What is Black metal?
[[File:Taake Hellfest 2009 8 NB.jpg|thumb|right|175px|The [[Cross of St. Peter]] is a common image in black metal.]] '''Black metal''' is an extreme style of [[Heavy metal music]] that started in the early [[1980s]]. Unlike other metal subgenres, black metal vocalists shriek instead of growling. Many black metal bands promote [[satanism]] in their lyrics and outlook. Some bands promote [[Paganism]] instead of satanism. Black metal musicians often wear [[corpse paint]] for performances. Black metal is split into two waves. The first wave began in the early 1980s with bands like [[Venom (band)|Venom]], [[Bathory (band)|Bathory]], [[Hellhammer]], [[Celtic Frost]] and [[Mercyful Fate]]. Venom's first albums, [[Welcome to Hell]] and [[Black Metal (album)|Black Metal]] are usually said to be the first black metal records. The [[Early Norwegian black metal scene|second wave]] is the most popular wave of black metal and it started in the early [[1990s]]. It started from [[Norway]] and has bands like [[Darkthrone]], [[Enslaved (band)|Enslaved]], [[Burzum]], [[Satyricon]], [[Mayhem (band)|Mayhem]], [[Gorgoroth]], [[Immortal (band)|Immortal]], and [[Emperor (band)|Emperor]]. Black metal is also very controversial, especially in Norway. During the early 1990s, certain black metal musicians burned old churches in Norway. One of the people who was found guilty for burning churches, [[Varg Vikernes]], was also found guilty for murdering [[Øystein Aarseth]], a fellow black metal musician.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/dont-simply-demonise-death-metal/2005/09/28/1127804542833.html Don't simply demonise death metal]. ''The Age''. Retrieved on [[August 13]] [[2008]]</ref> == Subgenres == * '''Ambient black metal''' (also '''atmospheric black metal''') uses [[synthesizer]]s to create a dark atmosphere.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/Atmospheric+Black+Metal/ |title= Atmospheric Black Metal |publisher= rateyourmusic |accessdate=1 November 2015}}</ref> * '''Symphonic black metal''' uses [[orchestra