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Hideous Gnosis: Black Metal Theory Symposium 1
Essays and documents related to Hideous Gnosis, a symposium on black metal theory, which took place on December 12, 2009 in Brooklyn, NY. Expanded and Revised.
"Life is a hideous thing, and from the background behind what we know of it peer daemoniacal hints of truth which make it sometimes a thousandfold more hideous." - H.P. Lovecraft
"Poison yourself . . . with thought" - Arizmenda
CONTENTS: Steven Shakespeare, "The Light that Illuminates Itself, the Dark that Soils Itself: Blackened Notes from Schelling's Underground." Erik Butler, "The Counter-Reformation in Stone and Metal: Spiritual Substances." Scott Wilson, "BAsileus philosoPHOrum METaloricum." Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, "Transcendental Black Metal." Nicola Masciandaro, "Anti-Cosmosis: Black Mahapralaya." Joseph Russo, "Perpetue Putesco - Perpetually I Putrefy." Benjamin Noys, "'Remain True to the Earth!': Remarks on the Politics of Black Metal." Evan Calder Williams, "The Headless Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Brandon Stosuy, "Meaningful Leaning Mess." Aspasia Stephanou, "Playing Wolves and Red Riding Hoods in Black Metal." Anthony Sciscione, "'Goatsteps Behind My Steps . . .': Black Metal and Ritual Renewal." Eugene Thacker, "Three Questions on Demonology." Niall Scott, "Black Confessions and Absu-lution."
DOCUMENTS: Lionel Maunz, Pineal Eye; Oyku Tekten, Symposium Photographs; Scott Wilson, "Pop Journalism and the Passion for Ignorance"; Karlynn Holland, Sin Eater I-V; Nicola Masciandaro and Reza Negarestani, Black Metal Commentary; Black Metal Theory Blog Comments; Letter from Andrew White; E.S.S.E, Murder Devour I.
BLACKMETALTHEORY.BLOGSPOT.COM
"Life is a hideous thing, and from the background behind what we know of it peer daemoniacal hints of truth which make it sometimes a thousandfold more hideous." - H.P. Lovecraft
"Poison yourself . . . with thought" - Arizmenda
CONTENTS: Steven Shakespeare, "The Light that Illuminates Itself, the Dark that Soils Itself: Blackened Notes from Schelling's Underground." Erik Butler, "The Counter-Reformation in Stone and Metal: Spiritual Substances." Scott Wilson, "BAsileus philosoPHOrum METaloricum." Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, "Transcendental Black Metal." Nicola Masciandaro, "Anti-Cosmosis: Black Mahapralaya." Joseph Russo, "Perpetue Putesco - Perpetually I Putrefy." Benjamin Noys, "'Remain True to the Earth!': Remarks on the Politics of Black Metal." Evan Calder Williams, "The Headless Horsemen of the Apocalypse." Brandon Stosuy, "Meaningful Leaning Mess." Aspasia Stephanou, "Playing Wolves and Red Riding Hoods in Black Metal." Anthony Sciscione, "'Goatsteps Behind My Steps . . .': Black Metal and Ritual Renewal." Eugene Thacker, "Three Questions on Demonology." Niall Scott, "Black Confessions and Absu-lution."
DOCUMENTS: Lionel Maunz, Pineal Eye; Oyku Tekten, Symposium Photographs; Scott Wilson, "Pop Journalism and the Passion for Ignorance"; Karlynn Holland, Sin Eater I-V; Nicola Masciandaro and Reza Negarestani, Black Metal Commentary; Black Metal Theory Blog Comments; Letter from Andrew White; E.S.S.E, Murder Devour I.
