Lords of Chaos

Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground - Michael Moynihan & Didrik Soderlind, 2003, Feral House, Los Angeles

As far as I have researched, Lords of Chaos is the most detailed book that concerns the black metal scene around the world, and especially in Norway. It features interviews with Varg Vikernes from Burzum, Hellhammer from Mayhem, and Bard Faust from Emperor to name but a few. However concerned the book may be with the history of black metal, it only breifly outlines details of the actual culture that surrounds it, and turns the source material into a true crime book rather than an outline of the subculture itself. However, it does contain a great deal of in-depth interviews that relate to the "inner circle's" manipulation of the media; Varg Vikernes cites quite a few examples of the key players in the black metal subculture in Bergen and Oslo, Norway, manipulating the media with drip-fed stories and rumours to fuel the notoriety of the slowly emerging genre. It details in great depths the crimes that were perpetrated by the individuals involved, but has drawn heavy criticism from a number of the interviewees for misrepresentation and for holding an agenda; Varg Vikernes harbours a strong hatred towards Moynihan for painting him as a sociopathic killer and a Nazi.

It is therefore a key piece towards writing my essay, yet reading this book again, I have found only a concentration on the crimes rather than on the subject of black metal culture.