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Until the Light Takes Us tells the story of black metal. Part music scene and part cultural uprising, black metal rose to worldwide notoriety in the mid-nineties with a rash of suicides, murders, and church burnings.



The documentary goes behind the highly sensationalized media reports of "Satanists running amok in Europe" to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principles that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture.

he result is a poignant, moving story that's as much about the idea that reality is composed of whatever the most people believe, regardless of what's actually true, as it is a music scene that blazed a path of murder and arson across the northern sky.

"Until the Light Takes Us" Showtimes and Tickets

Features:

* Burzum
* Darkthrone
* Mayhem
* Satyricon
* Ulver
* Boards of Canada

They said it couldnt be done, they said it was impossible, they said you'd be crazy to even try, but one band has finally done it. One band, Agathodaimon, have finally achieved the unimaginable. The first band to crack the mystery that has confounded musicians across the world for centuries now. They are the first band to flawlessly combine the once incompatible genres of pop and black metal, into one superior art form.

Drawing influences from the timeless greats (Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal and more), infused with refreshing stylish helpings of 21st century pop, they surpass all predecessors with their extensive discography loaded with masterpiece after masterpiece.Their latest album, Phoenix, caused an earthquake in the black metal scene when it hit the shelves earlier this year, and since then has been flying off them quicker than you can count. I suggest you all go and download them, or better yet pick yourselves up a copy. You dont want to miss the chance to hear is what is quite possibly the most groundbreaking, progressive music to ever grace the earth.

Cradle of FilthEisregenSummoning Impaled NazareneNaglfarOld Man's ChildBorknagarBelphegorCeltic FrostShiningUlverDrudkhNargarothAjattaraXasthurDeathspell Omega WindirWatainCatameniaTaake ArcturusBeheritAnorexia NervosaFinntrollWolves in the Throne RoomBlut aus NordKeep of KalessinTsjuderAbsurdSatyriconMardukBehemothGorgoroth EmperorMayhemBathoryDark FuneralCarpathian ForestSamaelRotting ChristAnaal NathrakhVenomDissectionEnslaved1349Graveworm

Official update:


More big news. It's getting crazy here. (This is all for the US/Canada, but we are working on several things on other continents, and will announce separately once finalized. As always: do not reply to this message, we won't get it. You CAN reach us with a NEW email sent to untilfilm@gmail.com.)

The film opens this Friday Dec 4th in NY, Providence and Grand Rapids and continues in Detroit. We're very excited. Check theaters for showtimes. Directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell will be present for Q & As at Cinema Village in NY at the opening weekend, Friday/Saturday evening screenings. www.cinemavillage.com

* Tones of Death is throwing a Premier Party on Dec 3rd at Fontanas in NY's Lower East Side.
8 PM – Until the Light Takes Us NYC launch party upstairs
9 PM – Sea of Bones (replacing Goes Cube) - 10 PM – Liturgy - 11 PM – Cable
FREE, 21+...The show is FREE with free beer/beer specials.

20% of poster sales from the show will go to Waggytail Rescue, a NYC
nonprofit dog rescue http://www.waggytailrescue.com

New York:
Bring your ticket stub to Forbidden Planet 840 Broadway between Dec. 4th and Dec. 10th to receive 15% off art books and graphic novels! No other discounts apply, ticket stub must be presented at point of sale to be valid. You can also visit them online at www.fpnyc.com

Providence:
Check out the amazing selection of metal and other music at Armageddon Record Shop at 436 Broadway. You can also order online at www.armageddonshop.com - these guys are helping to get the word out on the film - huge thanks to them.

Michigan:
Vertigo Music- Vertigo music in Grand Rapids, MI, would like to offer $1.00 off any CD in store with a ticket stub from the film. You can also visit them online at www.vertigomusiconline.com.

Green Brain Comics is offering 25% off the cover price of any one graphic novel in stock with ticket stub from the film. You can find Green Brain Comics at http://www.greenbrain.biz/ and their address is - 13210 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn.

Our friends at Record Time in Roseville, MI would like to offer 20% off any one item in stock with a ticket stub from the film! You can also visit Record Time online at http://recordtime.com
Thank you to our wonderful friends at Forbidden Planet, Vertigo Music, Armageddon Record Shop, Green Brain Comics and Record Time. Way cool. I hope you all will take advantage of this and continue to support independent artists and shops.

