Until the Light Takes Us (2008)

Interviews and news footage explore the rise of black metal music in Norway in the 1990s, including artists who were involved in suicide, murder and arson.

Directors:

Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell

Stars:

Fenriz, Varg Vikernes, Euronymous

Cast

Cast overview:
Fenriz	...	Himself - Darkthrone (as Gylve 'Fenris' Nagell)
Varg Vikernes	...	Himself - Burzum (as Varg 'Count Grishnackh' Vikernes)
Euronymous	...	Himself - Mayhem (archive footage) (as Øystein 'Euronymous' Aarseth)
Hellhammer	...	Himself - Mayhem (as Jan Axel 'Hellhammer' Blomberg)
Per Ohlin	...	Himself - Mayhem (archive footage) (as Per 'Dead' Ohlin)
Abbath Doom Occulta	...	Himself - Immortal (as Olve 'Abbath' Eikemo)
Harald Nævdal	...	Himself - Immortal (as Harald 'Demonaz' Nævdal)
Bjarne Melgaard	...	Himself - Visual Artist
Bård Eithun	...	Himself - Emperor (as Bård 'Faust' Eithun)
Kristoffer Rygg	...	Himself - Ulver (as Kristoffer 'Garm' Rygg)
Frost	...	Himself - Satyricon (as Kjetil 'Frost' Haraldstad)
Harmony Korine	...	Himself - Filmmaker

Storyline

Chronicles the history, ideology and aesthetic of Norwegian black metal - a musical subculture infamous as much for a series of murders and church arsons as it is for its unique musical and visual aesthetics. This is the first (and only) film to truly shed light on a movement that has heretofore been shrouded in darkness and rumor and obscured by inaccurate and shallow depictions. Featuring exclusive interviews and verité with the musicians, a wealth of rare, seldom seen footage from the "Inner Circle"s earliest days, Until the Light Takes Us explores every aspect of the controversial movement that has captured the attention of the world. This is the movie that gets inside the minds and hearts of black metal's musicians. The filmmakers moved to Norway, living and filming there for two years. The movie is not about them though - it's about the extraordinary people and events that make black metal unique, unforgettable, and inevitable. This is black metal as seen through the eyes of ...

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Plot Keywords:

black metal | heavy metal | terrorism | modern art | globalization | 

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Taglines:

Music. Arson. Murder. Art. Black Metal.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

MySpace page

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 2010 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Mehri to fos na mas kerdisei

Filming Locations:

Oslo, Norway

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,246, 6 December 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$119,601, 28 March 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artists Public Domain, Field Pictures, The Group Entertainment

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Fenriz didn't want to see the movie.

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Quotes

Fenriz: Part of me wishes this whole thing hadn't become a trend, but, you know, people like to dress up.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits roll, there is a clip of Fenriz mockingly saying "Satan!"

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Soundtracks

Deathcrush
Performed by Mayhem
Music: Øystein Aarseth/Jørn Stubberud
Lyrics: Jørn Stubberud
Courtesy of Jørn Stubberud

User Reviews

Not meant for the dress up wannabe Satanists.

First and foremost a quick word of warning: if you expect to gain knowledge of what Black Metal MUSIC is and/or you're not familiar with so-called True Norwegian Black Metal then I suggest you do NOT watch this documentary or at least don't expect a rush through a history of bands and music. It does not contain any particular style comparisons, does not feature a whole lot of Black Metal music and also does not feature bands from the so-called 2nd or 3rd generation of Black Metal artists. You will not find any Gorgoroth (except for a short music clip) or Dimmu Borgir in here ;)

That said I can take a stand and say I just really enjoyed this documentary. I've been watching it multiple times by now and it's still a fascinating journey through the darker, moody inner feeling Black Metal itself is about (which it is supposed to be in the first place IMO). I really liked the fact that the creators chose Fenriz from Darkthrone as the main guide throughout the whole movie as I think he's got the most neutral stand in the whole Norwegian Black Metal scene and is not as biased (not to offend, though) as Vikernes or Hellhammer. The interviews are left uncommented, so everyone can think for themselves regarding the statements the interviewees make. Some other reviewers criticized the "techno" music. It's not techno music at all, but dark ambient synth music that fits the cold and gloomy Norwegian landscape very well. Fans of Burzum's ambient songs will agree with me. The "plot" mainly focuses on the incidents surrounding Euronymous' shop Helvete in Oslo, his murder (and also Dead of Mayhem's death), the Helvete gang which consisted mainly of Burzum, Mayhem and Darkthrone members. Basically to sum it up, I'll just quote Fenriz from the film: "How the hell did it all happen?".

I really recommend this film to anyone with a decent fascination for the early Norwegian Black Metal scene. This is not intended for people that just enjoy dressing up Black Metal style and give their head a bang or two as you won't quite understand this film.