BLACKMETALTHEORY.BLOGSPOT.COM
292 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 10, 2013
Hideous Gnosis does what is feared most: it opens up a space for pseudo-hipsters to plunder one of the final redoubts of the counter culture. While it shouldn't be hard to analyze black metal, justifying its more out of control elements is a huge challenge simply not met by this anthology of essayists trying to outdo each other with impenetrable analysis. Naming the endless permutations of nihilism within the genre is as farcical here as the flagpole scene in A Christmas Story (why not just commit the social faux pas and say black metal is "triple dog nihilism" and end the farce?). Trying to define "transcendent" versus "hyperborean" schools is nothing more than a way to help North Americans overcome their inferiority complexes. Whatever the true reason North Americans are not the Norwegians' peers when it comes to black metal is not explained, elaborate charts and technical diagrams notwithstanding.*
The best question explored in Hideous Gnosis is whether black metal is the present extreme limit of a style, is misanthropy, or a (Northern European focused) pagan cultural movement. Predictably, there's not a definitive answer. But thankfully, the theory that black metal is a pagan movement and not a weak excuse to be disrespectful toward others' convictions remains a possibility and isn't refuted by all the bad philosophy.
What Hideous Gnosis doesn't tackle head on are the problems those of us who became interested in black metal as an aesthetic or artistic thing found when we investigated the substance beneath. Racism is the biggest problem in black metal. Cruelty to animals and misogyny come in close seconds and thirds. The really violent escalatory spiral of one-upsmanship ended in the 90s; black metal musicians burn fewer churches and kill each other far less often today. But the danger of such a tensely ratcheted purity standard requires that new atrocious acts will be committed in the name of black metal. The cycle doesn't just need to be slowed or arrested, it needs to be stopped. An it needs to be stopped affirmatively, not by atrophy. Obviously a symposium cannot do this any more than a UN summit can stop acts of state sponsored atrocity - but a symposium is assumed to represent a meeting of the minds. Even without the possibility of saving the world, a think tank is supposed to at least discuss what it would do if given a magic wand. Alas, Hideous Gnosis doesn't think so much of its collective powers of reasoning.
That's not to say there aren't solid points and good writing in Hideous Gnosis. There are. Unfortunately there's also really bad writing that thinks it can overwhelm with obscure citation where clear observation would suffice.** (Every featured writer here would have done well to read "Politics and the English Language".) Hideous Gnosis is like an anthology for an enigmatic fanzine, only the fanzine never existed, did not run a course, and didn't change lives on its own merit. Hideous Gnosis is publicity for a few serious thinkers and their Internet associates. It will not be standard reading for music or art students.
*The simplest answer for why Scandinavian metal focuses on Norse mythology and had such a passionate bone to pick with Christianity while North American metal is more like a misanthropic hippie movement is simply the insular, homogenous quality of Scandinavian culture and history. America is far too much of a melting pot. We've all had a pagan tradition stripped from us somewhere back there. And we've all had a foreign monotheistic religion imposed on us. But the actual pagan tradition is too far lost and too diluted to legitimately feel in ghost form. And even the way we experienced organized religion varies depending on where a person's ancestry hails from. Most people in Scandinavia can trace themselves back to the pre-Christian people. Few people in North America can. That's why we aren't as mad at the Pope as the Norwegians and why we put deer antlers and owl feathers on everything. The deer antlers are an abstraction where a desecrated devotional icon is quite literal.
**Two of the essayists used Foucault and Derrida in the same essay. For some reason, John K Samson did the same. But is it all a coincidence? Did all three really come across the same writers through independent graduate study - or did I stumble on a transparent pane in all this haute intellectualism? Did the metal guys read about Foucault and Derrida because of the same Weakerthans song? If so... ?!?!?!
The best question explored in Hideous Gnosis is whether black metal is the present extreme limit of a style, is misanthropy, or a (Northern European focused) pagan cultural movement. Predictably, there's not a definitive answer. But thankfully, the theory that black metal is a pagan movement and not a weak excuse to be disrespectful toward others' convictions remains a possibility and isn't refuted by all the bad philosophy.
