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I
hope this
release is the first in a series of black metal DVD’s. Although
what we get is an uneven mix of established (Emperor and
Satyricon), legendary (Venom and Celtic Frost) and fairly
unknown acts (Throes of Dawn and Astarte) the end result is a
pretty comprehensive overview of some of black metal’s most
important bands. With this in tow, the producers of this show
would be wise to expand on the growing genre and delve deeper
into some of the more adventurous bands out there. Black metal
is nowadays blooming like never before, and the extent to which
current artists are going was unforeseen only a handful of years
ago. Of all the bands included here, none truly lend themselves
to that.
This is Black
Metal presents videos, live shots and band interviews along with
a few extras. Oddly, it is all kept together by former
gang bang queen Jasmin St Claire; who for the most part asks
pretty generic questions but surprisingly ends up with well-rounded and informative
interviews. Particularly good is the segment with Celtic Frost
where Tom Gabriel Fischer and Martin Eric Ain show that they
speak English better than most Americans and offer insights
into their beliefs, their knowledge of the occult and what
transcurred with the band from the time of their break up through
their resurgence with the devastating come back album
Monotheist. Slightly more entertaining but less informative
is the interview with British legends Venom, where we learn that
their influential sloppy brand of black metal is the result of
mixing The Beatles with Elvis. Who would have thought?
St. Claire
still has ways to go as a host, but has good diction, displays
confidence, humor and true interest in the genre. She’ll
do well to discard the cue cards she uses for questions, and
ridding of certain mannerisms (when answering questions from
Venom her eyes go up like she is seeking for some type of divine
enlightenment) will help her professionally. The extra
segment where St Claire answers questions about herself is good
only for those interested in what she has to say. Outside
of This is Black Metal we can find the Black Metal Parking Lot short;
where St. Claire interviews the colorful crowd at a Los Angeles
Cradle of Filth show; there is the girl with the lisp that was
introduced to heavy music by a former boyfriend, the ex con with
a dead girlfriend who
is a personal friend of Dani and is prone to slash himself, the
account broker with fancy color contacts who says ‘fuck Anton La Vey, traditional Satanism rules’, the teenage Satanic Latinos
who get censored perhaps for being too young, the chunky goth
metal chick who is looking for a band, etc. Through quick
editing we get a very interesting inside view at this growing fanbase; all fanatical, all young, all very much into Dani Filth
and the music. Looking forward for a second installment. |