*LA run begins Dec 11 @ Laemmle's Sunset 5. Directors will be there for evening Q & A on Dec 11 and 12.

*We're having a special LA opening party and everyone's invited.
Thursday, December 10th, from 6pm-8pm
Vacation Vinyl - 4679 Hollywood Blvd

We'll be in store to talk about the film, sign posters, and celebrate the LA opening. Live DJ, no cover, free drinks - so come down and say hi!
For more info check out www.vacationvinyl.com. Thanks to Pete at Vacation Vinyl and Luis at Tones of Death/Red Distribution for setting this up!

LA facebook group is here, please join and invite your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=175110541066&ref=nf


* Invisible Man limited edition run of shirts to support the film. All ordering info is through their website: http://shop.commissarystores.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=IM16

* Posters are available here: www.blackmetalmovie.com

* Confirmed cities are below, with many more being added very soon. If your city isn't yet listed, please consider calling your local indie theaters and asking if the film is coming there and very very nicely letting them know that there is a community of people who hope it comes - it really does help, as long as it's very polite and concise. People have been doing this - and it IS working! Canada - ditto. ALSO! People have started making Facebook group pages to bring the film to their city. Here are some pages that people have made, feel free to make your own, just invite all your friends and send me the link! You can also do it on myspace. Here are sample pages, if you're in these towns please join, if you're not, feel free to start your own:

Detroit/Grand Rapids: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=169254968841&ref=ts
Detroit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Until-The-Light-Takes-Us-Detroit/170554787443?ref=ts
Grand Rapids: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Until-The-Light-Takes-Us-Grand-Rapids-MI-Chapter/158765569817?ref=ts
Massachusetts: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Until-The-Light-Takes-Us-Massachusetts-chapter/302403005203?ref=search&sid=1260305673.1324498103..1
Seattle: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Until-the-Light-Takes-Us-Seattle-chapter/185881722602?ref=nf
Orlando: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=156956003589&ref=ts
Milwaukee: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000511545287&ref=ts
Milwaukee Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/untilthelightmilwaukee
Toronto: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=352374445155
SF Bay Area: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=208700001423
Los Angeles: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=175110541066
NYC: http://www.facebook.com/pages/UNTIL-THE-LIGHT-TAKES-US/150246122114?ref=ts

STREET TEAM: Join us! We need you help! Please send a NEW EMAIL to untilfilm@gmail.com with your city in the subject line. Thank you very much! Please DO NOT reply to this email.

Distribution efforts continue throughout the world and there is much progress. Stay tuned!

US THEATRICAL: Confirmed Cities (NEW!)

New York, NY - starts Dec 4th @ Cinema Village on 12th St.
Austin, TX - starts Nov 20 @ Alamo Ritz, downtown
New Orleans, LA starts Nov 24 @ Zeitgeist
Detroit, MI starts Nov 27 @ Burton Theater
Grand Rapids, MI starts Dec 4 @ Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)
Providence, RI starts Dec 4 @ Cable Car Cinema
Los Angeles, CA starts Dec 11 @ Laemmle Sunset 5
Houston, TX starts Dec 10 @ Alamo Drafthouse West Oaks
CHICAGO! starts Jan 8 @ the Gene Siskel Film Center
SEATTLE! starts Jan 15th @ Grand Illusion Cinema
MILWAUKEE! starts Jan 22 @ Times Cinema
Denver, CO starts 1/29 @ Starz Theater

Canadian Premiere: Jan 15th, the film will be projected onto a giant ICE SCREEN in Winnipeg. More details TBA. AND more cities nearly finalized.

This list of cities will grow in the coming days and weeks. Many of you are part of the reason why. Our eternal thanks and appreciation. As always, please come out opening weekend whenever possible.

DVD: We are working on it, no release date yet.

Thank you,
Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites

www.blackmetalmovie.com
mailing list: untilfilm@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20217005803
http://www.myspace.com/blackmetalmovie
http://twitter.com/blackmetalmovie

Winner of the Golden Athena in the Music and Film Selection, the top documentary award, at the Athens International Film Festival, Sept. 2009 in Athens, Greece.


Bands featured:

* Burzum
* Satyricon
* Darkthrone
* Mayhem
* Ulver
* Boards of Canada

What I consider to be the best album released each year, starting from 1987 (my birth year). I forgot where I got this idea from.

