Prehispanic Black Metal (+ Compilations)

Translated from the Prehispanic Metal | Folk Metal Latinoamericano group from last.fm:

It's a genre inspired by the vast cultural wealth
Whose desire is to rescue Latin America throughlyrical, most of the time, are engagedancestors and the use of instruments of eachcountry, hopeful that American societylisten to this music and integrates a bit more toancient cultures of America. Also leada metal identity in Latin America.

Prehispanic Black Metal is a relatively unknown genre, but is slowing gaining recognition.

Looking at the name etymologically, it is derived of music inspired by indigenous culture predating the colonisation of the Spanish. This is then obviously strongly linked to music from Latin America (if not exclusive to, at least at this point), including countries colonised by other imperialist powers (such as Brazil with the Portuguese). This music takes inspiration and pride in both their culture (stories, traditions, etc) and music (indigenous instruments, singing/chanting etc). Not to mention their connection to the Earth. And this manifests itself as the sounds of animals and nature - or it's destruction.

This is evidently related to Folk music, though very much with it's own character - without getting into the many complex particularities, their specific relationship to colonisation and continued oppression marks a very distinctive difference here.

And because of this, I think it is difficult to categorise certain bands that imitate this music, yet do not share this history, this culture, this ancestry. For example, there is one such Russian band. I have not much listened to that band, but a Russian band imitating all this strikes me as strange, if not problematic, to say the least.

And of course, add all this to Black Metal. Though some bands may simply be different variations of Metal, the strongest tendency is variations of Black Metal.

And here are some compilations related to thus:

Compilation:

Metal Nativo Latinoamericano

01 - Aztra - Alturas (Ecuador)
02 - Ek – Hijos del sol (México)
03 - Guahahihoque – Along a Path (Colombia)
04 - Ch'aska – Imperio Caído (Perú)
05 - Yaotl Mictlán – Resistencia Itzae (México)
06 - Yanaconas – Tupac Amaru (Argentina)
07 - Folkheim – 1781 (Chile)
08 - Wangelen – Bajo Hualles y Canelos (Chile)
09 - Kukulcán – Señor de la guerra Huitzilopochtli (México)
10 - Kranium – Reencarnación (Perú)
11 - Paghania – Santuario del Puma (Chile)
12 - Chaquen – Donde los ángeles caminan (Colombia)
13 - Balam Akab – La última batalla (México)
14 - Yana Raymi – Magia Oscura (Perú)
15 - Mictlán – Ce Miquiztli (México)
16 - Diadema Tristis – Myth from the Ruins (Argentina)

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Metal Nativo Latinoamericano II

01 - Datura - Datura (Colombia)
02 - Muluc Pax - Akbal Lugar de Oscuridad (México)
03 - Toccata Magna - Incognite Soul (Brasil)
04 - Arraigo - Zamba para los Huérfanos (Argentina)
05 - Ai apaec Peru Salvaje- Marcha Inca (Perú)
06 - Anerhoth - Hordejaylli (Colombia)
07 - Tierramystica - Spiritual Song (Brasil)
08 - Auka Runa - Indian Land Brave (Chile)
09 - Khondor - Andean Metal Prevails (Colombia)
10 - Xipe Totec - Eztliquiahutl (México)
11 - Corubo - Nhanderu Hasy Katu (Brasil)
12 - Son Iok - Mexicca (México)
13 - Vento Negro - Centrodonte Triunfo Austral (Brasil)
14 - Hun Camé - Teponaztli (México)

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More prehispanic BM to come!

Cascadian Black Metal

From last.fm:

Cascadian black metal introduce artists from the Pacific Northwest region of North America also known as the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California.

What follows is more of a diatribe than anything else, so do not continue if you don't want to read a genre rant. You have been warned.

So I basically think the aboved referenced quote is indeed a good definition of the term. At the very least, if you are more open in your interpretation, it is where the genre started. I also think it is comprised of both a style, musically (a type of atmospheric BM), but also ideologically (eg deep green ecology). Though a band is not neccessarily both, I find most bands from the region have strong tendencies towards both.

Basically, I am just wondering what the definitive definition is. Or what people think it means. The bands that are from their, sound like that, and represent thus, and of course, it. What I wonder more, is of the bands not from the region that are described thus. A really good example is Altar Of Plagues (of Ireland). This band, in being described as some variation of Cascadian BM goes even beyond bands from the US that are outside of Cascadia, but infact outside the USBM scene altogether (geographically). At the very least, on last.fm Altar of Plagues is described in this way.

The best I can do, before exploring this more deeply, is simply to call it Cascadian inspired BM.

The other angle I wonder about with the genre, is the ideology. Of course references of Anarchist BM and RABM come up, but I feel they do not express the particular of the ecological ideas. Eco-BM and hippie BM (though not very desirable, I use it as a simple way to describe radical ecological politics + BM) are terms I have thrown around. GA (Green Anarchist) or Primitivist/Primmie BM are possibilities, and infact the latter is sometimes used for the band Leech (and at least one other band I can't think of at this moment). However, it may be that Leech very particularly identify with that ideological term, whereas other bands, though have somewhat similar ideas, do not identify with that term. So then that at least does not seem to fit.

Maybe somebody will make the point about how alot of BM, irrespective of geography, has strong elements of nature appreciation. That may be true, but I feel there is a great distinction here. This is perhaps linked with a strong tendency within North America (eg Cascadian in particular) of radical ecological politics. And there is a marked absence of the racism or nationalism apparently in certain other BM scenes. That said...

I'm very much open to ideas, and of course to the organic progression of the language of genres... So give me some ideas if have any.

But for now, I'll stick with the definition at the top, Cascadian-inspired, and Eco-BM, depending on the context.