THE BLACK METALIST or BLACK METALER

Spawned sometime around the early to mid-90s, although Black Metal as a genre was experimentally kicking around as early as 1980-83.   The Black Metal listener/fan enjoys bands like:   Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Mayhem, Immortal, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Burzum, Impaled Nazarene, Marduk, Dimmu Borgir, Profanatica, among many others.   Image and attire is staunchly regulated with the music to a half-medieval, half-military look, ranging with leather gauntlets on the arms and greaves on the legs with spikes and studs, bullet belts, leather jackets & leather belts, all black clothing including black jeans, velvet or leather pants, black shirts (sometimes plain or of other Black Metal bands), chain mail, black capes or cloaks/robes, chains, spiked chokers, leather combat/warrior boots, necklaces bearing pentagrams, inverted crosses, Mjollnirs (Thor's Hammer), chaos stars or anything else occultist/Satanic, or spiritually outlandish.   Long hair is most preferred, either in your natural colour or dyed black.   Last but not least, a classic black metaller isn't without the quintessential "corpsepaint."   Some, however, avoid wearing corpsepaint.

Black metalists are highly varied individuals.   Some can be kind and some can be downright mean and exclusionist.   The first wave black metalists (who like early Black Metal circa 1980-1986) might behave similarly to the Thrasher.   Other Black Metalist may be more dark, quiet, sombre, idealistic, articulate, the intellectual type, or sometimes very outspoken and blunt about their highest (spiritual) beliefs. Many have a love and appreciation for nature, Romanticist literature/art, philosophy, esoteric religions - which some may practice (i.e. Paganism, Satanism, Odalism, etc.), history (ancient/medieval era) and fantasy (i.e. J.R.R. Tolkein).

Many of the Second Wave Black Metalists and newer (c.1987-1994, 1995-present) can be/are quite elitist and believe that Black Metal is more than another form of metal music but is truly a 'way of life,' and belongs only to those that can understand it spiritually, psychologically, philosophically and metaphysically. Those who don't or cannot don't belong in the scene. Almost all Black Metalists are staunchly (or even violently) opposed to organized religion, mainstream music, modern politics and modern society as a whole.   This may largely account to their sense of "elitism" and alienation even amongst other headbangers at times.