Throughout the history of rock no other genre has pushed the boundaries of aural extremity and social rebellion quite like Black Metal. Many of the bands in this book operate way beyond the parameters of the established rock scene, carving their own path in the darkest depths of true underground music. For the first time this ultimate authority documents detailed biographies, line-ups, and full discographies with track listings of more than 2,000 bands. Included are in-depth details of the major artist such as Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor Mayhem, Immortal, and Marduk as well as every other band, however small, or distant geographically. Each strain of musical brutality is examined in detail including the Black ambient scene, Viking Metal, Grindcore, Noisecore, and even the ultimate irony of Christian Black Metal. Despite its unceasing growth and increasing legions of fans, the phenomenon of Extreme Metal has never been fully documented until now.