Journal: Helvete, a Journal of Black Metal Theory, Issue 1 (call for papers)

The 2009 Black Metal Theory Symposium in London, "Hideous Gnosis", was variously lauded and scorned by academics and black metal enthusiasts for being, firstly, an academic conference about black metal theory, and secondly, an academic conference about black metal theory. However, following the successes of both the first and second symposium, which took place in January 2011, the gap in academic support for critical engagement in black metal theory has inspired the formation of the new open-access, electronic and print journal, Helvete.

In the intimate relations of body and sound and its endless combinatorics, Helvete might be said to celebrate and interrogate the intimacies of music and, inter alia, life (as well as the decay thereof into death), thinking and becoming. Its editors are currently inviting submissions for its inaugural issue - to be published in Spring 2012 - on the broad theme of "incipit: open" and are seeking pieces (of an equally open description: articles as well as non-, para- and protoacedmic works, including commentaries, fragments and visuals) that address the problematics of "beginnings and genesis - or of openings, apertures, holes, etc. - at the conjunction of black metal and theory".

"Not to be confused with a metal studies, music criticism, ethnography, or sociology, black metal theory is a speculative and creative endeavor, one which seeks ways of thinking that 'count' as black metal events—and, indeed, to see how black metal might count as thinking. Theory of black metal, and black metal of theory. Mutual blackening. Therefore, we eschew with any approach that treats theory and metal discretely, preferring to take the left-hand path by insisting on some kind of connaturality between the two, a shared capacity for nigredo."

Proposals are due on 1 June 2011. Those interested may also be interested in perusing the published proceedings of the first symposium, Hideous Gnosis.