What Hideous Gnosis doesn't tackle head on are the problems those of us who became interested in black metal as an aesthetic or artistic thing found when we investigated the substance beneath. Racism is the biggest problem in black metal. Cruelty to animals and misogyny come in close seconds and thirds. The really violent escalatory spiral of one-upsmanship ended in the 90s; black metal musicians burn fewer churches and kill each other far less often today. But the danger of such a tensely ratcheted purity standard requires that new atrocious acts will be committed in the name of black metal. The cycle doesn't just need to be slowed or arrested, it needs to be stopped. An it needs to be stopped affirmatively, not by atrophy. Obviously a symposium cannot do this any more than a UN summit can stop acts of state sponsored atrocity - but a symposium is assumed to represent a meeting of the minds. Even without the possibility of saving the world, a think tank is supposed to at least discuss what it would do if given a magic wand. Alas, Hideous Gnosis doesn't think so much of its collective powers of reasoning.
That's not to say there aren't solid points and good writing in Hideous Gnosis. There are. Unfortunately there's also really bad writing that thinks it can overwhelm with obscure citation where clear observation would suffice.** (Every featured writer here would have done well to read "Politics and the English Language".) Hideous Gnosis is like an anthology for an enigmatic fanzine, only the fanzine never existed, did not run a course, and didn't change lives on its own merit. Hideous Gnosis is publicity for a few serious thinkers and their Internet associates. It will not be standard reading for music or art students.
*The simplest answer for why Scandinavian metal focuses on Norse mythology and had such a passionate bone to pick with Christianity while North American metal is more like a misanthropic hippie movement is simply the insular, homogenous quality of Scandinavian culture and history. America is far too much of a melting pot. We've all had a pagan tradition stripped from us somewhere back there. And we've all had a foreign monotheistic religion imposed on us. But the actual pagan tradition is too far lost and too diluted to legitimately feel in ghost form. And even the way we experienced organized religion varies depending on where a person's ancestry hails from. Most people in Scandinavia can trace themselves back to the pre-Christian people. Few people in North America can. That's why we aren't as mad at the Pope as the Norwegians and why we put deer antlers and owl feathers on everything. The deer antlers are an abstraction where a desecrated devotional icon is quite literal.
**Two of the essayists used Foucault and Derrida in the same essay. For some reason, John K Samson did the same. But is it all a coincidence? Did all three really come across the same writers through independent graduate study - or did I stumble on a transparent pane in all this haute intellectualism? Did the metal guys read about Foucault and Derrida because of the same Weakerthans song? If so... ?!?!?!
July 28, 2016
Part noble gesture towards the dark sublime peaks of 'black metal theory', part academic foolery. For the idea of black metal theory to succeed, the prose of theoretical thought will have to be actually infected with black metal lyricism, which occasionally happens in this text.
June 12, 2016
By now I have read quite a lot about black metal theory, if that can even be called a thing. I must say that once again I did enjoy it, although some essays were really far from the main subject and again others really interesting and highly informative. Academics have such a different approach to this. Some lose themselves in philosophical nonsense that - in my opinion - misses the idea completely and again others really want to find a way to explain the black metal phenomenon. Some essays captured so well the essence of black metal and indeed found ways to give academic meaning to this art form, which is so much more than what meets the eye.
December 21, 2021
Maybe it’s the edgy teenager within me whose first musical love affair was black metal, but I constantly resist analysis of the genre. While these essays were well written, an academic plunge just seems so blasphemous… which is perhaps the most black metal act one can perform? Some of the pieces in here were well done, and I do appreciate that the approach within this text was far different than other writings on the subject. I applaud them for not doing another trite, lengthy piece on Dead’s suicide and Varg’s murder, or even the church burnings, all for the sake of shock value. I wouldn’t exactly say I loved it, but it felt refreshing as far as books on black metal go.
August 13, 2013
Firstly, I think that this tome was deliberately dense. I am a philosopher myself and I believe wholly in making things as simple as possible in order to make my writing accessible. Some of these papers seemed a tad too 'ivory-tower' for me, and, given the difficulties I had in ascertaining what some writers were going on about, I shudder to think of the struggles your average metalhead should face in trying to interact with this publication.
Secondly, the proof-reading and editing was seriously substandard. I cringed at some of the mistakes and omissions. Not befitting of an academic collection.
That said, I find some of the reviews here a tad harsh. There were a couple of articles that I read and dismissed as ridiculous (the Hendrix article springs to mind), but the general aim of the Symposium I think is worthwhile - there is a cultural aspect to this music, on that we can all agree. Subsequently, it *is* both relevant and prudent to discuss concepts around the ideologies and trends.
