British Black Metal: The Extreme Underground | Full Documentary
Tourmaline Films dive into the depths of #UKBlackMetal, covering topics such as WW2, English heritage, spirituality, the Victorian era and natural surroundings among various other topics.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
1:04 The History & Personality of UK Black Metal
3:52 About Eastern Front
6:02 What is Black Metal?
8:53 About Winterfylleth
11:23 Environmental Influence
15:02 About Old Corpse Road
18:19 Live Shows
21:32 Corpse Paint & Visual Appearance
23:30 About Fen
26:35 Progression & Experimentation
29:52 About A Forest of Stars
33:41 British Music & Culture
35:01 Politics & Heritage
The bands covered include Winterfylleth, A Forest of Stars, Old Corpse Road, Fen, Eastern Front, Ethereal and many more.
©2016 Tourmaline Films. All rights reserved. A film by Andy Horry.
If you enjoyed the film you might also want to check out this video about Andy (The creator of the doc) and his journey into spirituality after speaking with these bands.
How Black Metal Opened the Door to Spirituality
• How Black Metal Opened...
Facebook: / tourmalinefilms
LinkedIn: / 34759124
#BlackMetalDocumentary #BritishMusic
Пікірлер: 523
I understand if some of these bands are not your cup of tea (British pun intented) but saying they aren't trve black metal is kinda stupid. For me black metal and metal music in general is about freedom of expression. If there are some predetermined rules on how your music should sound then you're not as trve as you think you are.
@billieschwartz8602
6 жыл бұрын
Well said mate, well said indeed!!!🤘🎸🤘
@nickmaatjes5611
6 жыл бұрын
Well Said Mate , Some People Want to put Boundaries to the Word Extremity what is kind of a Contradiction to me. Love The Documentary and the Bands!!
@ChristopherJames1993
6 жыл бұрын
The main thing about black metal is passion and using your environment in your music. If a band does that they are a black metal band to me
@V3xxe
5 жыл бұрын
@Arya Calm down edgelord. Black metal is about rebellion, that's it.
@V3xxe
5 жыл бұрын
@Arya From whatever shit the majority is spouting. It doesn't need to sound like it was recorded in a cave. The only reason the old bands sound that way is because they couldn't afford better because they were teenagers. They were brought up in Christian families, so they rebelled against that and against American death metal.
Was a pleasure to be a part of this production, good to so many friends from the British scene involved too.
Apologies for the sound being disabled for some of you. KZread have mistaken copyright for Gatherer of the Pure by A forest of stars. We have given credit for it and got confirmation to use it from Prophecy Productions so looks like we might just have to wait and see. A copyright dispute is in process.
@AnnieHoxhalli01
8 жыл бұрын
+Tourmaline Films Woo! The fooking sound is back!!
@lordslayer6010
8 жыл бұрын
Thanks for fixing it, KZread is ridiculous when it comes to copyright.
@astraeareminiec669
7 жыл бұрын
What if the viewer can't stand strobe lights because they have photo sensitive eyes?
@peppinodicorrado407
7 жыл бұрын
Tourmaline Films fuck you losers crap metal
@jaydubz8117
7 жыл бұрын
I'm impressed by your band. what are they called again?...
This was a very well done! And actually had a few bands I'd never heard of...which is always good. Keep up the good work!
@PaulVegan
6 жыл бұрын
Myke C-Town I totally agree!
I honestly think Bal-Sagoth don't get the credit they truly deserve. Their epic mix of Black, Death and Power Metal was a massive influence on later bands who became really popular with that style such as Children of Bodom.
@pipa.napalm
Жыл бұрын
WTF are you saying? Children of Bodom is a perfect example of the Finish sound that bands like them and Norther have and that was influenced by a pioneer finnish band called Impaled Nazarene (also Finnish). It's crazy how you british people historically take credit for things that you've only robbed like the pirates you have always been.
@andywitch666
10 ай бұрын
They were ahead of their times, for sure!
Amazing documentary, the British scene is quite often overlooked due to other countries having much bigger scenes, nice to see UK bands get some spotlight, great work.