1987: Scream Bloody Gore by Death
1988: Leprosy by Death
1989: Doolittle by Pixies
1990: Rust in Peace by Megadeth
1991: Human by Death
1992: The IVth Crusade by Bolt Thrower
1993: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
1994: Transilvanian Hunger by Darkthrone
1995: Symbolic by Death
1996: Sublime by Sublime
1997: Something Wild by Children of Bodom
1998: The Sound of Perseverance by Death
1999: Bloody Blasphemy by God Dethroned
2000: Elvenfris by Lykathea Aflame
2001: Ensiferum by Ensiferum
2002: They Will Return by Kalmah
2003: Revolutionary Vol. 2 by Immortal Technique
2004: Wintersun by Wintersun
2005: Řád a trest by !T.O.O.H.!
2006: Leading Vision by Gorod
2007: Colors by Between the Buried and Me
2008: In Hatred's Flame by Exmortus
2009: ...A Splendid Chaos by Coram Lethe

So what does this say about my taste in music? My favorite artist Death got top billing for four of their six releases, which is no real surprise (although they just narrowly edged out Gorguts in '98). Besides the past couple of years, for which my opinions are still solidifying, the hardest choices were in 1993 (the other contenders were Atheist, Death, and Pestilence) and 2004 (which had releases by Deathspell Omega, Disillusion, Ensiferum, The Fiery Furnaces, Mastodon, and Necrophagist. Whew!).

So I decided to reset my charts... again (after about 23,000 scrobbles). Here are my top artists and albums from early January up until late November. It seems I can't go more than 25k scrobbles without resetting... I would probably have over 100,000 scrobbles if I never reset my charts (combined with my scrobbles from my old account).


1. Steve Roach- 504
2. Boards of Canada- 490
3. Agalloch- 377
4. maudlin of the Well- 343
5. Autechre- 324

6. Mayhem- 273
7. Bethlehem- 269
8. The Prodigy- 259
9. Organized Konfusion- 256
9. Tiesto- 256
9. Aphex Twin- 256
12. Stars of the Lid- 233
13. OutKast- 227
14. Enslaved- 202
15. Slowdive- 198
16. Global Communication- 183
17. Stendeck- 181
18. Gorguts- 179
18. Drudkh- 179
20. Sun Kil Moon- 177

21. Bjork- 174
22. Burzum- 168
23. Hypocrisy- 167
24. Emperor- 166
25. Biosphere- 163
26. J-Live- 160
27. Cannibal Ox- 157
28. Harold Budd- 156
29. Warning- 155
30. Have a Nice Life- 152
31. Bathory- 147
31. Isis- 147
33. Robert Rich- 145
34. Deepspace- 143
35. Tool- 142
36. Low-140
37. The Cure- 136
38. Darkthrone- 134
39. Venerean- 127
40. Katatonia- 124
40. Air Liquide- 124
42. Cryptopsy- 122
43. The Future Sound of London- 120
43. The Smashing Pumpkins- 120
45. dälek- 119
46. Wolves in the Throne Room- 117
47. Death- 115
47. Squarepusher- 115
49. diSEMBOWELMENT- 114
50. Red House Painters- 112

51. Thomas Köner-107
52. Jesu- 106
52. Atheist- 106
54. Nine Inch Nails- 105
55. Above & Beyond- 104
56. Ulrich Schnauss- 101
57. Devin Townsend- 100
58. Tenhi- 97
58. CunninLynguists- 97
60. Edge of Sanity- 96
61. Eluvium- 94
61. Jóhann Jóhannsson- 94
61. Tiamat- 94
61. Amorphis- 94
61. Lykathea Aflame- 94
61. The Orb- 94
67. Walknut- 93
68. Opeth- 92
68. DJ Shadow- 92
68. Pestilence- 92
68. Negură Bunget- 92
72. Jeru the Damaja- 91
72. Nas- 91
72. Shining- 91
72. Aesop Rock- 91
76. In the Woods...- 90
77. Harold Budd/Brian Eno- 88
78. Smif-N-Wessun- 86
79. Natural Snow Buildings- 81
80. Arcticology- 80
80. Proem- 80
82. Deep Puddle Dynamics- 79
83. Jedi Mind Tricks- 76
83. Ulver- 76
85. Neurosis- 75
86. Dereleech- 74
86. Lifelover- 74
86. Boris- 74
89. Morbid Angel- 73
90. In Flames- 71
90. Radiohead- 71
92. Antonio Vivaldi- 70
93. M83- 69
93. Carbon Based Lifeforms- 69
95. The Flaming Lips- 68
95. Depeche Mode- 68
95. Satyricon- 68
98. Weakling- 66
98. Wu-Tang Clan- 66
100. The Marcia Blaine School for Girls- 65
101. Genelec & Memphis Reigns- 64
102. Fen- 63
102. Blut aus Nord- 63
104. Dolorian 62
104. Elliot Smith- 62
104. Nadja- 62

Albums
1. Boards of Canada- Geogaddi- 283
2. The Prodigy- Music for the Jilted Generation- 251
3. Bethlehem- Sardonischer Untergang Im Zeichen Irrelioser- 249
4. Agalloch- The Mantle- 246
5. Steve Roach- Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces- 243
6. Organized Konfusion- Stress: The Extinction Agenda- 240
7. maudlin of the Well- Leaving Your Body Map- 227
8. Slowdive- Souvlaki- 192
9. Global Communication- 76:14- 166
10. Stendeck- Faces- 162

11. Stars of the Lid- The Tired Sounds of...- 159
12. Sun Kil Moon- April- 157
12. Cannibal Ox- The Cold Vein- 157
14. Warning- Watching From a Distance- 149
15. Bjork- Vespertine- 139
16. Mayhem- De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas- 136
17. OutKast- ATLiens- 120
18. Gorguts- The Erosion of Sanity- 118
19. diSEMBOWELMENT- Transcendence Into the Peripheral- 111
19. Mayhem- Wolf's Lair Abyss- 111
19. Autechre- Amber- 111
22. The Future Sound of London- Lifeforms Disk 1- 109
23. Steve Roach- Dreamtime Return- 107
24. Biosphere- Substrata- 103
25. Harold Budd- The White Arcades- 101

26. Red House Painters- Red House Painters [Rollercoaster]- 100
27. J-Live- The Best Part- 97
27. Tool- Lateralus- 97
29. Air Liquide- The Increased Difficulty of Concentration- 96
30. Ulrich Schnauss- Far Away Trains Passing By- 95
30. Low- I Could Live in Hope- 95
32. Lykathea Aflame- Elvenefris- 94
32. Eluvium- Copia- 94
34. Walknut- Graveforests And Their Shadows- 93
34. dälek- Absence- 93
36. Tiamat- Wildhoney- 92
36. DJ Shadow- Endtroducing...- 92
38. Hypocrisy- The Final Chapter- 91
38. Boards of Canada- Music Has the Right to Children- 91
40. Emperor- Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk- 89
40. Jeru the Damaja- The Sun Rises in the East- 89
42. Enslaved- Below the Lights- 88
42. Nas- Illmatic- 88
44. Tiesto- Magik, Vol. 7: Live in Los Angeles- 87
45. Bathory- Under the Sign of the Black Mark- 84
46. maudlin of the Well- Bath- 83
47. Negură Bunget- Om- 82
48. In the Woods...- HEart of the Ages- 81
49. Deep Puddle Dynamics- The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel- 79
49. Aphex Twin- Drukqs Disk 1- 79

51. Atheist- Unquestionable Presence- 77
51. Deepspace- World Ocean Atlas- 77
51. Smif-N-Wessun- Dah Shinin'- 77
54. Jedi Mind Tricks- Violent By Design- 76
55. Tenhi- Kauan- 75
56. Johann Johannsson- Fordlandia- 74
57. Have a Nice Life- Deathconsciousness- 73
57. Agalloch- Ashes Against the Grain- 73
59. CunninLynguists- Strange Journey Volume One- 70
60. Death- Human- 68
60. Natural Snow Buildings- The Dance of the Moon and the Sun- 68
62. Pestilence- Testimony of the Ancients- 67
63. Wu-Tang Clan- Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)- 66
63. Weakling- Dead as Dreams- 66
65. Amorphis- Tales From the Thousand Lakes- 65
65. Thomas Koner- Nuuk- 65
65. M83- Saturdays=Youth- 65
65. Drudkh- Autumn Aurora- 64
69. Genelec & Memphis Reigns – Scorpion Circles- 64
69. Devin Townsend- Ocean Machine- 64
71. Fen- The Malediction Fields- 63
71. The Orb- The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld Disk 1- 63
73. Have a Nice Life- Voids- 62
74. Burzum- Filosofem- 61
75. Drudkh- Forgotten Legends- 60
75. Arcticology- Eternal Now- 60
75. J-Live- All Of The Above- 60
79. Cryptopsy- Blasphemy Made Flesh- 59
79. The Marcia Blaine School for Girls – Halfway Into The Woods- 59
81. Sodom- Persecution Mania- 58
82. GZA/Genius- Liquid Swords- 57
82. The Higher Intelligence Agency & Biosphere- Polar Sequences- 57
82. Isis- Wavering Radiant- 57
82. Lifelover- Konkurs- 57
86. Stars of the Lid- Avec Laudenum- 56
87. Proem- Socially Inept- 55
87. Burzum- Det Som Engang Var- 55
87. OutKast- Aquemini- 55
87. Edge of Sanity- Purgatory Afterglow- 55
87. Elliot Smith- Either/Or- 55
93. Isis- Oceanic- 54
93. Jesu- Jesu- 54
95. The Cure- Pornography- 53
95. ColdWorld- Melancholie- 53
95. Terrorizer- World Downfall- 53
98. Enslaved- Blodhemn- 52
98. Massive Attack- Mezzanine- 52
98. Aphex Twin- 52
101. October Tide- Rain Without End- 51
101. Carbon Based Lifeforms- Hydroponic Garden- 51
103. Depeche Mode- Black Celebration- 51
103. Wolves in the Throne Room- 51
103. Robert Rich- Calling Down the Sky- 51
103. Darkthrone- A Blaze in the Northern Sky- 51

I have a dream that one day metal elitists will take their heads out their arses, and realise taste is purely subjective, such that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all genres are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the grim frostbitten hills of Norway, the black metalheads and the gangsta rappers will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even Gothenburg, a place sweltering with shitty melodeath, and rife with generic sellouts, will be transformed into an oasis of progressive soul nurturing music.

I have a dream where bands will not be judged by how 'catchy their riffs are' but by how well they accomplish what they set out to do.

Who's with me?

Between the Buried and MeBurzumOpethDimmu BorgirNileDream TheaterNevermoreMastodonIsisNeurosisMeshuggahThe OceanMayhemDarkthroneEmperorSymphony XSikThAfter the BurialThe Dillinger Escape PlanBorisBehemothAgallochToolAyreonSlayerIn FlamesDeftonesLamb of GodNightwishChildren of BodomTriviumKatatoniaAmon AmarthDragonForceGojiraCradle of FilthArch EnemyDevilDriverStrapping Young Lad

I WAS THE BEST

fuck all other lists

So the AV Club decided to get all wise on us about metal:




If there’s one thing in the world more head-slammingly dull than reading a bunch of online Realness Police argue about what constitutes real hip-hop, it’s reading similar web manifestos by metal’s “trü-kvlt” militia. Did they happen to spot a Mastodon album at Best Buy? Must be “hipster metal.” Did they read an interview with Boris in which Wata expressed enthusiasm for pop music? Must be “hipster metal.” Did they spot a guy enjoying The Sword who had an ironic T-shirt or thick-framed cheaters? Must be “hipster metal.”

...

In fact, that’s one of the hallmarks of the “hipster metal” complaint: It’s never about the music.

The irritating myth of "hipster metal," by Leonard Pierce


And then Examiner's Brett Stevens fires back a salvo in the opposite direction:


But the truth is that being a hipster isn't how you dress, where you live, or even what brand of beer you drink. It's how you approach the music. It's how you approach life. It's an attitude and philosophy.

These people called metalheads were ostracized, called geeks, belittled and spat upon for insisting metal is important. And what is that idea? Metal is the idea of worshipping power and intensity, not the "safe" and twee personalized Jesus that rock music is.

...

Because the people behind them are not thinking of the music as in metal as a genre, but of how they can be ironic and twee and unique, metalheads tend to write them off as "hipster metal."

Hipster Metal: no myth, but not as exciting as it sounds either, by Brett Stevens


It's about the music: metal is not compatible with twee indie rock pretending to be metal. We're not saying not to listen to it, or to ban it or burn it, just that it's not real metal in the same way Christians or Nazis pretending to be metal so they can preach at us aren't real metal.

Are we all clear on that?

HIPSTER METAL

* Baroness
* Mastodon
* Isis
* Between the Buried and Me
* All That Remains
* Boris

REAL METAL

* Immolation
* Enslaved
* Darkthrone
* Incantation
* Morbid Angel
* Deicide
* Obituary
* Demigod
* Atheist
* Demilich
* Carnage
* Blaspherian