Until the Light Takes Us to Explore Norway's Black-Metal Scene

Even with big marquee names like Kjetil Haraldstad, Kristoffer Rygg and Varg Vikernes on board, it’s unlikely Until the Light Takes Us will overshadow too many of this winter’s blockbuster movies. And in terms of cultural relevance, that’s a damn shame. The documentary, which will see the very limited light of day this winter, tells the story of how Norway’s burgeoning black-metal scene exploded into European consciousness with misunderstood violence, Satanism, arson and, yes, corpsepaint.

In the early ‘90s, black metal grew out of death metal’s strain of punishing, terrifyingly dark music in a big way; namely by gaining notoriety from a string of suicides, murders and church burnings associated with the scene. Not the best way to break into the mainstream, but it seems that was the point. Unfortunately for black metal, people were quick to point fingers at the music and the genre was forever tarnished.

If music’s cultural impact is your bag (and it definitely is ours), this flick looks fantastic. Throw up the sign of the beast and hope like hell for a screening in your hood.

In the meantime, perhaps this trailer will satiate your thirst for blood: