Black metal has long been associated with far-right politics, but a growing number of left-wing bands are reclaiming the genre, according to letters responding to a recent article by Ana Schnabl. Dr Jac Common, Jo Palmer, and Iain Forsyth argue that the scene is being reshaped by artists promoting Marxism, queer liberation, and anti-fascism.
UK bands such as Dawn Ray’d and Underdark use their music to advocate for Marxism and class solidarity. Backxwash and Uboa blend hip-hop and noise to create anthems of queer and trans experience, while Ragana, Divide and Dissolve, and Panopticon address Black enslavement and ecological destruction. Dr Common describes this movement as a “spring of radical leftwing black metal” worth exploring.
Jo Palmer notes that while far-right projects exist within black metal, an anti-fascist scene is thriving, channeling the genre’s emotional intensity into justified anger at societal issues. She encourages fans to avoid “sketchy acts” through due diligence, emphasizing the genre’s global diversity, from Azerbaijan to Peru.
Iain Forsyth compares black metal to punk, arguing that dismissing the entire genre due to some fascist sympathizers is unfair. He highlights feminist band Witch Club Satan and queer-aesthetic band Agriculture as examples of modern diversity. “When we’re young and naive, we may pledge allegiance foolishly,” he writes, “but as we get older, we hopefully get better at separating the wheat from the chaff.”
