Peter Beste's Black Metal photography

[Eldritch]

Many of Beste’s subjects stare at the camera directly, with an uncompromising coldness. Look at the captions to the photos and they reveal pseudonyms such as Nattefrost, Samoth and King Ov Hell.

...

Some might find such material frightening and perplexing, others may find it mythic and powerful, still others would see it as ludicrous. It is to Beste’s credit that he avoids all these temptations in favour of developing a body of images that lay bare the ambiguities of the Norwegian black metal scene.

The most extreme images in the book are subtly qualified and questioned. Pictures of Nattefrost drunk and covered in his own shit are taken in his bathtub, as if to emphasise that his transgression is contained within the most mundane of objects. There is bathos here, but also vulnerability. The same is true of the many pictures taken of black metallers in the Norwegian countryside: in the woods, on mountains and in the snow, many of the subjects are made to appear small and insignificant (or quite simply cold).

The contradictions inherent in black metal’s simultaneous celebration of untamed nature and untamed humanity are revealed in the insignificance of the black metaller next to the potency of nature.


http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/Frost_fire_LG.jpg
Frost of Satyricon, Cave in Nesodden, 2004


http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/king_sotra_LG.jpg
King of Gorgoroth, Sorta, 2004


http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/natte_church_back_LG.jpg
Nattefrost of Carpathian Forest, Sandness, 2002


http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/natte_bathtub_color_LG.jpg
Nattefrost in his Bathtub, Oslo, 2005

http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/kvitrafn-bergen_LG.jpg
Kvitrafn of Wardruna, Bergen, 2002

http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/abbath_point16x20_LG.jpg
Abbath of Immortal, Os, 2007


http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/GAAHL_WALKAWAY_LG.jpg
Gaahl, Espedal, 2007


More. (http://www.stevenkasher.com/html/ExhibResults.asp?exnum=882&offset=0)

[Pallantides]

I always thought this picture of Fenriz was very cool
http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/fenriz_elm_LG.jpg

This picture really captures the Norwegian mood
http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/GAAHL_WALKAWAY_LG.jpg

[Eldritch]

Is the Elm Street Pub in Oslo still around?

Got wasted there once, and I didn't even like Norwegan Black Metal at the time.

http://www.stevenkasher.com/publish/worksimages/elmdudes_LG.jpg

[Pallantides]

Elm Street Rock Cafe is still around:
http://www.elmstreet.no/

[Heretik]

Nattefrost's picture must be one of the most retarded ever. :D

[Eldritch]

Nattefrost's picture must be one of the most retarded ever. :D

How so? I thought that passing out and shitting yourself in a bathtub is way kvlt and necro?

[Pallantides]

How so? I thought that passing out and shitting yourself in a bathtub is way kvlt and necro?
It's very tr00

One time I puked in my own pants while I was taking a leak, I was so drunk that one of my friends had to shower me clean afterwards...

[Heretik]

How so? I thought that passing out and shitting yourself in a bathtub is way kvlt and necro?

Orly? I though it was just retarded, especially when you stage it. :confused:

[Eldritch]

Orly? I though it was just retarded, especially when you stage it. :confused:

It is indeed retarded, if you stage it.

[Heretik]

So, you think that pic wasn't staged? :rolleyes:

[Eldritch]

So, you think that pic wasn't staged? :rolleyes:

I don't know for sure obviously, but I would be surprised if it was.

[Heretik]

Well, I am sure it was staged. :D

np. Dornenreich - Der Hexe flammend' Blick ;)

[Eldritch]

http://www.viceland.com/int/v12n10/htdocs/dooms/1.jpg
Right: Nattefrost, covered in his own shit in his bathtub

Interview with Hellcommander Nattefrost / May 21, 2006 (http://www.sheol-magazine.com/interviews/interv_nattefrost_en.htm)


This action of you, when you did that photo in the bath tub in your own shit… would you do that again nowadays?

N > It´s like “Do you cover yourself in shit each weekend?” - “No!” I wasn´t fucking healthy then, I was on a lot of heroin, and I need to say that loud, to kill the rumours about that kind of shit. I wasn´t so healthy one year ago.

T > I heared about this picture that you just wanted to have the most ugly picture that ever someone had of himself.

N > No, I wasn´t feeling so good then. And if you see all the stuff I did for the last 2 years or something, it´s just insane shit.

T > That guy (photographer) contacted you?

N > Yeah, it´s taken from Peter Beste and he´s a good guy. So we had this agreement like “I can use this picture and he can”. He´s an extreme photographer and we play extreme music. There`s the same agreement with him and Gorgoroth too, or something. Anyway, I´m a different person now than a year ago.



I think you may be underestimating just how tr00 and kvlt these dudes can be. Or perhaps you think that it has to be staged, because the alternative is just too horrible to think about. ;)

[Heretik]

Poster-boys for anti-drug and anti-drinking campaigns. :D