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The definitive version of the definitive black metal book is here! Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult—Restored, Expanded & Definitive Edition, the acclaimed authoritative black metal history authored by Dayal Patterson, returns as a massive 800+ page hardcover book available exclusively in North America via Decibel Books!

This ultimate edition of Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult includes 120,000 words of new content (over 20 new chapters and 20 expanded chapters), over 60 new interviews (over 130 total), an eye-popping 80-page color photo section, vastly improved layout and a stunning new illustrated cover.

Includes artist interviews from Venom, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Sodom, Destruction, Sepultura, Vulcano, Holocausto, Mystifier, Blasphemy, Samael, Rotting Christ, Necromantia, Deviser, Agatus, Zemial, Tormentor, Master's Hammer, Von, Mayhem, Thorns, Darkthrone, Burzum, Immortal, Emperor, Gehenna, Gorgoroth, Trelldom, Beherit, Impaled Nazarene, Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Les Legions Noire, Marduk, Dissection, Vinterland, The Black, Watain, Shining, Strid, Forgotten Woods, Bethlehem, Silencer, Forgotten Tomb, Lifelover, Graveland, Infernum, Behemoth, Hades, Helheim, Isengard/Storm, Kampfar, Windir, Primordial, October Falls, Enslaved, Satyricon, Ulver, Mortem, Arcturus, Fleurety, In the Woods…, Manes, Ved Buens Ende, Dodheimsgard, Sigh, Deathspell Omega, Mysticum, Aborym, Blacklodge, Black Witchery, Hecate Enthroned, Winterfylleth, Fen, Profanatica and much more.

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 “So good. Lovely memoirs of those old times and interesting new stuff. Dayal’s done a really great job with this book.” 

—Nuclear Holocausto Vengeance (Beherit)

 “A brilliantly written book—mandatory if you have any interest in the genre or want to explore a new world.” 

—Hvall (Windir / Vreid)

 “A unique, insightful and fun read.” 

—Blasphemer (Aura Noir, ex-Mayhem)

 “A testament for future generations, compiled with sincerity of effort and high-class aesthetics.” 

—The Magus (Necromantia)

 “This is a very insightful work: Without doubt the ultimate book on the subject, a testimony of black metal and a good introduction for neophytes.” 

—Vorph (Samael)

 “A valuable educational piece of dark writing.” 

—Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ)

 “There are quite a few books on black metal on the market these days but this one is totally different. This is not a typical disc-guide book. This is not a book that only focuses on those inner circle myths. This is an in-depth and very well researched book that overlooks the world of black metal.” 

—Mirai Kawashima (Sigh)

 “No need to write any more books about black metal after this one.” 

—Svein Egil Hatlevik (Fleurety / Dodheimsgard)

 “Dayal Patterson took what is probably the only reasonable approach to the task: he let the artists speak for themselves. If you are prepared to pick up a book this size, then you probably are enough of a fan to be glad you did.” 

—Fabban (Aborym)

 “Free from sensationalist hyperbole it contains a dizzying array or detail, anecdotes, photographs and contextualisation of the landmark artists within the genre—all delivered with Dayal’s fluid prose and dry wit. A huge undertaking that oozes passion, this lengthy tome stands tall as the definitive book on the black metal genre.”

—The Watcher (Fen / Fellwarden)

 “Without doubt the best book about black metal I’ve ever read. Actually, I could probably say it’s the only book about metal worth reading!” 

—Cernunnus (Manes)

 “A definitive and essential piece of writing, exposing a genre that has drastically evolved since Black Sabbath and Venom left their stain on the world.” 

—Venien (VON)

 “You don’t have to read between the lines anymore ‘cause it’s all there, straight from the source.” 

—Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir)

Includes exclusive interviews from over the last 20 years by the author with:

