Friday, February 5, 2010
Moving Pictures Until the Light Takes Us: Let Black Metal Brighten Your Weekend
Posted by Jim Ridley on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 5:28 PM
One thing you can't say about Norwegian black-metal acolytes: when it comes to Satanism, murder and suicide, they're not exactly Hot Topic dilettantes. Or that's evidently the message of Until the Light Takes Us, the documentary opening tonight at The Belcourt. Here's Matt "Evisceratør" Sullivan on the movie in this week's Scene:
The film's narrative revolves largely around two figures -- Darkthrone member Gylve Nagell (better known as Fenriz), and the then-incarcerated Varg Vikernes. As sole member of the band Burzum, Vikernes dubbed himself Count Grishnackh, released a few records, burned some churches -- and oh yeah, murdered the guitarist for Mayhem. These events have been well-documented, most notably in the surprisingly academic book Lords of Chaos by Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind, which serves as something of a black-metal Rosetta Stone.Though a number of its subjects criticized the book, Lords of Chaos highlighted their contradictions without glossing over the anti-Semitism and racism that seeped into the scene's more radical pockets. But where the book elaborates on Vikernes' tendency to adopt extreme right-wing ideology and retroactively ascribe his actions to it, Until the Light Takes Us simply allows him to deliver unchallenged his well-rehearsed account of the murder of Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth. His criticism of Christianity as a "Jewish religion" also goes unchecked.
Huh. Sounds like child's play compared to what's going on in the Belcourt's other side.
Comments (7)
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Ugh...I really hate Satanists. We really should ban them. Is not directly legalizing devil worship in the United States tantamount, or very nearly so, to embracing the devil himself? My friends, I have been researching Satanism some time now to gather more information against them, and, believe me, this freedom for Satanists may have caused far more damage than it has not. Good day. May God watch over us all. Amen.
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@ rafa:
fuck you. i tried catholicism, judaism, capitalism etc.. all that shit is for fools. i started listening to real satanic shit: ole mossy face, ghostfinger, the carter administration, falls city angels, the clutters. oh, shit hands down eugene and d. striker! if god hates rock, then i fucked job.
This movie was suprisingly good. All the characters have a suprising sense of humor and there were numerous times that everyone in the audience laughed out loud (i had to stop myself from writing "LOL'd"). It was a suprisingly unbiased look at the whole ordeal. I would highly suggest it.
Warning: Don't go if you have a weak stomach. There are a couple of scenes that were quite gory and graphic.
Rafa, if you have studied Satanism you'd realize in fact that it stands in opposition to Christianity and Satanists do not actually engage in 'devil worship'. It is merely a rejection of the idea of following the rules of a religion that prevents you from living your life on your own terms and without the sheep like mentality that christian doctrines promote in order to control their followers. In the case of the Norwegian BM scene it is really a bunch of kids trying to find a way of rebelling against their society. Yes, they engaged in some strange behaviour but that is evidence of an adolescent need to be different and scare their elders and nothing more sinister. It all pales in significance when compared to the horrors committed in the name of Christianity historically.Whilst I accept anybody's right to hold their own beliefs I find it hard to stomach the ignorance and hatred promoted by both fundamental Christians and Muslims alike these days. Your ignorance is astonishing and it only serves to prove you have either been brainwashed by your community or that you can't really think for yourself. Fine, hold your beliefs and faith but do not judge others for thinking differently. If everyone could do this surely the world would be a little better. I enjoy the music coming from this scene without having to take the satanism part too seriously, and no I am not a 'Satanist'!
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