Until The Light Takes Us
Friday, November 19, 2010 at 03:19PM ;)
Today marks the release of the 60th Harry Potter film which as I understand it is the "darkest" one yet. Of course any respectable film site would bring you a review of The Earthly Wallows or whatever the fuck its called but of course we are neither respectable nor in a position where we give a fucking shit. In fact unless they do a Potter porn where Hermione is gang banged by the Death Eaters its unlikely we'll ever fucking review it. So to show a true darkness I'm reviewing the fucking excellent documentary Until The Light Takes Us.
Before I begin I would just like to take the opportunity to thank the directors of this for allowing me to see it and please look out for another interview with them following on from the one we did last year. So thanks and really looking forward to chatting again and of course this time you can fucking swear. So what is Until The Light Takes Us about? Well directors Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites spent a shit load of time in Norway interviewing and getting close to those involved in the Black Metal scene.
Now of course they do spend some time talking about the infamous church burnings and murders that blighted the scene in the early 90's but this is so much more and provides an intelligent insight into a much misunderstood scene. Until The Light Takes Us actually held my attention throughout and the members of the various bands were surprisingly intelligent and articulate. Its not that I expected anything less but church burning satanists were always going to be a hard sell. That's a little sarcasm for those who still think I should be reviewing fucking Potter. This documentary provides a wide selection of interviews but spends alot of time talking to Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell from Norwegian Black Metal forerunners Darkthrone and the superbly named Varg "Count Grishnackh" Vikernes from the band Burzum. I tell you now if I ever change my name Count Grishnackh is on the fucking shortlist!
Until The Light Takes Us starts with an insight into the things that created the Black Metal scene in Norway such as corpse make up and using the worst possible equipment to create the dark sound associated with this rather flamboyant musical style. That may sound like a strange description but check out these lyrics from Darkthrone song Kathaarian Life Code "New Disciples rose,
one by one, ten by ten, All met under the Desert Moonlight, Knowledge fired across the Landscape
Sparks that mixed with Coyote Eyes,Diabolic Forces in a Ceremonial Union" Now I have to be brutally honest hearing this I would normally piss my fucking pants with laughter but if you know the history of the scene in Norway then you begin to comprehend the reality.
This is where Ewell and Aites make this work because what begins as a history of a musical style becomes one of disillusionment, anti christianity beliefs and a murder that to be honest shocked me but not because of its brutality but because the person who committed the crime retells it so fucking calmly. I am a metal fan myself although not really into the Black Metal scene and this is a fascinating, insightful and times somewhat disturbing look at a series of events that shocked a country. Its got church burning, suicide, murder and some great music. This fucking deserves to be seen so hunt it down and watch it. Morbid curiousity doesn't get much better than this!
Reader Comments (2)
Then you go and have a plain old insighful, well written review.
You fucking awesome douchebag.
Stop it. I'll start another ego trip.