antifascist black metal & dungeon synth

One tricky about GenX nostalgia is that we were raised in quasi-fascist culture so returning to the media of our youth is complicated. From GI Joe to D&D, or Gangsta Rap to Industrial music, it's a political mess. Yet we know that simply dismissing them robs us of their artistry and passion. Industrial music was obsessed with fascist symbols and authoritarian ideologies, was this 'ironic re-appropriation' or just admiration? The answer both depends on the band's intention and the audience's reaction. To dismiss the obvious criticism is be an infantile consumer, but to dismiss the genre is easy 'normie' ignorance.

Depressive Creativity: An Interview With Realm and Ritual Records wrote:
Q:Have you dealt with white nationalist attitudes in the black metal and neofolk scene?

A: In short, yes. With black metal it’s so prevalent that I ended up joining a Facebook group devoted to identifying which projects have fascist ties. It’s astounding to me that the black metal community by in large accepts shit like Peste Noire, Satanic Warmaster, and Hate Forest. I don’t think that most folks who listen to this identify as white-nationalists, but there is a willingness to overlook harmful belief systems in service of “black metal should be dangerous” or “I just listen for the riffs”. These statements come from a place of  privilege and ignorance.

I knew I wanted to release red and anarchist black metal–I am both anti-capitalist and anti-fascist–but I actually wan’t intending the label to be overtly political. However, after seeing NSBM [National Socialist black metal] out in the open–bands using nazi imagery, espousing racist, misogynistic, and fascist ideologies–and seeing much of the black metal community support, sympathize, or remain ambivalent on this, I wanted to be clear where I stood.

https://antifascistneofolk.com/2019/09/07/335/

I have never been into 'metal' outside of Black Sabbath and early Metallica but as a 'gothic punk' I had a strong overlap with it and could see that more was going on then their "D&D with abortion references" aesthetics. Hanging with a gigantic First Nations guy introduced both to Lycia and 'troll-rock', his wall was covered with CD photos of albinos with elf-ears covered in fascist symbols and runes. What unities fascist Nordic elves with Anishinaabe giants? This is the sort of fascinating nexus that is dismissed if you just ignore D&D or death-metal as fascist. There is also no guarantee that the answer will be a non-fascist one but it does interest me.

SumGuy has been a long-term metal fan, and as our resident metal expert I'm leaving this here.