Synopses & Reviews
Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult features over one hundred exclusive new and archival interviews with the genre's most central figures. It is the most comprehensive guide yet to this fascinating and controversial form of extreme metal. It is encyclopaedic in length and breadth.
From the early 1980s pioneers to its fiery rebirth in Scandinavia through to today's increasingly diverse groups, this epic tome captures the movement's development in unparalleled detail and images through such bands and personalities as Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Behemoth, Tormentor, Emperor, Darkthrone, Samael, Gorgoroth, and many dozens of others.
Increasingly influential, black metal continues to grow and expand as a musical form as well as the subject of serious and satirical, animated, documentary, and narrative feature films.
Publisher Feral House has already published the most famous and award-winning book about this subculture, Lords of Chaos, soon to become a narrative feature film directed by Jonas Ackerlund, an ex-black metal musician who has directed feature films and award-wining videos for the likes of Madonna and Lady Gaga.
Review
"Dayals knack for a riveting, conscientious narrative combined with a lifelong knowledge of the scene and a rare level of trust from all involved leaves behind the sensationalism and various agendas so many authors and documentary makers have brought to bear on black metal, and treats it instead as the still vibrant and turbulent artform all genuine fans will recognise first and foremost, while still providing revelatory insights for fans both old and new." -
Metal Hammer"Anyone who has picked up any UK metal mags over the past few years would recognise Dayals writing. And anyone who has ran into him at a gig over the past few years will recognise the burden of putting together a phone-book sized history of a metal subgenre that has thrived on half-truths, legend and scandal. Said burden could haveshould have turned Dayal all shades of Senator Palpatine, but it looks like it has gone to press just in time." - Decibel Magazine
"Offering an unparalleled level of detail, and spanning 600 pages, Black Metal: Evolution Of The Cult captures the progress of one of metals most dangerous and exciting genres." -Terrorizer
"Author Patterson has pulled off the remarkable trick of covering 30 years' worth of extreme heavy metal, from its garage beginnings to the murderous second wave and finally to the disparate chaos of today.To his credit, Patterson doesn't repeat other book's mistakes by focussing solely on the Oslo scene of the early 90s, though those events (murders, church-burnings and grave desecrations) get their own in-depth chapters. His book adds plenty of previously unread interviews with the main culprits, leading to new perspectives on the original shortlist of innovators (Venom, Bathory, Mercyful Fate, Hellhammer) as much as the modern and frankly confusing wave of bands. It's easy to recommend this book: it's the most ambitious work on black metal so far attempted." - Joel McIver, Record Collector Magazine
Unlike other books and documentaries on the subject, Patterson approaches the genre from an insiders perspective, providing an exciting account of nearly 30 years worth of black metal history, two decades of which he found himself firmly rooted; a purposeful tome meant to enrich, enlighten and examine the artistic, musical, and spiritual development of the genre and the creative work, ideologies and often colourful lives of some of its most significant bands. - Zero Tolerance Magazine
With the arrival of British music writer Dayal Pattersons excellent book, we have a collection of the best journalism and photo archival work of the lot. It completes the unholy trinity” of BM books. It is an extremely diligent and well-informed publication that leaves almost nothing out of the history of the genre, containing many previously unreported facts and stories. This is no lazy collection of old interviews thrown together in haste. It is a modern masterpiece of the declining art of music journalism. - Vice Magazine
Its a fascinating overview of Black Metal written by a seriously otaku expert on the genre. At nearly 500 pages, its instantly the defining book on Black Metal, even a kind of minor masterpiece of the rock book form, featuring dozens of interviews with the luminaries (would that be the right word?) of the Black Metal scene. I got totally lost in it. - Dangerous Minds
Synopsis
Here is the most comprehensive history yet of this fascinating offshoot of extreme heavy metal.
About the Author
Dayal 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. He has also written liner notes for releases by high profile bands including the post-punk pioneers Killing Joke and black metal legends Marduk. As well as working with the written word he has also conducted onscreen interviews for magazines, web sites and DVD release. He has conducted interviews with hundreds of bands of various styles from Rammstein, to Public Enemy to Gorgoroth to Alice in Chains to Machine Head as well as actors, directors and visual artists.