Black metal is probably the most divisive genre under the heavy metal banner, one that's deeply personal, but fiercely misunderstood by those who simply don't "get it." To the outsiders, the corpsepainted faces, capes and more studded and spiked leather than Judas Priest's collective tour wardrobe come off as a silly charade of heavy metal peacocking, inviting mockery.

The genre is not without its merits, however exclusive and elitist they may seem, but videos like the one below are not doing it any favors regarding its perception amongst the false ones.

The band's name is S.H.O.U.T. and while this may seem like something devised just to get a row out of people, it's more serious than you think — there's over 10 releases on their Bandcamp page. In the "official video" for "Back for Blood," frontman "Glamster" uncomfortably poses for the camera wearing an ensemble that looks like it was put together from a discarded heap of materials from GWAR's workshop.

The song, which was likely recorded using computerized instrumentation, is lower quality than Burzum's prison-era albums and is hardly recognizable as music. Does that make it the most "trve kvlt" black metal recording ever or merely a throwaway?

Unfortunately, a lot of people won't be able to distinguish this from the lo-fi ambitions of legends like Darkthrone and that's where it dents and dings the credibility of actual black metal.

If you've never been the type to understand black metal, maybe start with the albums below and see if it clicks.

Top 30 Black Metal Albums of All Time

 

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