#000000 metal and other cultyness

Black metal is old hat, but I like old hats. Also, cultyness isn’t a word. This post is about black metal, sort of. But not really. Er, what? What’s #000000, you ask? It is the html code for black, and it is a conceptual signifier for the transcription of black metal seriousness onto the internet and “alts.” I just made that up. Pardon me. When American Apparel decided to carry True Norwegian Black Metal and Varg Vikerness and Fenriz started talking to the camera in Until the Light Takes Us (watch the trailer here), black metal suddenly gained a face. We all know that once something has a face, people start to relate to it. This is one of the most basic concepts in marketing. The cool youth subsequently increased ten-fold (or many-fold, at least) their black metal fun-time activities- mainlining darkness and smoking entire northern forests and coveting antique bottles of laudanum and hemlock patches to lie around in while half-heartedly reading Goetia and drawing cool pictures of wolves and pyramids and eyes and hands and stuff. Lots of people like to throw the word “poser” around in cultural circumstances such as these, but at this juncture calling anyone a poser is moot. There is no reason to go on blaming anyone for ruining anything because, let us be honest, there really is enough ridiculousness in black metal that even I, a person who is serious about ze black metal (more or less, depending on how many Jameson and Diet Cokes I’ve had), believe it should probably be taken with a big old grain of salt. Take the infamous “10 most ridiculous black metal photos of all time.” If you haven’t seen it, you can check it out here on Ruthless Reviews. Oh, the melodrama. The point of all of this is that if you are still complaining about culture vultures taking your precious black metal and shitting all over it, the time has come to stop whining, as it is out of your hands. If you care that much, nobody is going to be able to take it away from you. Also, I went and saw Bone Awl about a year and a half ago and the crowd was pretty damn purist-y. Also, darkness rules bro. Also just shhh, and if you’re still angry watch this:

Is this video poking fun at people who think it is cool to dress up like Rob Darken (some people call them “faggoths” but I think that’s just too darn bigot-tastic even if we ARE talking about black metal, which was invented by people who hate stuff) and act like saddos even though it is totally sunny and nice out and LA is lovely this time of year and mom is just trying to give you a Capri Sun? I think it is.

ANYWAY, on to the rad wearables.

People have been into Darkness with a capital D for a bajillion years, and wearing it on your sleeve is nothing new. Still, 2008 rolled around and there was black metal fashion at fashion week. I am not going to name the designer because if you haven’t seen footage of his stuff on the runway you’re probably better off. In my opinion, the show was culturally negligent and therefore irrelevant. Also, don’t google “black metal fashion week” unless you’re looking for a pair of Tory Burch galoshes (oh you are, you say? A pine needle is going to appear in your shoe and stab your soft arch). The really good stuff is the often seriously cabalistic imagery that should serve as a spoonful of sugar to the culture theft of black metal and occult stuff. What I mean by this is that even if you are the kind of person who will call someone a hipster for wearing a Darkthrone shirt that isn’t covered in animal blood and/or was purchased new from a reputable shirt man less than four years ago, it is hard to deny that some of this art is really damn good. If you’ve ever perused the “dark tees” section at Blood is the New Black’s online store, you probably know the kind of imagery I’m talking about. Occulty. Lots of inverted crosses and symbols. I am wearing one of these shirts as we speak (the one with the inverted cross and middle fingers). It was designed by the talented Jesus Rivera, the dude responsible for the awesomeness that is Demonbabies. If you find yourself on BITNB be sure to also check out Justin Blyth’s designs. Justin Blyth rules and there is a ton of work up on his website, which you can find here.

Here is some of Jesus Rivera’s other stuff. It came in a mailing insert with some stuff I ordered from BITNB. I keep it clipped to my full length mirror, and wish that I could wallpaper my whole life with it.

Now for some Justin Blyth magic:

Also, check out lingerie company The Lake and Stars Spring/Summer 2011 collection. The ad campaign contains a good amount of ritual, lust, and cult practice. The ridiculously talented designers Nikki Dekker and Maayan Zilberman, who are both total babes, have said that they were inspired by the current resurrection of communal living and cult practices and a more ’80s new-age approach to spirituality. Both the garments and the campaign are gorgeous. I first saw pieces from this line when Sarah Jessica Parker wore them for Sex and the City: The Movie (yeah, that movie was horrendously stupid), and I fawned over her romper until finally the matching bra and briefs set was given to me as a (very generous) gift by someone who probably just wanted me to shut up and stop coveting things out loud.

Some images from the most recent campaign from The Lake and Stars:

“You were born into a state of grace, therefore it is impossible for you to leave it.”