mythology or aesthetic. And even when the music seems apolitical, the people behind it might not be.

Some bands wear it openly—like an ideological bullet belt.

There’s a list of official NSBM bands. Yes, a list. This is not a fringe whisper. It’s a documented, ongoing problem.

A few (unfortunately) notable names:

• Absurd (Germany, Hendrik Möbus — imprisoned for the murder of Sandro Beyer)
• Burzum (Varg Vikernes — imprisoned for the murder of Euronymous)
• Clandestine Blaze (Mikko Aspa)
• Der Stürmer (Greece)
• Graveland (Rob Darken)

All of them have documented ties to National Socialist scenes, or have made public statements dripping in racism, antisemitism, or white supremacy.

*Note: The following examples are taken from Jillian Fisher's dissertation "White Nationalism is for Basement Dwelling Losers”: An Exploration of Far-Right Political Extremism in Heavy Metal Music." 

Some bands, like Der Stürmer, don’t even try to hide it.

Their lyrics are basically Nazi manifestos set to blast beats. Nazi symbolism? Front and centre. If you’re listening to this by accident, you took a very wrong turn.

Others, like Graveland, prefer coded language.

They wrap white supremacist ideology in pagan references and “ancestral warrior” fantasy. Think “heritage pride” with swords. The cover art might look like standard dungeon-metal fare, but the symbolism—when you know what to look for—is loud and clear.

And then there’s Burzum.

The music? Mythology and nature. Beautiful, even. Nothing overtly racist in the lyrics.

But Varg Vikernes? Yeah. He’s got views. Loud, persistent, deeply racist views.

You can’t separate the art from the artist when the artist is yelling on every platform that he wants to watch the world burn.

So even if the music sounds “clean”, it carries an ideological shadow long enough to blot out the fjords.

Do your homework.

Yeah, it’s tedious. Yeah, you shouldn’t have to cross-reference every band with a hate group watchlist before buying a vinyl. But here we are.

Google them. Look at interviews, label affiliations, side projects, festival appearances.

Check Reddit. Check who they collaborate with. NSBM bands and labels tend to form little hate-cliques. Once you spot one, the rest aren’t far behind.

There are entire festivals dedicated to NSBM.

If your band is on that bill—even once—they’re either part of the ideology or very comfortable being platformed next to it.

Either way? That’s a line.

Then it’s your call.

Some people separate art from artist. Some can’t. But the one thing you don’t get to do is shrug.

“I didn’t know” only works once.

For me? I’ll be doing my research before I fall in love with a new band. Because nothing sucks more than realising—too late—that the sound you’ve been blasting all week came from someone who thinks you (or people you care about) shouldn’t exist.

Just to be crystal clear:

I don’t support, endorse, or excuse national socialist, racist, homophobic, or xenophobic beliefs.
And I won’t support bands who do—not with my clicks, not with my money, not with my ears.