Holding that thought, I particularly enjoyed the comparison of BM as a confessional or as an act of confession, the portrayal of depravity and the evils of the human condition in some sort of cathartic brutality played out in the live arena. I am intrigued by this notion and will likely think about it further.
However, as is previously noted in a review, the issues of racism, neo-nazism, misogyny and religious intolerance are fierce, frequent and - if I may be so bold - even *prevalent* in BM, and I think a worthwhile discussion around these issues si what was missing from this tome. I actually didn't know what to expect when I read it, but I guess if I had to hedge a bet, I thought there would at least be some discussion around these controversial and contentious themes.
All in all, some worthwhile endeavours here, but few and far between, and too oft sandwiched or buried beneath obscurities and assertions to bring any obvious meaningful discussion to the fore.
Secondly, the proof-reading and editing was seriously substandard. I cringed at some of the mistakes and omissions. Not befitting of an academic collection.
That said, I find some of the reviews here a tad harsh. There were a couple of articles that I read and dismissed as ridiculous (the Hendrix article springs to mind), but the general aim of the Symposium I think is worthwhile - there is a cultural aspect to this music, on that we can all agree. Subsequently, it *is* both relevant and prudent to discuss concepts around the ideologies and trends.
Holding that thought, I particularly enjoyed the comparison of BM as a confessional or as an act of confession, the portrayal of depravity and the evils of the human condition in some sort of cathartic brutality played out in the live arena. I am intrigued by this notion and will likely think about it further.
However, as is previously noted in a review, the issues of racism, neo-nazism, misogyny and religious intolerance are fierce, frequent and - if I may be so bold - even *prevalent* in BM, and I think a worthwhile discussion around these issues si what was missing from this tome. I actually didn't know what to expect when I read it, but I guess if I had to hedge a bet, I thought there would at least be some discussion around these controversial and contentious themes.
All in all, some worthwhile endeavours here, but few and far between, and too oft sandwiched or buried beneath obscurities and assertions to bring any obvious meaningful discussion to the fore.
December 24, 2012
Metal for me is like Zen, you must listen, headbang and the experience is Metal.
Transcendental Black Metal? Come on its a joke. Liturgy with 'burst beat' and high pitched guitar sucks! Their hipster image loathed me even worse. If Transcendental was double nihilism and they had inverse for the typical black metal ideas then why don't call it White Metal?(hahahah guess you can't do that because you need to be god-believing christian metalhead first!)
My view about this book can be found in the book and I copy-pasted it below:
What sucks is when metal is co-opted by wannabe academic nerds —Chronic Youth
To be fair I enjoyed some parts, the conversation in "Stosuy – Meaningful Leaning Mess" was worth a read because it enlighten me on the American Black Metal scene by worthy non-hipster black metal band members.
Again, if you want to understand Metal listen to it until it transform you! Then only you can go through books. Fuck off and Die!
Transcendental Black Metal? Come on its a joke. Liturgy with 'burst beat' and high pitched guitar sucks! Their hipster image loathed me even worse. If Transcendental was double nihilism and they had inverse for the typical black metal ideas then why don't call it White Metal?(hahahah guess you can't do that because you need to be god-believing christian metalhead first!)
My view about this book can be found in the book and I copy-pasted it below:
What sucks is when metal is co-opted by wannabe academic nerds —Chronic Youth
To be fair I enjoyed some parts, the conversation in "Stosuy – Meaningful Leaning Mess" was worth a read because it enlighten me on the American Black Metal scene by worthy non-hipster black metal band members.
Again, if you want to understand Metal listen to it until it transform you! Then only you can go through books. Fuck off and Die!
April 2, 2021
I thought it would be a great idea but the papers really seemed like they were written by overenthusiastic graduate students (but they weren't). I think that the subject gave them licence to be "artistic" or "metal" and that killed it for me. A few papers towards the middle of the book were decent, but I wouldn't really missed them if I hadn't read them. I had to speed-read or skip many of them.
July 26, 2022
Where is Symposium 2?
