Review by Greeneidal

Until the Light Takes Us 2008

It's weird how a genre of music, that is rather mainstream now, was brought to the light (pardon the pun) by these very strange and batshit crazy loners.

I've always been interested in Black Metal. I'm a metalhead and find some of the music rather good. On the other hand, the thing I find repulsive about the genre is not the music and themes themselves...it's the total arrogance and intolerance of many of the guys that play this music...and, of course, what they did.

I find the metal community as a whole rather open and inclusive. Be what you want, believe in what you want, and like what you want. Metal unites us. The total opposite of what these guys were in the early nineties, and what many still are. Just look at Vikernes...a total intolerant bastard with no remorse for anything he did. How can an obviously smart guy turn out like that?

Until the Light Takes Us is a rather narrow documentary on the subject. Few interview subjects, and few actual insights. It's not bad, just not all that informed.

Try Black Metal Satanica, True Norwegian Black Metal, and Once Upon a Time in Norway. None of which gives you the whole picture, but together with Until the Light Takes Us gives a good picture of the early Black Metal scene...

loading replies
Loading...