Trans Inclusive Black Metal - A Study Begins
After a wild, unscripted declaration on Twitter last night about the existence of a black metal subgenre, TIBM (or Trans Inclusive Black Metal), I began to actively evaluate whether or not I was spouting nonsense (something I do from time to time with little thought about what I’m actually saying or doing) or if I was onto something, stumbling about like a drunk at three in the morning and finding an abandoned suitcase full of cash.
The more I think about it, the more I think it’s the latter. I think I’m onto something. TIBM is a thing, it is a subgenre. It’s one of those subgenres that have been around for a long time but was never named or categorized or anything archivistic like that. Like trans people, it has always existed, even if that means in different forms than we see today. I don’t want to call it a new subgenre for that reason, TIBM has been around for a long time, we just didn’t see it, and by “we” I mean people that were in the right circles and weren’t looking for it, like myself. If I could go back and kick myself for this, I would. Alas, I’ll just make up for it by being an ally to the scene, something I think any metal fan should be doing anyway.
If you’ve heard and enjoy Feminazgûl (and if not, then why not) then you are aware of the most prominent band on the scene. Fronted by Margaret Killjoy, a trans woman and activist, the band exemplifies what it means to be trans inclusive. They managed to do something most ideologically based bands have never been able to achieve: sounding good. I’ve said this in my private musing about metal and music a lot, but if you place political ideology above creativity, your music is going to be terrible, there’s no way around it. There’s are a million reasons why NSBM is so bad, and that’s one of them.
Being trans today is political. It shouldn’t be, both the right and the left need to keep their mitts off trans bodies and allow them the space they all need to grow into what they believe they should be. Being a trans inclusive black metal band, by default then, means there is a political ideology at the heart of the band. It’s unavoidable so instead of trying anything foolish like that, Feminazgûl leans into it. They know their a politically minded band and with that firmly established, they can move on to create the music, which they do with dramatic, shrieking effectiveness. While they have a similar sound to bands like Panopticon, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Falls of Rauros, they are unique within the subgenre of atmospheric black metal or Cascadian black metal or however you want to categorize them. They sound like they could be on a compilation with all these bands, but they also sound like something very different. They’re creative enough to stand out in a genre that is becoming more and more crowded with formulaic sounds, effects, and atmospheres.
All that being said, I need to do more research into the subgenre, find other bands, other projects, other musicians, that are part of the scene. One band does not a subgenre make, I am well aware of that. There are a few others floating in the Bandcamp aether that I need to listen to and analyze, and I’m looking forward to that. If anyone reading this has a suggestion or tip or what-have-you, then I am all ears. I am still learning to be a good ally to my trans brothers and sisters, and I hope doing this project leads me to being a better, more rounded one.
Cheers!
