Former Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner (born Bruce Jenner) comes out as a transwoman on ABC’s 20/20 program, following years of speculation of her sexuality and gender identity by the tabloids.

“De Mysteriis” refers to Mayhem’s first album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanus. Released in 1993, it is often cited as the most influential black metal album ever created. The lyrics were primarily written by Dead during his time as their vocalist, but were ultimately recorded by Attila Csihar.

What Hunter means by “haunts” is somewhat unclear. It could be referring to Dead as an ethereal presence, thus making the haunting literal. Alternatively he can be referring to Dead’s actual death being a haunting thing for the members of Mayhem, especially considering their use of another man’s vocals to record Dead’s lyrics.

Khalid Muhammad, as a former member of the NOI, subscribes to the Doctrine of Yakub. This is a belief held by the Nation of Islam that Yakub (the Biblical Jacob) created white people 6,000 years ago through centuries of eugenics.

The idea was explained by Minister Farrakhan in a sermon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbVvc9y6rMM&ab_channel=UncomfortablenatorB

Because of black metal’s use of nihilism, racism, anti-theism, and radical evil, it is peak brutality; the final point that extreme metal can logically reach. Later in the text, Hunter lays out why this is problematic for metal.

One of, if not the most infamous occurrence in black metal history. Varg Vikernes, at the time a bandmate of Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth in Mayhem (Vikernes later created his own project, Burzum) killed the latter in a brutal stabbing.

Vikernes was convicted of the murder, as well as three counts arson, one count attempted arson, and the illegal possession of over 150kg of explosives. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison, but was released in 2009 on probation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqMZrMx6mkM

Born in Norway, true, but black metal was conceived in England by Newcastle’s own Venom. Their second album, with it’s Satanic imagery and dark lyrics, laid the fundamental ground for what became black metal. Also it kind of helped that this album was in fact named Black Metal.

Each new form of metal was born out of a desire to achieve an intensity the previous form couldn’t. Extreme metal, arguably, begins proper with “The Big Four” – Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer, who created thrash metal in the late ‘80s. Thrash, through it’s raw power and harder tempos, often dealt with more violent and politicized matters than early metal did.

When thrash was no longer deemed powerful enough, in it’s place came it’s natural successor, death metal. Death metal dealing in cannibalism, necrophilia, slaughter, and overall extreme violence.

Finally, at the apex of extreme human behavior, is black metal, embracing nihilism, anti-theism, hatred, and misanthropy.

Black metal is insular, both as a music and a culture. Whether it be through racism or dumping the guts of a dead animal on people, it has always strived to keep itself a pure art form. It shuns mainstream exposure, and outright decries anything that does not fit it’s mold.