The quality and variety of facial hair on display here is deeply impressive, as is the entire documentary itself. Some great bands I love such as Winterfylleth and some new ones to explore. Thank you 🤘🏿
@TourmalineFilms
3 жыл бұрын
Good point well made drumgold! Glad you enjoyed.
Would love to see a similar documentary about German Black Metal scene, and Canadian too
One of the best documentary films I've seen in awhile. An interview with Andy Marshall would have been nice (because British black metal isn't just English) but overall great job!
Finally! Proper footage of Fen! They're my favourite band in metal today. Thank You so much for this :D
@0xg484
6 жыл бұрын
Do you know the song name at 23:30?
@sonicwingnut
6 жыл бұрын
I actually got into Fen after watching this documentary (I'm the lad from Old Corpse Road in it) and finally got to do sound for them at the Blackwood Gathering festival. They're proper sound lads and incredible live.
@nivolettaz125
5 жыл бұрын
@@0xg484 kzread.info/dash/bejne/f6V4qaNqdNSsYLg.html
@0xg484
5 жыл бұрын
Many thanks, I'm a few albums deep now though :)@@nivolettaz125
This is great! Good job, everyone involved.
Really good documentary! Hardly sit and watch a documentary in whole usually, but this thankfully broke that tradition of mine! Some great bands from this country of mine! :D
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
+Kieran Buckner Glad to hear the film kept you engaged.
Absolutely amazing documentary.
@kiwithegreat7721
7 жыл бұрын
+Grave Bodybag best comment ever
@cfs7338
7 жыл бұрын
Of course this loser likes the Documentary.
@peppinodicorrado407
7 жыл бұрын
CountBlagorath losers
I really enjoyed this. I absolutely love hearing about underground metal scenes and hearing from the bands. The underground is the heart & soul of metal.
Metalheads who like heritage and historical sites? Thought I was the only one. Nothing is more kvlt than a museum.
@forestsburning3324
7 жыл бұрын
Kill Everyone you're obviously not much of a 'metal head' if you thought that
@robertwatford6420
7 жыл бұрын
Black Waves i think you're daft..or are you to stupid to get it?
@WILD__THINGS
6 жыл бұрын
Kill Everyone Are you new to metal?
@wanderingskeleton52
5 жыл бұрын
History and Culture were interests of mine well before I was a Metal fan.
@BadBlueBoysBorovje
4 жыл бұрын
cringe
Very underrated metal scene! Fen, Winterfylleth, Wodensthrone, Saor (Alba Gu Brath!), Anaal Nathrakh, Mountains Crave and so much more. All excellent bands! Icelandic or Ukranian BM scene would be amazing. Love these doxes!
Very well done. Hail British Black Metal!! Much praise from Houston,Texas.
Where are the Scottish bands? Cnoc An Tursa, Saor... Where is Wodensthrone? Where are the Welsh bands? Ghast for example. Might as well call it English black metal with a lot of missing pieces. Nice to see so many familiar faces in this but would have liked to have seen more about the music and less about cultural hegemony. To an outsider trying to figure this out it would look silly seeing all this. Eg. "I love nature, therefore I scream my lungs inside out." There's not much going into why this is the case. For me, it’s way deeper than loving hills and landscapes. That’s purely an aesthetic aide. I was around these bands for some time, it just strikes me a little odd that so much is evidently missing and it’s coming from mostly English bands.
@DogmaEarthwork
8 жыл бұрын
+Marc Hoyland the title is British Black Metal. Way to condemn yourself with such an answer.
@DogmaEarthwork
8 жыл бұрын
+Marc Hoyland have you deleted your comments because you just realised Britain is more than just England?
@groovesnotnews6022
8 жыл бұрын
yea, would like to have seen some of ghast. wodensthrone was *mentioned* :p
@DogmaEarthwork
8 жыл бұрын
+RJSS Sounds It'd have been worth interviewing them. In a lot of ways I feel that Wodensthrone were the precursor to a lot of what is now regarded as English black metal. They're certainly more interesting as people compared to a lot of these...