Alexandros (Macabre Omen / The One / Necromaniac) *
Algol (Forgotten Tomb / Triumph of Death) *
Anders Kobro (In the Woods…)***
Andreas Jonsson (Vinterland / The Black) *
Apollyon (Aura Noir / Dødheimsgard / Immortal)
Attila Csihar (Mayhem / Tormentor)
Azrael (Heathen Deity / Thy Dying Light / Helvellyn) *
B (Lifelover)
Beelzeebubth (Mystifier) *
Black Winds (Blasphemy)
Blasphemer (Mayhem / Aura Noir)
Cerastes (Mysticum)
Cernunnus (Manes)
Chris Naughton (Winterfylleth) *
Christopher Botteri (In the Woods…) ***
Cronos (Venom)
Damien (Cradle Of Filth)
Dani Filth (Cradle Of Filth) **
Daniele Valeriani (black metal visual artist) *
Darken (Graveland / Infernum)
David Thiérrée (black metal visual artist) *
Demonaz (Immortal) **
Dolgar (Gehenna)
Dolk (Kampfar) ***
Dr Best (Mysticum) **
Dylan Hughes (Hecate Enthroned) *
Ester Segarra (black metal photographer) *
Fenriz (Darkthrone / Dødheimsgard / Isengard)
Forst (Heathen Deity) *
František Štorm (Master’s Hammer)
Ferdinando ‘Herr Morbid’ (Forgotten Tomb) *
Frater Nihil (Cacophonous Records) *
Gaahl (Trelldom / Gorgoroth / Gaahls Wyrd)
Garm (Ulver / Arcturus)
George Emmanuel (Lucifer’s Child, Rotting Christ) *
Goat (VON)
Heljarmadr (Dark Funeral / Gra) *
Helson Reviler (Cthulhu / Blasphemer zines) *
Holocausto (Beherit)
Hrafn (Thy Dying Light / Nefarious Dusk / Skiddaw) *
Hupogrammos (Negura Bunget)
Hvall (Windir / Vreid)
I. Luciferia (Ende) *
ICS Vortex (Arcturus / Dimmu Borgir)
Ihsahn (Emperor / Thou Shalt Suffer)
Impurath (Black Witchery / Diocletian) *
Infernus (Gorgoroth / Borknagar)
Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved)
Jannicke Wiese-Hansen (black metal visual artist) *
J.E. Åsli (Vemod / One Tail One Head) *
Jeroen Pede (Alkerdeel) *
Jim Mutilator (Rotting Christ / Yoth Iria) *
Jon ‘Metallion’ Kristiansen (Slayer Mag / Head Not Found Records)
Jonas Åkerlund (Bathory)
Jonathan Selzer (editor of Terrorizer / Metal Hammer writer) *
Jorn Tunsberg (Hades / Immortal) * *
Jürgen Bartsch (Bethlehem) **
Kim Carlsson (Lifelover / Hypothermia)
King (Gorgoroth / God Seed)
King Diamond (Mercyful Fate)
Kjetil Grutle (Enslaved)
Kobold (Ewigkeit / Old Forest / The Meads of Asphodel) *
Lee Barrett (Candlelight Records)
Leere (Silencer) ***
Lembutu (Loits) *
M. Sykelig Siouzios (Den Saakaldte) *
Magus Daoloth (Necromantia / Rotting Christ) *
Malfeitor (Aborym)
Manheim (Mayhem)
Maniac (Mayhem)
Marco Kehren (Deinonychus) *
Marius Vold (Thorns / Arcturus / Mortem) *
Matt Hnaras (Deviser) *
Max Cavalera (Sepultura) *
Meyhna’ch (Mutiilation)
Mika Luttinen (Impaled Nazarene) *
Mike Sifringer (Destruction) *
Mikko Aspa (Clandestine Blaze / Deathspell Omega)
Mikko Lehto (October Falls) *
Mirai Kawashima (Sigh) **
Morgan Hakkansson (Marduk / Abruptum)
Mortiis (Emperor / Mortiis / Vond) **
Mortuus (Marduk / Funeral Mist)
Albert Mudrian (editor of Decibel magazine) *
Necrobutcher (Mayhem)
Nemtheangal (Primordial)
Nergal (Behemoth) **
Nick Christogiannis (Deviser) *
Nigel Dennan (Hecate Enthroned) *
Niklas Kvarforth (Shining)
Nornagest (Enthroned) *
Olav Berland (Forgotten Woods) ***
Paul ‘Host’ Groundwell (The Deathtrip / Peaceville Records) *
Paul Ledney (Profanatica / Havohej) *
Paul Ryan (Cradle Of Filth) **
Pest (Gorgoroth)
Peter Tagtgren (Producer for Dimmu Borgir, Marduk)
Prime Evil (Mysticum, Aborym)
Pytten (Producer for Emperor, Gorgoroth, Mayhem)
Ravn (Strid) ***
Robin ‘Graves’ Eaglestone (Cradle Of Filth)
Roy Kristensen (Imhotep zine) *
S (Revenant Marquis) *
Saint Vincent (Blacklodge)
Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ) **
Samoth (Thou Shalt Suffer / Emperor)
Satyr Wongraven (Satyricon) ***
Schmier (Destruction) *
Seldrack L.k.S. (Wisdom / Black Metal Antiquarium page) *
Shatraug (Horna / Behexen)
Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir)
Simon Lucas (Winterfylleth)*
Snorre Ruch (Thorns / Mayhem)
Sorcerer Do’Urden (Mystifier) *
Sturla Viðar (Sól án varma / Svartidauði) *
Svein Egil Hatlevik (Fleurety / Dødheimsgard)
Tchort (Emperor / Carpathian Forest)
Teloch (Mayhem / Nidingr) ***
The Dark (Agatus / Zemial) *
The Watcher (Fen / Fellwarden) **
Themis Tolis (Rotting Christ) ***
Thomas Eriksen (Mork) *
Tjodalv (Dimmu Borgir)
Tom ‘Warrior’ Fischer (Hellhammer / Celtic Frost)
Trym (Emperor / Enslaved)
Valério Exterminator (Holocausto) *
VV (B*rzum) **[names amended here for social media, obviously]
Vechi Vrăjitor (Warmoon Lord / Old Sorcery) *
Venien (VON) **
Vicotnik (Dødheimsgard) **
Vladimír Pavelka (Cult of Fire)*
Vorph (Samael)
Vorskaath (Zemial / Agatus / Varathron) *
Zhema Rodero (Vulcano)

...and a few more.

* = completely new or unpublished interview, exclusive to this new edition
** = extended interview/s, including new or previously unpublished material
*** = archive interview by the author, not included in the original book