The Politics of Postanarchism

Sure to provoke more debate on the surprisingly vituperative anarchist academics discussion list, Saul Newman's new work.

At the Mountains of Madness

Now available HERE (and soon via Amazon)

Hideous Gnosis: Black Metal Theory Symposium 1.

Edited by Nicola Masciandaro. 292 pages. $20.00. ISBN 1450572162. EAN-13 9781450572163.

Essays and documents related to Hideous Gnosis, a symposium on black metal theory, which took place on December 12, 2009 in Brooklyn, NY.

Expanded and Revised.

"Life is a hideous thing, and from the background behind what we know of it peer daemoniacal hints of truth which make it sometimes a thousandfold more hideous" (Lovecraft)

“Poison yourself . . . with thought” (Arizmenda)

CONTENTS

Steven Shakespeare, “The Light that Illuminates Itself, the Dark that Soils Itself: Blackened Notes from Schelling’s Underground.”

Erik Butler, “The Counter-Reformation in Stone and Metal: Spiritual Substances.”

Scott Wilson, “BAsileus philosoPHOrum METaloricum.”

Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, “Transcendental Black Metal.”

Nicola Masciandaro, “Anti-Cosmosis: Black Mahapralaya.”

Joseph Russo, “Perpetue Putesco – Perpetually I Putrefy.”

Benjamin Noys, “‘Remain True to the Earth!’: Remarks on the Politics of Black Metal.”

Evan Calder Williams, “The Headless Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

Brandon Stosuy, “Meaningful Leaning Mess.”

Aspasia Stephanou, “Playing Wolves and Red Riding Hoods in Black Metal.”

Anthony Sciscione, “‘Goatsteps Behind My Steps . . .’: Black Metal and Ritual Renewal.”

Eugene Thacker, “Three Questions on Demonology.”Niall Scott, “Black Confessions and Absu-lution.”

DOCUMENTS:

Lionel Maunz, Pineal Eye; Oyku Tekten, Symposium Photographs; Scott Wilson, “Pop Journalism and the Passion for Ignorance”; Karlynn Holland, Sin Eater I-V; Nicola Masciandaro and Reza Negarestani, Black Metal Commentary; Black Metal Theory Blog Comments; Letter from Andrew White; E.S.S.E, Murder Devour I.

Apocalypse Tendency Crisis (on Mute)

With many thanks to all those at Mute, my piece 'Apocalypse, Tendency, Crisis' is now up. It was developed from the HM talk and offers a critique of the 'apocalyptic tone' in thinking on the crisis. Also, with further thanks, it will be appearing in the 'material' issue of Mute in mid-March!

Interestingly I've since found out the beginning of Hardt and Negri's Commonwealth is a critique of such a tone, although more narrowly focused. Reading the extract from the book on the website the, unsurprising, target is actually Agamben. The initial point, which I agree with, is the concentration on 'transcendent' power and violence mystifies power embodied in property and capital. This trend is a moment of apocalypticism, but then I think Hardt and Negri are not immune from a more 'gradualist' apocalypticism in the 'rupture' of the capitalist integument by the multitude.