Appreciating Euronymous

[aquarius]

He was kind of like a genre-guardian. He set a very high standard and most of the other guys in that scene respected him for his ideas on how the music should be. When he died so did that expectation of high quality and intensity; thus the steady decline in the post 1993 genre of black metal.

[scourge]

Similarly, because everything worthwhile revolves around a celebrity, the demise of Chuck Schuldiner surely ushered in the decline of death metal.

[Umbrage]

The thing is that Varg failed in assuming leadership of the scene after Euronymous was killed, instead his actions caused a split in the BM fan base and amidst the chaos and media attention other bands started selling out big time. But I don't think Euronymous would have been above selling out either. These guys always wanted to be big stars, except they wanted to be infamous instead of famous. On the other hand it seems unlikely that bands like Cradle of Filth would have gotten anywhere without the support of the black circle. Their scene might have been strong enough to scare ultra shitty bands like CoF away. But there probably would have still been a steady decline after 1994. I think it has more to do with inspiration than with celebrities who guard the scene.

[Nightspirit]

I think it has more to do with inspiration than with celebrities who guard the scene.

Interesting that these two concepts [inspiration; celebrities who guard the scene] make such a vivid contrast in this statement. We still have uninspiring celebrities who "guard" the scene. Since these are clubhouse politics, I never really enjoyed them, or the personalities behind such things. However, I like Euronymous' obsession with the art form. I don't doubt he was truly awestruck with what people were doing for the advancement of metal in the last of his days.

[aquarius]

Drama aside, I think of this sort of figure as more of a music philosopher or something. Of course it helps that he backed it up with some groundbreaking music. Also much less of a egoist than Varg.

[BillHopkins]

Euronymous had a good function. He encouraged elitism, and a classical approach in metal. He just wasn't a nationalist, so many people who take *one* person's (negative) opinion of him as the gospel truth are probably biased (i.e. the opinion of Varg Vikernes). I would say you have embodied in the rivarly between these two chaps the difference between the Evolian and Nazi view on heirarchy.

Arisocracy of the spirit vs a biological, zoological view.

Also, are we forgetting that V.V. stabbed the guy in the fucking back? Way to man up.

[WAAAAAAGH!]

The tone of Vargs account comes off as whiny and bitchy. So do his writings for that matter. He definitely loves making a martyr out of himself for pity. Despite claiming to hate most people.

[Ksatria/Gang_Rapist]

We're forgetting that

a common "friend" of ours examined the drawers in his bathroom and found a dildo with shit remains on it

and that Vikernes was ideologically more coherent and more serious.