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Black Metal has always been a musical genre and life-style that has always intrigued me, as
far back in Junior High at the age of 11 years old when I first started to seriously get into
metal, borrowing my first Venom cassette tape, entitled Black Metal. Purists will say Venom's
album is not really Black Metal, just a British band that sounded like no other at the time
and gave one of their songs that title, thus giving traditional Black Metal bands a name to
call their music but this argument can go on forever. I have viewed bits and pieces of
footage that has taken a look at Black Metal, from blurbs in magazine articles that are in
print and on-line, to reading Lords of Chaos (Moynihan and Soderlind)- a book written by two
authors, one or both allegedly "white power" guys, to viewing Sam Dunne's portion of Metal:
A Headbanger's Journey that included some interviews with Gaahl of Gorgoroth, Abbadon
of Immortal, and members of Enslaved, and Fenriz of Darkthrone and other bands/projects,
and current members of Mayhem, or even Beezlebub's Black Metal DVD that is documentary
in style but really just a bunch of interviews with various Black Metal bands, including Venom.
But, in all fair honesty, Until the Light Takes Us has delved the deepest into the dark,
blackened heart of the matter and its primordial black ooze. The film approaches the
subject matter with a grace and calmness that is reminiscent of a deep, dark black pool that
is calm and still on the outside but boiling and festering very far down in its depths, just
waiting to bubble over and release its fury and rage as its true nature is revealed. The
filmmakers, Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell, have created a beautifully documented film that
is as much informative as it is artistic to watch. They blended a nice array of ambient and
Black Metal songs to balance out its soundtrack and to create elements of narrative through
the song choices.
The filmmakers' decision to focus primarily on Varge "Count Grishnackt" Vikernes (Burzum)
and Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell (Darkthrone) made for extremely interesting viewing and
enjoyment. Both individuals were extremely adept at thoroughly explaining their viewpoints
and thoughts on the history and genre of Black Metal. I felt that the way that Aites and Ewell
filmed their interviews and footage of both individuals really showed the viewer what they
were all about and their true natures. Some of the other players in the Black Metal scene
that were interviewed and filmed were Jan Axel Blomberg (Hellhammer of Mayhem) , Kjetil
Haraldstad (Frost of Satyricon), Olve Eikemo (Abbath of Immortal), Harald Naevdal
(Demonaz of Immortal), Harmony Korine (wrote the film Kids and directed and co-produced
Gummo), Bjarne Melgaard (Australian artist who was raised in Norway and works and lives in
Berlin, Germany that had an exhibit showing at an art gallery that used to be the infamous
Helvete Black Metal record shop), Kristoffer Rygg (a.k.a. Garm, Trickster G, and God
Head), a Norwegian Grammy nominated vocalist, musician, and producer known for working
with Black Metal, ambient, experimental, electronics, and film music in such bands as Ulver,
Arcturus, Ihsahn, Merzbow, and Bard "Faust" Eithun (ex-drummer of Emperor).
Until the Light Takes Us really is a beautifully-shot film, nicely paced, and well-crafted but
is only one perspective on the history and culture of Black Metal. I have found that if the film
were to cover the roots of the Black Metal movement, the documentary would be over 12
hours long and not be ideal viewing for anyone but the most ardent follower and researcher
of the musical and cultural genre. The film's use of music was perfectly well-balanced and
showed a creativity and delicateness that balances very nicely throughout the whole film.
The directors made a conscious decision to omit Varg's Neo-Nazi rhetoric and instead, focus
on his role in the church burnings of the '90s and the music itself, since Varg did not develop
most of these racist ramblings until after he was incarcerated and serving out his lengthy
prison sentence, young and highly impressionable, growing up while behind bars. The Varg
that was interviewed was nearing the end of his sentence and had years of rehabilitation by
the Norwegian prison system that has a very high rate of success with its inmates, which is
almost entirely opposite of the United States prison systems' success rate, or lack thereof.
Until the Light Takes Us shows the viewer the lighter sides of Count Grishnackt and Fenriz,
allowing one to see that they are only human (Varg discussing a conversation he had with
another friend over corn flakes and how one should eat them or Gylve talking about a really
good album by Testament entitled The Legacy, at an outdoor resale shop in Norway that he
has frequented, one time looking for a recording device to use for his music. Both of these
elements add to each individuals character and portray each as the average "Joe" with
normal faults, wants, and needs. The film did not try to paint a picture of the genre as evil,
forbidden, untouchable or dangerous, but simply as a musical genre that has some very
creative and passionate individuals in it that a very select minority have tarnished by some
heinous acts when they were growing up, young and naive in their teens, yet still pioneers of
what we know as today as True Norwegian Black Metal.
The film is worth watching, even if not a fan of Black Metal, for it still paints a vivid picture
on so many different levels through different mediums, leaving the viewer with a poignant
social statement on how certain things are seen through these many talented artists eyes.
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