Metal Sound and Ideology

Symphonic black metal
Symphonic black metal is a style of black metal that uses symphonic and orchestral elements. This may include the usage of instruments found in symphony orchestras (piano, violin, cello, flute and keyboards), 'clean' or operatic vocals and guitars with less distortion. Symphonic black metal is often confused with melodic black metal and gothic metal, as the styles overlap.

Folk and Viking black metal
Folk black metal and Viking black metal are terms used to describe black metal bands who incorporate various kinds of folk music. Viking black metal bands focus solely on Nordic folk music and mythology. These bands typically seek to create an epic or romanticized atmosphere.Their harsh black metal sound is "often augmented by sorrowful keyboard melodies,"acoustic guitars and folk instruments.Vocals are typically a mixture of high-pitched shrieks and 'clean' choral singing.The origin of Viking metal can be traced to the albums Blood Fire Death (1988) and Hammerheart (1990) by the Swedish band Bathory.In the mid 1990s, Irish bands such as Cruachan and Primordial began to combine black metal with Irish folk music, while the Jerusalemite band Melechesh incorporated Middle Eastern music.

Ambient black metal
Ambient black metal is a style that combines elements of black metal and ambient/dark ambient music. Typically the electric guitar is played together with synthesizers and keyboards, or simply in an 'atmospheric' style with much use of reverb. The Norwegian band Burzum may be considered a pioneer of black ambient, as demonstrated on a few of his early songs. Other prominent artists who have performed in this style include Velvet Cacoon (US), Wolves in the Throne Room (US), Xasthur (US), Leviathan (US), Manes (Norway), Blut Aus Nord (France), Summoning (Austria) and Striborg (Australia).

Black doom
Black doom (also known as blackened doom metal) is a style that combines elements of black metal and doom metal. Typically, vocals are in the form of high-pitched shrieks and guitars are played with much distortion, which is common in black metal. However, the music is played at a slow tempo with a much 'thicker' guitar sound, which is common in doom metal. The style was pioneered in the early work of Barathrum (Finland) and Bethlehem (Germany). Pure blackened doom bands are fairly rare, but Dolorian (Finland), Unholy (Finland), Ajattara (Finland), Forgotten Tomb (Italy), and Gallhammer (Japan)have performed in this style.

Blackened death metal
Blackened death metal is a style that combines elements of black metal with death metal (and occasionally grindcore). When compared with 'traditional' black metal, there is more usage of down-tuned guitars, palm muting, and complex blast beats. Vocals are often a mixture of shrieks and death growls. Bands of this style often focus on themes common in black metal, such as anti-Christianity, Satanism and occultism. The style was influenced by bands such as Blasphemy (Canada), Beherit (Finland) and Impaled Nazarene (Finland). In the mid 1990s it was developed further by bands such as Belphegor (Austria), Behemoth (Poland), Akercocke (England) and Zyklon (Norway).

IDEOLOGY
Any attempt to lay out the ideology of a musical genre is bound to generalize to the extent that some traits are unfairly emphasized, while others are laid out which do not apply to all. Nonetheless, black metal is generally opposed to Christianity and supportive of individualism.Arguably, this is the only coherent sentiment among black metal artists. In a Norwegian documentary, Fenriz stated that "black metal is individualism above all".Artists who oppose Christianity tend to promote atheism, antitheism, paganism or Satanism.Some musicians – such as Euronymous, Infernus and Erik Danielsson – have insisted that Satanism should be first and foremost.Occasionally, artists write lyrics that appear to be nihilistic and misanthropic,although it is debatable whether this represents their mentality. In some cases, black metal artists have also espoused romantic nationalism, although the majority of those involved are not outspoken with regard to this. Nonetheless, many black metal artists seek to reflect their surroundings within their music. The documentarist Sam Dunn noted of the Norwegian scene that "unlike any other heavy metal scene, the culture and the place is incorporated into the music and imagery".

Regarding the sound of black metal, there are two conflicting groups within the genre – "those that stay true to the genre's roots, and those that introduce progressive elements".The former believe that the music should always be minimalist – performed only with the standard guitar-bass-drums setup and recorded in a low fidelity style. One supporter of this train of thought is Blake Judd of Nachtmystium, who has rejected labelling his band black metal for its departure from the genre's typical sound.A supporter of the latter is Snorre Ruch of Thorns, who stated that modern black metal is "too narrow" and believes that this was "not the idea at the beginning"

Some prominent black metal musicians believe that black metal does not need to hold any ideologies. For example, Jan Axel Blomberg said in an interview with Metal Library that "In my opinion, black metal today is just music."Likewise, Sigurd Wongraven stated in the Murder Music documentary that black metal "doesn't necessarily have to be all Satanic, as long as it's dark."

National Socialist black metal

National Socialist black metal (NSBM) is a term used for black metal artists who promote National Socialist (Nazi) beliefs through their music and imagery. NSBM is not regarded as a distinct subgenre, as there is no method to play black metal in a National Socialist way. Some black metal bands have made references to Nazi Germany for shock value, causing them to be wrongly labelled as NSBM. Due to his writings,Varg Vikernes is regarded as the prime inspiration for the NSBM movement. NSBM artists are a small minority within black metal, according to Mattias Gardel.They have been rejected or strongly criticised by many prominent black metal musicians – including Jon Nödtveidt,Tormentor,King ov Hell,[Infernus,Lord Ahriman,Emperor Magus Caligula,and the members of Arkhon Infaustus.Like Christianity and organised religion, they regard Nazism as authoritarian, collectivist, and a "herd mentality".

Unblack metal

Unblack metal (also known as Christian black metal) is a term used in reference to black metal bands whose lyrics and imagery depict Christianity positively. Such bands are controversial, primarily because they contradict the inherent anti-Christian and individualistic sentiment of black metal. Like National Socialist black metal it is not regarded as a distinct subgenre, as there is no method to play black metal in a Christian way. The first black metal albums to promote Christianity were Antestor's Martyrium (1994) and Horde's Hellig Usvart (1994) – the latter coined the term unblack metal.A number of such bands have emerged since then, but it should be noted that they remain a small minority within the genre.