@groovesnotnews6022
8 жыл бұрын
+Dogma Earthwork well maybe they were busy ... shame whatever the reason :p
Excellent work - this is a really good insight into the English scene (although as another user noted, there is precious little mention of bands from other countries in the UK!). It all felt very BBC Four and I appreciated that style. I also have to say it is a pleasure to hear an interview with Fen. The Watcher is a lot more eloquent than I anticipated for some reason. I'll be sure to share this around my friends tomorrow.
if I can't afford to go to Norway I'm going to Britain
@GFEBMX
4 жыл бұрын
@@serenechaosuk4682 aye just wait the tories are now the only ones in power with no opposition
Beautifully shot, well structured and great to see so many of my friends and fellow musicians. Excellent job guys.
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
+Demitri Levantis Thanks for the kind words Demitri!
Fantastic documentary! Great bands chosen! Brilliant!
UKBM is definitely on the rise. Lots of interesting bands popping up in recent years. You love to see it 🔥
Superb film well done to those involved in the making.
Black metal is across the world..not by country!! But by history of where you came from , heritage, religion, what ever you view ..its raw and heart felt..and if it's good....its good! Period!! No matter what country your from!!
Thanks for the upload! I don't believe I've ever heard of Winterfylleth before this documentary. I'm really enjoying listening to their back catalog. Thanks again!
@FlashBastard1964
8 жыл бұрын
Well done, by the way!
@hancock1934
5 ай бұрын
Prime mover!
Loved seeing the guy wearing a Primordial shirt
Smart and dark, there is something special about this genre. Never thought I'd get into it..
Discovered Old Corpse Road through this documentary. Amazing band!
a documentary for ukrainian black metal would be pretty great
@rorbalzio
8 жыл бұрын
Drudkh!!!!!
@Roscoe-111
8 жыл бұрын
Nokturnal Mortum!
@undergroundmusictapes
5 жыл бұрын
Moloch
Superb documentation. Well in
Just watched an Old Corpse Road video ❤😂 They are now in my top ten bands. Totally love the dynamic and performance. I will now go look for a vinyl copy of their record ❤😂 Thank you Greetings from Western Australia
These musicians music seriously help my anxiety and being a loner which can be super painful at times but sometimes liberating..
This is absolutely bloody brilliant!
@TourmalineFilms
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed Adam.
Great documentary, always come back to watching this every so often. Definitely a look at more of the UK would've been beneficial, but a lot of solid stuff already. Shame a number of these bands haven't released any new material for quite a long time
This is an exceptional film. Thank you!
Black metal has evolved a lot and that's good. I like how many nuances there are.
Great document, being completely new to the British Black Metal scene, that is a lot more bands to check out
It was good to see Voices getting some recognition. What a band.
I love these documentaries on black metal. It’s fascinating learning about the artists and history behind the music. I really didn’t know there were so many black metal bands in the UK.
@TourmalineFilms
5 жыл бұрын
Yes, I was inspired by many black metal docs. One man metal and the one by Vice about Gorgoroth were two of my favourites - Andy
This was really good and informative. i always love to see the artist´s perspective on such a boundary-less subject such as black metal. very good and congrats on this material. worth to share and to comment with me lads and some guiness hehe.
really good documentary; thank you. back in the day . . . peaking on psilocybin, listening to Grand Funk Railroad . . . guess that dates me; but it's the same . . . pity you can't score good psilocybin and pure acid anymore.
Black metal is not about fashion.. is about passion..🤘🤘🤘🔥🔥🔥☠️☠️☠️
Looks like there are a couple of new bands I will have to be checking out! Great bands coming from Britain!
