How to Start a Black Metal Band

The heavy metal music genre encompasses many different styles. Black metal, one of the most extreme sounds, grew out of thrash metal. First prominent in Norway, it combines blistering metal guitar with a lyrical focus on demons and evil. Bands like Marduk, Mayhem, Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir typify black metal music. Read on to learn how to start a black metal band.

Instructions

1. Decide on a musical approach. Think about the bands and songs you admire and then write songs to fit into that mold. You may want a straightforward relentlessly demonic sound like early black metal, or a symphonic sound like Dimmu Borgir or Nightwish. Recruit additional band members accordingly through musicians' message boards, social networking sites or music schools.

2. Concentrate on image. Dress in black leather with plenty of spikes. Paint your face like King Diamond, not like Kiss. Deathly white makeup and fake blood smeared on your body works, too. Pitch black hair and chunky leather boots complement the look.

3. Write lyrics straight out of a horror novel. Use words like screaming, blood, brain, devil, demon and hell a lot. Black metal songs usually deal with subjects like demonic possession, Satanism, paganism and violence. Sprinkle the songs with mythological and occult references.

4. Imitate a singing demon. Depending on your influences and range, you can use mid-range or high-pitched vocals. Develop a classic growling, monster-like sound from the back or your throat, or aim for a more operatic, symphonic metal vocal.

5. Master thrashy, distorted guitar. Black metal guitarists often play one note very fast, over and over again, a technique known as tremolo picking. Drummers play swiftly as well, often alternating strokes using the bass and snare drums. Some black metal drummers hit the skins so fast it sounds like a rapid fire machine gun.

6. Pick a foreboding name. You'll need to brainstorm an original black metal band name since monikers like Venom, Mayhem and Hellhammer are already taken. Consider a combination of satanic, medieval or just plain scary words for your band name.

Tips & Warnings

• Ugly yourself up. Pretty boys don't fit in with the black metal image, but female black metal singers/musicians can be hot.