Like gangster rap, black metal drew a great deal of its charisma from its claims of countercultural authenticity, a realness defined not by criminal boasts and urban play-by-plays but by an ultimately spiritual fidelity to misanthropy and infernal nihilism—an uncompromising (if easily parodied) Satanic sensibility salted with occasional bursts of violence, obscenity, and tabloid controversy. But as the genre grew in popularity, an interesting mythological transformation occurred. Classic bands like Ulver, Windir, and Enslaved left the Christian devil aside to reach for an older, pagan stratum of Norse and heathen lore (“Viking metal” is now its own subgenre). In their quest to express the atmosphere of awe and gloom that permeates these ancient ways, black-metal acts began extending and deepening their use of melodies, both folkloric and epic. What emerged was a powerful dark-side Romanticism, perhaps the most unalloyed descendent of old-school Sturm und Drang that we have. – Deep Eco-Metal

ANUS.com only beat him to this point by fifteen years, but as a latecomer, he’s doing pretty well. His knowledge of the bands and history is weak, but he nailed the basic point: heavy metal of the black and death metal variety is Romanticism in post-rock, post-industrial form.

What is significant about Romanticism? First of all, it’s a transcendental genre that seems human beings as antennas for experience — not something valuable in their own right. Indeed, you might summarize Romanticism by saying it is the study of beauty and greatness outside of the human form, and it clashes directly with the Enlightenment that superceded it by being a counterpoint to humanism. In a Romanticist viewpoint, the fact of being human does not matter, but that humans achieve greatness in experience and beauty does. In its order, those who need to see beauty and achieve greatness, but it is not a celebration of them, rather of the experience as if we all shared it.

Romanticism is unabashed in its adoration of struggle, of the ancients, and its disdain for both technological process and social “progress.” It enjoys the aristocracy and spurns the peasant revolution movements. Romanticism is about transcending our individuality to reconnect with the beauty of the universe, not wallowing in individualism (a fancy word for “selfishness”).

It’s positive to see this finally recognized. In metal there’s a struggle between stupid peasants and people with more leadership in their bones, with the former wanting to insist the metal is beer, tits and has no ideology, and the latter pointing out that metal is a serious artistic movement with Romanticist content. Lately, the peasants have been winning out, and it’s no surprise that we have more metal bands than ever — but the fewest great metal bands in the history of the genre, at the same time.

Related:
The Philosophical Tradition of Heavy Metal
Philosophy of Heavy Metal
What Makes Metal Heavy?
History of Heavy Metal