March 8, 2022
I initially stumbled across this book while browsing my Uni's library website for a project. School's library didn't carry it, so I decided to put it on my amazon wishlist. Lo and behold, a friend bought it for me for xmas 2021 and here we are.
Is this book good? Eh. Is it bad? Ehhh. I found it entertaining at best, and annoying at worst. Some articles did keep my attention while others made me roll my eyes. A lot of it sounded like something I would've have written 10 years ago during my emo phase to try and make myself look/sound cool. So, this book was not really what I was expecting. I didn't pay for it so I can't say I regret purchasing it or anything like that. Two stars because, well, there were a few passages here and there that I did find genuinely fascinating. And it put me onto a few bands that I had put off listening to, so I can give it credit for that. Against my better judgement, I will probably read more BM theory books just because I do find them entertaining.
Is this book good? Eh. Is it bad? Ehhh. I found it entertaining at best, and annoying at worst. Some articles did keep my attention while others made me roll my eyes. A lot of it sounded like something I would've have written 10 years ago during my emo phase to try and make myself look/sound cool. So, this book was not really what I was expecting. I didn't pay for it so I can't say I regret purchasing it or anything like that. Two stars because, well, there were a few passages here and there that I did find genuinely fascinating. And it put me onto a few bands that I had put off listening to, so I can give it credit for that. Against my better judgement, I will probably read more BM theory books just because I do find them entertaining.
February 13, 2019
The actual proceedings from an academic conference on philosophy and black metal.
The collection is really, really uneven in content. Some great historico-philosophical pieces, but there is also a mountain of academic-speak, jargon-clogged, semiotic claptrap that (perhaps not on purpose purposefully) is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny. That said, the BM miner will find some real nuggets of analysis, historical fact, secondary sources to pursue, and begin to tease out the threads of this dark art. BM is where the real transgression is taking place. HORNS UP YA SH*TTERS!
The collection is really, really uneven in content. Some great historico-philosophical pieces, but there is also a mountain of academic-speak, jargon-clogged, semiotic claptrap that (perhaps not on purpose purposefully) is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny. That said, the BM miner will find some real nuggets of analysis, historical fact, secondary sources to pursue, and begin to tease out the threads of this dark art. BM is where the real transgression is taking place. HORNS UP YA SH*TTERS!
August 24, 2021
Black metal was born for Critical Theory. And Critical Theory feels ready made for BM. If you come looking for one and not the other though you're bound for disappointment.
August 19, 2023
Not what I was hoping for. A few of the articles are redeeming, the rest feel obtuse and just silly.
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December 15, 2025For a book about ‘black metal theory’ this book was pretty lacking in the theory department as there was absolutely no mention of chords, scales, rhythm etc. unfortunately.
April 11, 2014
Fundamental to my perception of Black Metal, my approach to elitism, my understanding of transcendence, and my thesis. Garbled thoughts tumbling down dark abyssic holes - you tumble with them, or you stay behind. Both might work, as this not merely a hallelujah for fans, but an academic approach to something I didn't believe could be "academicised" before.
May 17, 2016
An interesting collection of essays. It seems that people discredit the book because they disapprove of the essays within, but I found all of them to be valuable, even if I didn't necessarily agree with half of them.
If you like thinking about BM in a way you wouldn't any other genre of metal, this collection is an important read; it's a lone, intelligent voice in a choir of mindless elitism.
If you like thinking about BM in a way you wouldn't any other genre of metal, this collection is an important read; it's a lone, intelligent voice in a choir of mindless elitism.
April 2, 2025
Extremely frivolous which is all this should be. Overall fun and enjoyable — cam really laughed at me because i got to a middle essay where they mentioned the extreme right wing politics of black metal and i was surprised. I like reading around an object with no concept or understanding of the content👍
March 14, 2011
A bit of a stretch at times, some points are absolutely ridiculous... wish it discussed more BM culture
September 18, 2013
Glossary in the end is a very informative one.
eugene thacker: 'three questions on demonology' is an informative chapter.
eugene thacker: 'three questions on demonology' is an informative chapter.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews