'True Norwegian Black Metal' Photographer: 'I Was Fascinated By The Fantastical And Insane'

May 8, 2008

American documentary photographer Peter Beste who visited Norway thirteen times in seven years while working to develop the definitive photodocumentation of Norwegian black metal scene for his book "True Norwegian Black Metal" was recently interviewed by Casey Dolan of the Los Angeles Times for an article that can be found at www.latimes.com. An excerpt from the story follows.

Beste started this project more than seven years ago, making several trips to Norway, "feeling my way along . . . building these relationships. I had grown up on more mainstream heavy metal, but I was fascinated by the fantastical and insane [in Norwegian black metal]."

He was gradually accepted into the inner circles. "I saw GORGOROTH in Milwaukee in 2002, [shot the band] and Gaahl thought I captured his essence, so I went to Norway for five weeks with no agenda. . . . They were very suspicious people. Norwegians tend to be private. But there was never ever fear, once I realized that these guys are [more] educated and nicer than the everyday people in New York. It also helped that I wasn't a long-haired dude."

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