Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Black Metal: Into the Abyss

Rate this book
Un livre à part dans la série « Black Metal Cult », avec plus de 600 pages d'interviews exclusives. « Le secret du journalisme est simple, mais difficile à atteindre, il faut poser les bonnes questions aux bonnes personnes, et c'est exactement ce que ce livre fait. » S. (Blaze of Perdition) « Après la lecture de Black Metal : Evolution Of The Cult j'étais convaincu qu'il s'agissait du livre le plus important sur le sujet. Alors faire partie de ce nouveau volume est un honneur. Ce livre est un bienfait… ou un méfait ? » V'gandr (Helheim)

300 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

3 people are currently reading
178 people want to read

About the author

Dayal Patterson

17 books88 followers
Founder of Cult Never Dies publishing

Dayal is a writer, photographer and designer. He began writing professionally in 2005, having previously created a self-published music journal entitled Crypt Magazine. Since that time he has contributed regularly to the likes of Record Collector, The Quietus, Terrorizer, Decibel, Classic Rock Presents... and, most prominently, Metal Hammer magazine, whom he has written for since 2006, providing numerous lead and cover story features. Since completing a BA honours degree in photography at London College of Communication Dayal has been taking live, portrait and promotional pictures for numerous magazines including Record Collector, Terrorizer and Metal Hammer as well as for bands, individuals and companies.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
26 (45%)
4 stars
22 (38%)
3 stars
6 (10%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Katrin.
669 reviews9 followers
October 18, 2016
found this book in my local recordstore and decided to buy it, since i had enjoyed patterson's "evolution of the cult" so very much. this is a somewhat different format, a collection of interviews to show the broad spectre of black metal. i was most happy about interviews with norwegian bands, 1349 for example, as well as the collection of DSBM bands that i listen to a lot. this was a very insightful book on the huge variety of black metal. patterson hereby supports the scene and diversity, and i can but honour that. of course the format of interviews is not as thrilling as the prose in "evolution", but if you are interested and want to open up to a huge arrange of different black metal styles, expressions and ideologies.. this is your book.
Profile Image for Sandy.
565 reviews23 followers
December 31, 2020
The third book of the Black Metal series, the 70th book of the year, I took my time to read it and enjoyed every single page of it.

I think by now,, I’m quite used to Dayal’s writing style. Just like the previously published volumes, this book also has a massive focus on Norwegian and Polish black metal scenes; heavier on the Norwegian end if I’m not mistaken. Am I complaining? No way in hell...

The book starts with all those super fast, brutal, stone cold, aggressive bands like Tsjuder, 1349, Hellheim and few more similar Norwegian bands. I really enjoyed the interview with Ravn from 1349, well, they are one of the bands on the top of my list. The decision to feature bands such as Urgehal, who were amazing but went inactive is something that attracted me to this book. The choices of bands from both Norwegian and polish fronts were equally brilliant. Into the Abyss features more underground lesser-known bands and I quite liked it. I even got to know one or two good bands I wasn’t aware of.

As usual the last 1/3 of the book was the slowest. When it comes to depressive black metal, I always take a lot of time to read them. It’s a part of black metal I can’t relate at all and can’t enjoy much. Reading about the depressive black metal musicians is a challenging thing too. From the few bands featured in this, I only knew of hypothermia, everything else was unknown to me. Still, reading about them was interesting.

I’m really hoping Dayal will continue with this serious series on Black Metal cos there are so many awesome musicians and bands out there who deserves to be included in a decent book.

Book #70 of 2020
309 reviews32 followers
January 24, 2019
Nice book full of interviews with bands of the black metal scene who consider themselves 2nd wave of black metal or true Norwegian black metal. It's pretty interesting to read about the people behind the music and what inspires them, drives them to make this kind of music.

Somewhat disappointed with the narrow-mindedness of most interviewees. Some are members of bands which I frequently listen to. Very strange - simplistic views on history, religion, politics and life in general. I absolutely disagree with their historical thoughts about their country and the weird romantic nationalistic viking vibe going on. Some people don't realize that a nation's identity and common heritage is an invention of the 19th century. But it's an understandable romantic fantasy and escape from reality.

Got the impression that a few some of these "extreme" people are just outsiders even to their own subculture and don't even know how much influence their music had. Also the question on how they got involved into metal and the relations between the bands in the scene are just... Childish. I knew how childish Euronymous was, but apparently most bands were...

Anyways, the most interestic interviews are those with 1349, Vemod, Hypothermia, Forgotten Woods and Psychonaut 4. Patterson is a good journalist who knows much about black metal and is gives before each interview enough information about the band so that you can place the band and interviewee in context to the scene. Sadly enough, as said, is there sometimes not enough to be found. If the main reason for making music is being fast, sadistic, satanistic or misanthropic or just trying to capture the pre-christian mentality of europe... Then there's not much to be said. Otherwise to the questions how the bands relations are to the Norwegian scene and local scene, it's sometimes better not to have known some of those childisch relationships, but if you think about it, in the nineties they were al kids of 16-19 years old. 
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.