The great truth is there isn't one : Nihilism som inspiration i black metal med fokus på bandet Mgła

Sammanfattning: The subject of this thesis is the music genre black metal and how it holds nihilism as an inspirational source. This has been explored with a focus on the Polish band Mgła, and their music and aesthetics from a music-analytical perspective, as well as from a Nietzschean-philosophical perspective. Black metal is usually associated with satanism and occultism, but bands such as Mgła have recently focused more on existentialism and nihilism. The purpose of this thesis is to shine a light on how black metal incorporates philosophical aspects, while also demonstrating how not only obvious connections but also paradoxes arise between the music, aesthetics and the philosophical. Saussure’s, Nattiez’ and Schaeffer’s theories of semiotics- and music semiotics form the theoretical framework for this thesis. The method can be summarized as a case study/close reading/close listening of the material, including a music- and semiotic perspective with elements of hermeneutics, as well as a field work based on participatory field work methodology with a semiotic lens. The results of this study show how there arises obvious connections between Mgła’s music and aesthetics as dark and gloomy and the philosophical and nihilistic message that they convey; but also paradoxes, such as that the very idea of creativity and music goes against the nihilistic message itself. But this can also be understood as Mgła not being nihilistic to the bone, but rather accepting of their fate. That is, that music and creativity can be understood as an attempt to find meaning in one's life, a kind of response to life's emptiness, that in itself creates a catharsis or “purification” within the human being.