Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground [Paperback]

Michael Moynihan (Author), Didrik Søderlind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1997

Chronicling the rise of the Black Metal subculture and the terrifying violence by its fans, "Lords of Chaos" takes readers on a tour of this antisocial, occult-influenced ideology that encourages violence and murder. 50 photos. 239 illustrations .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gangsta Rap's white-kid counterpart, black metal music enjoys a continued obscurity that is baffling in light of the made-for-tabloid events detailed in Moynihans's and Soderlind's book. Their book is a sort of guide to the Norwegian black metal scene, where, the authors claim, this latest, more rebellious form of heavy metal music originated. Moreover, Norway is the recent setting for the burning of numerous churches, and for two gruesome murders for which a small group of black metallers have been convicted. Whereas gangsta rappers might cite ancient African traditions that have been violently uprooted as a cause for their crimes against society, Norwegian black metal-heads cite the slaughter of their pagan traditions at the hands of early Christians as their justification. For most readers, such rationalizations will fall apart as they note that black metal kids murder their own kind (as, often, do gangsta rappers). It does not require 344 pages (plus appendices) to become disenchanted with the authors' rather disorganized history, but rabid fans will find much to savor here, such as lengthy interviews with the scene's icons. This is an exhaustive look at a few, extremely disturbed young men who, tragically, did not get Ozzy Osbourne's joke.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Committed campaigners against rock culture excesses may enjoy this look at the weird world of black metal as much as the local goth contingent will. Centered in Norway, though not confined there, black metal is a refinement of heavy metal, the genre minions of decency loved to hate before the rise of gangsta rap. Combining the lyrical stance of death metal with the melodic stylings of thrash, black metal takes its name from the English band Venom's second album. But what distinguishes black metal from, say, Marilyn Manson, is that the Nordic tunesmiths aren't kidding. The ones cited here openly advocate and occasionally admit to suicide, murder, and church burnings. Satan worship and its trappings are important to the black metal ethos, yet many musicians and fans aren't Satan worshippers but Odin devotees, and some seek to revive notorious Norwegian Nazi puppet Vidkun Quisling's Universism. Though the prose is stiff in places and the presentation desultory at times, this is gripping stuff, a book about scary rock that is really scary. Mike Tribby

Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Feral House; 1st edition (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0922915482
• ISBN-13: 978-0922915484
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (158 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,305,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 56 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A book that tells it like it was... June 26, 2002

By Ilker Yucel

Format:Paperback

"Lords of Chaos" is a very well-written book that documents certain key events in the rise and fall of the Satanic movement in extreme metal. Beginning with a slight history of the proto-black/death metal bands of the '80's (i.e. Bathory, Venom, King Diamond, Slayer, etc...), and bringing the reader to the early '90's when the Norwegian black metal scene declared its supremacy, this book tells it like it was. Everything from the church burnings (for which Samoth of Emperor was imprisoned), to Faust's (Emperor's drummer) murder of a homosexual fan, to the suicide of Dead (Mayhem's vocalist), to the murder of Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (Mayhem's guitarist) at the hands of friend and Burzum mainman Varg Vikernes, to the German band Absurd's own transgressions in the following years, this book is pretty much a black metal historian's dream. The philosophy is not elaborated on as much as it should, but there are several chapters that deal specifically with Anton LeVay's brand of Satanism (right down to an interview with him) to several notes on Nordic/Viking mythology, and plenty of rare photos and interviews with key personalities in the scene, including Ihsahn (Emperor), Varg (Burzum), and even the guys in Cradle of Filth (a.k.a. black metal goes pop). It is definitely not for all tastes, and even fans of black metal may find it horrid to find that a scene that carries so much enjoyment also carried such terror and insanity. Not for the weak of heart. Other than that, it is an interesting read...

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Avoids sensationalism and draws from exhaustive research and visual aids to paint a portrait of crime, politics, and music January 24, 2006

By Jessica Lux

Format:Paperback

Lords of Chaos focuses on the Norwegian Black Metal scene of the early 1990's, and its influence on music fans and political activists both in Norway and around the globe. The central figure in the scene was Varg Vikernes (at least according to these authors), who gained notoriety by murdering his friend, band leader and Black Metal guru/promoter Euronymous of the influential band Mayhem. From jail, Vikernes has made a number of shocking and radical statements, as well as self-published several treatises. Vikernes has toyed with Satanism in an anti-Christianity sense, with traditional Norwegian pagan heathenism, and with nationalist/skinhead ideals. He claims burning churches isn't blasphemy--the blasphemy lies in the churches themselves, which were constructed on top of heathen alters [horg]. He also makes enlightening comments about the need for female groupies to make any political movement attractive to the masses.

The authors carefully explore the Norwegian political climate and the presence of the State Church as part of the environment that led to the rise of Black Metal. Heavy Metal influences from around the world are also painstakingly traced. Several interview subjects expound upon the difference between Norwegian Satanism (dedicated to destroying Christianity) and Anton LaVey's Church of Satan (focused on achieving pleasure through selfish desires and motives). In the closing chapters, the authors explore Black Metal true crime in Germany, as well as copycat pseudo-Satanic rituals, sacrifices, and crimes committed by rabid fans in the US, Finland, England and other parts of the world. While the main figures in Norway and German maintain that Black Metal murders were due to interpersonal conflicts (NOT ritual sacrifices), the younger fans in other countries seem to glorify the music and commit senseless copycat acts in tribute to their heroes.

Moynihan and Soderlind have created an exhaustively-researched treatment of music, politics, and crime. The book avoids sensationalism at all costs and presents multiple points of view, especially in the dozens of interview subjects. The text is interspersed with hundreds of illustrations of band logos, album covers, fliers, traditional religious symbols, band members on stage, growing up, and in prison, media articles, press releases, and letters. The visual accompaniment greatly enhances the reading experience.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting yet choppy March 5, 2005

By Julia Webber

Format:Paperback

I must say that I disagree with the other reviewers about any bias from the authors of this book. It is not written so as to revere or condemn the people who are the subject matter, only to tell their stories. I can figure out that arson and murder are bad things all by my myself, thank you, I don't need the authors to spoon feed morality to me. In fact, I thank them for not doing so.

This book is not a "history" of black metal so much as a series of accounts of individual events in the scene. From here stems my main criticism of the book: it's a bit sloppily strung together. It starts off with a breif background of satanism and occult in non-metal music, and continues with a summary of early black metal bands such as Venom and Bathory. The following section, which makes up the majority of the book, is about the occurances in the Norwegian scene, mainly focusing on Mayhem and Varg Vikernes. Then there's interviews with people trying to explain the psychology behind satanism, heathenism, racism, and general bitterness towards judeochristianity. And finally, there is a bit about the events surrounding Absurd in Germany, and short cameos of black metal scenes and associated crimes in other countries that seem to have been tacked on as an afterthought. The first half of the book is a quick read, the second half requires a bit more patience.

Overall I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to any fan of metal with an interest in the subject. Non metal fans might enjoy the book as a true-crime account, but I think something would be lost by a reader who knew nothing of the music or had never been to a metal show and therefore knows nothing of the context.