I am 66 , I grew up in the 60s , 70s . You Really Got Me by the Kinks was considered a " hard rock " song at the time , and it was . Heiter Skelter by the Beatles was considered a precursor to heavy metal at the time and it was pretty heavy . I guess I'm saying that I grew up seeing the development of this genre of music . I totally love this style of music. The thrash of Metallica , the heavy melody of Iron Maiden through to Cradle of Filth and the almost meditative yet deep heaviness of SunOOO . This style of music covers the globe . Like rap one can find metal communities in Japan , India , Malaysia , even underground communities in Middle Eastern countries . Some countries make it dangerous to the point of imprisonment to be associated with metal music . If you search KZread or the internet it can be such an eye opener to see how far metal music has spread around the world , and into places where you would not believe it would take root and grow. I love all genres of metal from punk to black metal and all points in between so good on you for bringing this documentary to me .❤😂 Greetings from Western Australia
@TourmalineFilms
2 ай бұрын
Glad the documentary found you!
@Godless-Being
18 күн бұрын
Cool story, bro(sir)
I was a "stage prop" for Thus Defiled ( Not on this vid ?? ! ) twice ! Camden Underworld ( with Bal Sagoth ) and Braindead club theres a vid on youtobe somewhere ! . Lost all arm hair when Nick , the drummer did his flame spitting ...... Good times (?) LMAO Been a British Black Metal fan for over 20 years !
Thank you this awesome documentary @Tourmaline Films now I know a lot more about he Brittish black metal scene
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
Great work, really enjoyed this. Hope to see more like this from you.
This documentary has inspired me, thank you
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
Glad to hear it Joseph! show us what you're made of ;)
UK born and bred but living overseas - nice to see whats going on back home. Nicely done.
you got me interested in some of these bands. a job well done. thank you!
What an awesome Black Metal scene in Britain!!!!🤘🎸🎛🤘
"Heritage Sites" So many shots of Kirkstall Abbey :P
@NonsensicalReality
7 жыл бұрын
That's what you get with low budget documentaries haha
2:41, that guy on the left... I just completely lost it at that point.
@petermoes1668
7 жыл бұрын
hahaha i just laughed my ass off. he is like the kungfu teacher in killbill ()
So far this is the best Black Metal documentary I have ever seen.
A heady mix of severe infantalism and hilarious pretention...makes this stuff a joy.
That was a good watch to be honest, whilst not being OVERLY informative to those who already know of the scene, but it certainly highlights how the UK BM scene does strive to not be categorized as "2nd wave worship" for example, or how elements as simple as the setting for these lyrical tales like landscape really do add to the essence of the atmosphere that the bands attempt to portray.....in short, I enjoyed this, just a shame it wasn't a longer cut
I have no issue with bands like Winterfylleth choosing to forego the image usually associated with black metal, but it does seem a bit strange to play dark and anti-establishment music while looking so clean-cut and ordinary. I honestly think the image of metal is almost as important as the music itself. It supports and enhances the music and it's rebellious spirit, and also shows your dedication to the music and the themes you express; that you're serious about what you believe in. Metal is more than just a music genre, or at least it should be. That's why I like black metal so much and hate how it's become so empty and commercial and seemingly devoid of controversial themes (not saying that Winterfylleth are like that, though I do find their music to be quite boring).
@BasedHyperborean
Жыл бұрын
Xasthur has a quote about not wanting to talk to other metal people and avoiding having long hair or wearing metal shit because he wants to be left alone in public. Could be something kinda like that. There's also no real reason to stereotype yourself. Wearing a uniform is pretty fucking lame and conformist.
So KZread has a feature, that translates videos titles into ones preset language. This video translated underground as subway
I loved Cradle of Filth and Bal Sagoth in my younger years.
Yas, dude has my Agalloch shirt.
did you actually look outside of England for underground black metal talent? How bout Achren or Drekavac or Rex Shachath or Blackened Ritual....
Voices are so Good.....
Love when KZread translates english titles to german... It turned "underground" into "subway" xD
I'd like to remind everyone where venom came from ! without venom that word "black metal" might not exist
@quorthonsinferno5119
3 жыл бұрын
Venom is borderline blackmetal at its coldest but its really still just a hair band.
