The Genre of Black Metal Trivia Quiz

Answer: Venom

While each of the choices represent a band that influenced and/or shaped the genre as a whole, it was Venom's album "Black Metal" that gave the genre it's name.

Answer: True

In fact, Black Metal and Death Metal have often come into conflict, as evident of the enmity often displayed between Norwegian Black Metal acts and Swedish Death Metal bands.

Answer: Crow

In late April of 1991, Dead committed suicide for an unexplained reason. From there, the genre of Black Metal began to receive greater recognition.

Answer: False

While Satanism is often a theme within the genre, it is certainly not the overarching theme of the genre. Defining such a theme is mostly impossible, though individualism is perhaps the most applicable.

Answer: Les Légions Noires

The "Black Metal Inner Circle," was never actually a confirmed entity or organization. However, rumors, especially within the media, seem to suggest that such a circle existed, and may have been responsible for several church burnings. Les Légions Noires is said to comprise several of the members of this secretive group, though this is speculation.

Answer: Cruachan

Much of Black Metal touches upon Viking Metal as well, and accordingly, Norse mythology is often used in the lyrics of the genre. However, Celtic mythology is much less popular, with only a few bands using Celtic images and themes in their music. Cruachan, one of the few Black Metal bands to emerge from Ireland, is often seen as a pioneer of this subgenre, known as Celtic Metal.

Answer: Marduk

All of the bands listed are Swedish Black Metal acts, however, only Marduk released this particular album.

Answer: Obtest

Correspondingly, Oddest is from Lithuania, while the others are from Japan, South Korea and Malaysia.

Answer: Emperor

The album in question is often said to be the band's peak, and is generally seen by music critics as a good example of how Black Metal should truly sound.

Answer: Demoncy

In fact, Black Metal never really gained popularity in the United States, remaining primarily a European genre. However, bands such as Demoncy and Judas Iscariot did surface and acquire a respectable following.

Answer: Agalloch

The answer is, of course, Agalloch, a band that uses Black Metal vocals, but is most easily recognizable as a folk metal band, or, an an avant-garde style band.

Answer: National Socialist black metal

Essentially, this is the subgroup of Black Metal that expresses sympathy for Nazi sentiments, and does this through their music. This is a minority within the Black Metal scene, however.

Answer: Satanic Warmaster

A fairly obscure band, Satanic Warmaster, or simply SW, is a member of the conservative Black Metal bands, preferring low-production quality and minimalist instrumentation methods.

Answer: Unblack Metal

Unblack Metal, as coined by the band Antestor, is the direct contrast to the general view of Black Metal. That is, Unblack Metal directly promotes Christian themes in its music, as opposed to the primarily anti Christian sentiments in the main genre. Being little more than lyrical difference, Unblack Metal is not seen as a distinct subgenre, however, several bands have developed to embrace the term.

Answer: Fenris

Also of Darkthrone, Fenris is one of many artists to work on the now disbanded "Storm," an international project that included Folk Metal, Black Metal and Viking Metal.

Answer: Book

The book was published to follow the controversial rise of Black Metal, and the crimes that accompanied it's social recognition, such as church burnings and murder.

Answer: Øystein Aarseth

Though official reports were never released, it is said that he fatally stabbed Øystein Aarseth, as well as administering 23 cut wounds to the body. He was convicted of murder as well as for the burning of several churches, and was only released in 2009 on parole after fifteen years of imprisonment.

Answer: Sarcófago

Corpsepaint, during the '90s, was a characteristic signature of the Black Metal scene. Using white paint, occasionally augmented with blood, real or fake, musicians would coat their faces and bodies in the paint to appear as corpses.

Answer: 1349

The Black Metal band 1349 formed in 1997, from several members of the band Alvheim. With influences such as "Celtic Frost" and "Mayhem", the band maintains the classical style of Black Metal with primarily low-grade production and highly anti-religious lyrical content.

Answer: True

In fact, the same band, Bathory, that is said to have began the Black Metal genre later went on to pioneer a second genre, that of Viking Metal. The genres often cross, with Black Metal often using Nortik or Celtic themes in their music, and Celtic or Viking Metal using Black Metal vocals in their music.