Through a glass darkly...(Black on Black part 2, I think)

I have had a bit of bad luck of late...The superstitious side wants to blame it on my continuing investigation of extreme/orthodox black metal.

Remember when you were a kid and you had ideas that there were people who worshiped the devil?  You really didn't understand how they did, you just knew that is what they did.  Well, it turns out those folks were just shtick.  A few crosses here, a thrusted horn salute there; it was a means of keeping the outsiders out and the scenesters in.

Sure Venom played with the energy and Bathory too.  Slayer had some scary songs ("Praise Hail Sataaaan!") but you knew they were either atheists or church goers. 

Then, there is this, well, this other shit...

Watain, Deathspell Omega, anything on Norma Evangelium Diaboli...These folks actually worship the dark forces of the universe!

Anyway, they are all EXTREMELY talented musicians/bands.  Makes it darn hard to criticize them...

Now, we African-Americans have deep devotional/evangelical Christianity hardwired into our brains; when everything was taken from us (names, drums, religion, freedom, property etc), all that was left in its place was Christianity given by the slavemasters.  So, even in the enlightened aughts, we can be a superstitous lot.

Therefore, when investigating these bands and the Temple of the Black Light, a sort of Gnostic Satanism, I fell back on conditioning when my car crapped out the week of an appointment that was years in the making.

Of course the Watain and Deathspell Omega music research wasn't part of it, right? RIGHT?!?

Anyway, good albums, good bands...Check them out, but make sure you have no pressing engagements...