@Advtaiwan
3 жыл бұрын
@@quorthonsinferno5119 yea I’m just referring to giving birth to the genre name “black metal “ but they were definitely more thrash / punk sounding
@quorthonsinferno5119
3 жыл бұрын
@@Advtaiwan Indeed. For me its also the imagery of the material. Venom era hadn't developed that texture or ambiance and its always been hard for me to appreciate them under the context of black metal
@Advtaiwan
3 жыл бұрын
@@quorthonsinferno5119 that’s fine and I respect your opinion but it’s just fact they created that word “ black metal “
@quorthonsinferno5119
3 жыл бұрын
@@Advtaiwan But they didn't _define_ it.
Great documentary! It was nice to discover some bands I haven't heard of before such as Eastern Front, A Forest Of Stars to name a few. Does anybody know the name of the 2 outro songs?
@NonsensicalReality
11 ай бұрын
Cornu (The Sign of The Horns) by Heathen Deity and Tannis Root by The Infernal Sea. If you wanna check out any other tracks featured, they are all featured in the credits in the order they appear in the documentary.
Great documentary that only really scratches the surface of the underground UKBM scene. But I guess how much can you cram into 40 minutes?
This was brilliant, thank you!
Great Documentary! Kick Ass work! Thanks for this.
Who'd have thought Rasputin was now a member of 'Eastern Front'? :P
@leanfist
7 жыл бұрын
lmao dont let ur wives and daughters look into those eyes
I liked the documentary but given the title I was shocked by the complete lack of seminal bands from the 90s. Where's Cradle of Filth?
@KnjazNazrath
7 жыл бұрын
Dead, hopefully. Despite what Emperor said, they weren't ever black metal anyway. More gothic metal with Iron Maiden tinges.
@skafazzation666
7 жыл бұрын
wow dude you're so kvlt.
Great doc, great bands. Greets from Finland
Excellent film, really enjoyed that.
the guy on the left from Destroyer looks like Michael Jackson in a terrible disguise
@astral_anomaly2250
6 жыл бұрын
for me he looks like he's really trying to act like frost from satyricon. but the beard is so fucking ridicolous
I'm only 10 minutes in, and I'm going to go ahead and assume that White Medal, Sump, or any of the Legion Blotan acts are not in this. Great filming, great editing, great progression. But, the subject itself is not even remotely covered.
whats the name of the winterfylleth song at 32:44? btw, so much great music i had no idea existed, as a swede im entrenched in the "classic" BM scene like so many others, but this was a delight to watch with new experiences, thanks for the new music experiences :D
@Kharn1914
4 жыл бұрын
the song is called: the swart raven
about time an in depth look into the british scene
is White Medal featured in this documentary?
A lot of these look like such soft little whimps. BM achieves it's unique atmosphere because the artists live the extreme ethos their art portrays.
@casket_industries
8 жыл бұрын
+James O'Morain Interesting point, so what's your band called?
@NeglectedField
8 жыл бұрын
+James O'Morain Bear in mind that none of the second wave Norwegian BM artists (for example) were exactly tough guys when it comes right down to it. They also came from quiet Norwegian suburbs with the only real adversity being cold weather and ennui at worst.
@blackpagan100
8 жыл бұрын
+NeglectedField I think "tough guys" is the wrong term. Unhinged would be more apt! If multiple acts of arson, murder and taking photos of your dead mates brains splattered across the floor doesn't qualify you as unhinged or "tough" i don't know what does.
@NeglectedField
8 жыл бұрын
+blackpagan100 You could still count the number of people who were actually involved in those few high-profile incidents on one hand.
''Britannia Infernus - A History Of British Occult and Black Metal'' (VA compilation) - Godreah Records. The actual bands that made British Black Metal stand up for decades.
go on lads. great doc
no Forefather? No Ildra? no Ragnarok-UK? ... The Docu misses a few bands.
