Thurston Moore vs Black Metal: Sonic Youth Frontman Draws Ire of Music's Most Snobbish Fans

Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore is currently somewhat embroiled in a war of words with the black metal scene-we say "somewhat" because we feel Moore would just as soon not care whereas black metal fans get way too excited about anything.

The problems started when Moore decided to live the black metal life for a while, Jane Goodall-style. He joined supergroup Twilight for its 2014 album Twilight III: Beneath Trident's Tomb, which drew the ire of aforementioned fans that such a non-metal icon was watering down the work. Moore took the criticisms in stride, delivering the following quote about the scene:

"Black Metal is music made by pussies of the lowest order, and we felt it was necessary to investigate this aberrant anti-music behavior," he said. "We feel like the sound and attitude of black metal is a loss of self, life, light and desire in a way where it becomes so negative that a whole new bliss arrives where we become super pussy."

That's a bold statement to make about a genre renowned for its murders, church burnings, brutal suicides and possible cannibalism. Moore further mocked the scene and its misanthropic beliefs in a follow-up with Rolling Stone.

"I figured I would just write something ridiculous about it," he said. "And boy, did black-metal devotees get really upset by it. You're not supposed to be alive, so why are you getting upset?"

As huge fans of black metal—we're listening to Krieg's new album Transient as we speak—we've got to admit Moore is right: The majority of black metal fans and musicians are totally bogus. The notorious crimes listed above were all committed by a small group of Norwegian originals, and even those events were more the cause of petty revenge (Varg Vikernes) and rebellion (Euronymous) than sincere hatred of humanity and Satan-worship. We don't hold it against bands such as Krieg or Leviathan for not burning churches but many fans do.

"I've been condescended to by a guy who's never gotten a speeding ticket because I've never burned a church," guitarist Chris Alfieri of Vattnet Viskar told us during a 2012 interview.

Indeed our choice for album of the year in 2013 was Deafheaven's Sunbather, which most hardcore black metal fans deemed too arty and experimental to fit in the genre. We'd tell you guys to chill and enjoy the music...but that would probably fly in the face of everything you believe.

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