'A Blaze In The Northern Sky' Lecture To Explore Norwegian Black Metal Scene

In the last two decades, a bizarre, intense, and violent musical subculture called black metal has emerged in Norway, and has subsequently become a worldwide phenomenon.

In a unique seminar-meets-radio show format moderated by Patrizia Mazzuoccolo (also known as Miss Pee),the "A Blaze In The Northern Sky - Spreading The Hatred" lecture — to be held at Scandinavia House (58 Park Avenue) in New York City on Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m. — will explore and promote the genre and its country through audio clips of bands, interviews with musicians and special guests (see below for details),and an audience question-and-answer session.

* Harald Fossberg, first singer in TURBONEGRO and a veteran of the punk and metal scene in Norway. Currently works as the main rock / metal entertainment journalist for Norwegian broadsheet Aftenposten;

* Nocturno Culto, guitarist, bassist, songwriter half of legendary Oslo-based band DARKTHRONE;

* Gaahl, ex-GORGOROTH vocalist now performing with folk-inspired crew WARDRUNA and recently recruited by the Bergen Theatre Den Nationale Scene for the role of Heimdal in the play "Svartediket" which has caused more controversy in Norway.

Black metal is a distinctive mix of Satanism, Nordic mythology, and extreme heavy metal. It is the basis of a Norwegian subculture that aggressively forsakes Christianity and mainstream society in favour of Norse mythology, epic Scandinavian nature, and self-inflicted isolation. This violent subculture attracted international attention in the early '90s with a string of murders, suicides, grave desecrations, and the arson of over 20 Christian churches. There is more to black metal within the extreme metal scene in Norway which will also be covered in this seminar.

Mazzuoccolo has worked as a music journalist for over 10 years, contributing to magazines like Metal Hammer (U.K.),Terrorizer (U.K.),Rock Sound (U.K.),and Metal Maniacs (U.S.),and still writes for Rhythm, where in 2002-2003 she had her own metal column. She worked as a promotions producer for the Sky Television network in London from 1998-2002, did screen work on MTV2's "The Riot" (2002),and freelanced for "The Rock Show" on BBC Radio One in connection with the Norwegian black metal special (2006). She lived in London for 14 years, in Oslo for 6 and currently resides in New York where she is writing a book on the subject of Norwegian metal and culture.

During her time in Oslo, Mazzuoccolo worked as a marketing and promotion officer for Moonfog Productions, label manager for Tabu Recordings, acted as consultant and co-organizer of the sold-out Scandinavian metal night at SXSW (2008) and was the co-creator, roving reporter and producer of popular metal show "Tinitus" on Norwegian national radio NRK P3 from 2005 until early 2009.

For more information, visit www.scandinaviahouse.org.