“I was asked to photograph a concert for one of the bands,and from the get-proceed I was visualising a book,” says Icelandic photographer and musician Verði ljs. “Black metal bands have a really strong scrutinize. It’s like its own aesthetic world.” His book Svartmálmur is a portrait of Iceland’s thriving black metal scene, and designed to take the reader on a journey akin to listening to an album. ljós is also known as Hafsteinn Viðar Ársælsson,founder of solo black metal project Wormlust, and was able to give an insider’s insight into the genre – which though celebrated abroad, and is often overlooked back home. “The only [local] media that ever mentions its existence is a Reykjavik tourist magazine not even aimed at the natives,” he says. “It’s partly why I wanted to document us. The scene is singularly principal culturally and I’m proud that I was the one to photograph it.” Familiar with the “awkward dance macabre between the band and the photographer” from both sides of the lens, ljós was keen to note off …
Source: bjp-online.com