You Need This

If you are a believer in death to false metal or have a thing for men with mostly long hair who like to scowl, paint their faces AND create music so brutal it makes the screams of a million tortures souls sound like a church choir...then yes, you need this.

My Japanese copy of Peter Beste's very limited "True Norwegian Black Metal" book of photographs arrived in the mail today and this is a post to say it was worth the nearly 3 year wait! A friend had shown me his first pressing of the book a few years back but by the time I tried to order it, it was already out of print.

What has felt like a million years later Peter recently posted this on his MySpace page.

"I finally got approximately 50 copies of the black metal photo book I released in Japan in '05. These were a one time pressing of 3000 and are 95% gone. Now's your chance to order if you want a copy since I will probably never sell these books again. Here is the info: Thin, hardback book with intimate portraits of Emperor, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Carpathian Forest, and many more. It comes in a large dictionary sized cardboard box which unfolds into an upside down cross. Each copy is numbered, and only a total of 3000 were made. This book is now available $90 USD or $120 USD for the deluxe edition, which comes with a signed 8x10" print from my Black Metal series. If you are ordering from outside of the US, please add $20 for shipping. Shipping is included for domestic orders.

Contact email: info@peterbeste.com Payment options:Paypal to: peterbeste5000@yahoo.com or money orders to: Peter Beste302 Bedford ave #252Brooklyn NY 11211USA "

Here are photographs of the deluxe version that comes with an autographed print and was limited to a pressing of 3,000.

This is the box unopened.

This is the box all opened up.

This is the oh so necessary die-cut upside down cross.

This is the autographed print that came with my book.

And this is an example of one of the images you will find inside the book.

There are many incredibly impressive things about this collection of photographs but I think the really important thing to point out is just how difficult it is to tap into the true Black Metal scene no less be allowed to photograph it this intimately. It takes a rare breed of person to shoot a band member covered in shit and blood and turn it into art and I can't imagine what it takes to be accepted into this grim community of musicians. The man behind the camera becomes just as curious and fascinating - I mean how on earth do you get Gorgoroth to take you in under their bloody sheep heads? I am not sure I want to know that answer to that.

More news on the Peter Beste front - also from his MySpace page:

"I am pleased to announce the release of my book True Norwegian Black Metal. It will be released this coming May on Vice Books. Hardcover, 11.25 x 14.25 inches, 208 pages. Edited by Johan Kugelberg. With intro by Metalion of Slayer Magazine. You can pre-order this book on Amazon.com now or order the deluxe version from me starting in mid-April. More info on that soon. "

You can check out his other photography here.