@jonkaasman693
8 жыл бұрын
partly, but not entirely, listen more to Forefather, and certainly to the early 3 to 4 albums, much strong black metal there beside traditional tunes. Forfather can be more Blackmetal than most of these crappy hipster-post-metal bands in this film about 'British blackmetal'
@NeglectedField
8 жыл бұрын
+jon kaasman Forefather and Ildra aren't exactly scenesters, and the UK scene is a close knit one. I know only one person who has direct contact with Forefather. I bumped into Athelstan once but nice as he was, he wasn't there to be seen, which is fair. Plenty of great UK bands that don't regard themselves as part of the scene and want to retain the mystery, or would simply balk at the idea of a video interview let alone a documentary like this. Not everyone sings from the same hymn sheet either, so to speak (e.g. when it comes to politics).
@jonkaasman693
8 жыл бұрын
thats not completely my point. Dont try to ''smart ass'' me. I know quite well about Forefather and Ildra. Dont worry sonny.
@jonkaasman693
8 жыл бұрын
sure sure... Go play world of warctaft, boy.
@joshshannon
8 жыл бұрын
+jon kaasman I'm not just calling out you. I love black metal and all metal in general but I hate how as a group we often act like arrogant assholes to other metalheads just for having different opinions than us. as a whole it would do us good to welcome new people who can contribute something positive or have similar interests instead of hating on them. and again, I'm not just calling you out, but metalheads on general have this problem and it's sad. on a different subject did anybody hear scythians 2015 album hubris in excelsis? It was excellent, Check it out.
My favourite documentary to date, introduced me to some new bands too, very well shot and produced; quick question for anyone...what was the acoustic piece around 34-35mins?
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
Thank you, great to hear you enjoyed the film that much. There are two acoustic tracks mixed together in the film. One is called Cornu (The sign of the Horns) and the other Esoteric Eventide both by Heathen Deity. The EP featuring these tracks can be downloaded for free via this link. mirkwoodproductions.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-glory-of-satan-walpergisnacht
@Dunkelzeitgeist
Жыл бұрын
Found this again 7years later, might I say Andy, it still holds up and would love a re-visit or a quick mini film on the genre today! - Jay Mason
Is there a link where there's a compiled list of British bands with the same themes based on heritage and history? If the scene has really gotten as big as they say it has then there shouldn't be a problem finding the good ones and perhaps some of the more obscure and upcoming bands. I've only found a handful but more would be nice. Cheers!
@NonsensicalReality
8 жыл бұрын
Here's a good list www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=524 And Kerrang also did a decent article about British Black Metal www.kerrang.com/15874/british-black-metal-rules-right-now/
@GrimeReaperMan
3 жыл бұрын
@@NonsensicalReality the links have expired now, do you have any more?
Great documentary! Since I'm back in the UK, I'm looking forward to rediscovering the scene here too \M/
@TourmalineFilms
6 жыл бұрын
Welcome back Paul! Glad you enjoyed the documentary.
For me Self-Inflicted Violence and Fen are definitely the best bsnds from UK. I 'm their fan since 2007.
Hails from northern Italy
@Nissardpertugiu
3 жыл бұрын
North Ita black metal . Hail bulldozer & Necrodeath
Great uk b.m documentary.
I've been really surprised as someone who doesn't traditionally listens to much Black metal I'm really digging 95% of all the bands in the Documentary, anyone know any track names at all?
@TourmalineFilms
8 жыл бұрын
+Justin Laidlaw There are a bunch of them listed in the credits that were featured in the film you could start with.
"Atmosphere is the key element of black metal in general"
Excellent film, I love it.
Excellent stuff.
Back then I only knew Bal Sagoth(band), Misanthropy rec and blackend double cd compilations 1and 2.
Superb documentary.
Amazing documentary!! And amazing bands!! ImI
Beautiful documentary!
@TourmalineFilms
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it. Were any of the featuring bands new to you?
The real face of the Underground ! 🤘
Awesomely done discovered new Banda as well🤘🏻😝🤘🏻
@TourmalineFilms
6 жыл бұрын
Great to hear!
any good BM or just extreme music in general in the Sheffield area? I may be visiting & would love to check out a show or just bullshit with people about "our" music if and when I'm there
@NonsensicalReality
8 жыл бұрын
+cavewormetalparty Forneus are Sheffield based.
Whats the song in the intro?