Au-Thor: Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou)
Norway and Scandinavia in general has played a very important role in the creation of black metal. Black metal's roots trace back to early extreme metal bands in the UK (Venom), Switzerland (Hellhammer) and Sweden (Bathory), in the 1980's, but the genre as we know it-with it's raw sound, corpse paint and grim atmosphere - was truly defined and "invented" by the Second Wave of Norwegian black metal in the early 1990's with bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum.
So let's say that you are visiting Norway, Christmas is near (hahaha) ok enough with the stupid jokes, here's a short list of some black metal history places I have visited and you can visit,too. And if you are good children I'll give you one or two bonus places in Sweden by the end of the list.
List of BLACK METAL history places to visit in Norway:
1. Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth)'s grave
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| Euronymous(Mayhem)'s grave... Photo was taken back in January 2024 by Nayia Kanavou , during one of the coldest winters in 20 years in Scandinavia, with Oslo reaching -30°C. |
Located at Ski Kirkegård (Ski Cemetery) in Ski, Norway, near an old church where it's generally well-kept, a common pilgrimage spot for black metal fans.
•Location details: Ski Kirkegård (Ski Cemetery)
•Adress: Kirkeveien 57, Ski, Norway
•Directions: It's in the cemetery behind the church, often found down from the entrance.
2.Neseblod Records (HELVETE)
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| Neseblod Records (HELVETE), photo by Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou) January 2024 |
Neseblod Records (HELVETE), photo by Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou) January 2024
Neseblod Records in Oslo, Norway, is a legendary metal record store built on the legacy of Helvete, opened by Mayhem guitarist Euronymous in 1991, serving as the hub for the early Norwegian black metal scene, and later revived by Kenneth Neseblod as a shop and museum preserving this history, filled with rare vinyl, memorabilia, and the infamous basement where the scene's inner circle gathered, despite a fire in 2024 that damaged parts of its archive.
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| Neseblod Records (HELVETE), photo by Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou) January 2024 |
Origins as Helvete (1991-1993)
•Founder: Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) of Mayhem, a central figure in black metal.
•Purpose: A hangout spot and headquarters for the nascent black metal scene, attracting musicians and fans.
•Basement: The cellar became infamous as the meeting place for the "Black Circle," a group central to the scene's development, featuring a room with "black metal" written on the wall.
•Closure: Helvete closed in 1993 due to police attention and negative press.
Revival as Neseblod Records
•Reopening: Kenneth Neseblod, a lifelong metal enthusiast, revived the store at the original location in 2013, preserving its history.
•Current Status: Functions as a record shop, museum, and cultural landmark for black metal.
•Collection: Stocks rare metal records, CDs, tapes, and merchandise, alongside artifacts from the early days, making it a pilgrimage site for metal fans.
Recent Events
•2024 Fire: A fire in April 2024 damaged the basement, destroying some rare items but sparing the most valuable historical archives, with efforts made to restore the space.
3.The house Dead from Mayhem died
"The house Dead from Mayhem died", photo: Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou) January 2024
"The house Dead from Mayhem died" refers to Per Yngve Ohlin, known as Dead, the legendary vocalist for the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, who died by suicide in their shared house in Kråkstad, Norway, on April 8, 1991, at age 22, leaving behind infamous suicide notes and actions that became central to black metal lore, including his body being photographed by bandmate Euronymous.**
Key Details about Dead's Death:
•Who: Per Yngve Ohlin (stage name: Dead).
•Band: Lead singer for Mayhem (and earlier, Morbid).
•When: April 8, 1991.
•Where: A house rented by the band in Kråkstad, Norway.
•How: He slit his wrists and throat and then shot himself in the head with a shotgun.
•Note: His suicide note famously began with "Excuse all the blood" and explained his feeling of being unreal.
Aftermath & Legacy:
•Discovery: Guitarist Euronymous found his body.
•Controversy: Euronymous took photos of the body (later used as an album cover) and kept pieces of Dead's skull, giving them to other musicians, which disgusted other band members.
•Impact: Dead's extreme persona and tragic end cemented his status as an iconic, almost mythical figure in black metal, symbolizing the genre's dark and extreme nature.
Photo of me visiting the house back in January 2024 . I've also made a video about this on YouTube. I've been planning for a while to make videos about each black metal history spot I've visited, counting 3 until now. Link to the YouTube video if you are interested and we keep going with the list:
In other words, one of the churches known for being burned down by Varg Vikernes.
Fantoft Stave Church in Bergen, photo by Nayia Kanavou (Nayia K.Rose)
•Fantoft Stave Church in Bergen started in Fortun around 1150, was moved to Fantoft in 1883 to save it from demolition, and tragically burned down in a 1992 (June 6,1992) arson attack, a notorious event in Norwegian black metal history. The church was meticulously rebuilt using traditional methods, finishing in 1997/1998, and stands today as a faithful reconstruction of the medieval wooden marvel, complete with dragon heads and dark tar finish.
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| Photo of the way to the Stave Church, Bergen, photo by Nayia Kanavou (Nayia K.Rose) |
Nowadays it's common for the fans of the scene to visit the church from all over the world and taking pictures and don't forget to take a fun picture of you holding a lighter (PS: Don't burn it!Just take a selfie)
Selfie of myself holding a lighter in front of Stave Church, January 2024
Exact location of the Fantoft Stave Church: Fantoftvegen 38, 5072 Bergen, Norway
5. Øystein's Flat / The crime scene (Oslo, Norway)
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| Euronymous 's flat, photo taken by Nayia K.Rose (Nayia Kanavou) on January 2024, Oslo |
The flat Euronymous lived and got killed by Varg Vikernes. Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth), the guitarist for the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, was murdered in his Oslo apartment at Tøyengata 19 on August 10, 1993, by fellow musician Varg Vikernes (Burzum), who stabbed him multiple times, with Snorre "Blackthorn" Ruch driving Vikernes to the scene; Vikernes was later convicted and imprisoned for the murder, among other crimes like church arson, with the killing stemming from internal black metal feuds and business disagreements.The motive was a mix of personal conflicts, business disputes over Mayhem's record label, and ideological clashes within the Norwegian black metal scene.Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder and other crimes.
BONUS SPOTS IN SWEDEN+NORWAY:
1. DEAD'S (Pelle Ohlin from Mayhem) GRAVE
Cemetery: Österhaninge Kyrkogård (Österhaninge Churchyard).
Area: Västerhaninge, Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden.
2. Nidaros Cathedral (Norway)
The church from the Mayhem's Album cover (I haven't been to this one yet, but it's in my bucket list).
•The Church: Nidaros Cathedral, a stunning Romanesque-Gothic cathedral built from soapstone, is Norway's national sanctuary and a major pilgrimage site.
•The Album: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Latin for "About the Mysteries of the Lord Satan") is a foundational album in black metal, released by Norwegian band Mayhem in 1994.
•The Connection: The band used an image of this grand, historic, and somewhat imposing cathedral to represent their extreme music, creating one of black metal's most recognizable and powerful album covers.
