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Sheriff of St. Landry Parish via CNN image 
Sheriff of St. Landry Parish via CNN image
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(CNN) – Holden Matthews, 21, has been charged with fires in three historically black churches in Louisiana.
While the motive is still under investigation, the authorities have stated that Matthews' interest in black metal music may have influenced his behavior.
"Investigators have discovered, and what Matthews has proposed, suggests a possible connection with a genre of music called" black metal "and its history associated with church fires in other parts of the world, documented in movies and books, "the state's fire marshal's office said in a statement.
Here's what you need to know about this genre of music.
What is black metal?
Black metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that typically addresses anti-Christian, satanic and pagan themes. Black metal songs usually have a fast tempo and include loud voices, very distorted guitars and unconventional song structures.
Black metal dates back to the early 1980s, in what is called the first wave of its kind, when the British band Venom released their second album titled "Black Metal". Stylistically, the music was similar to previous heavy metal subgenres, but Venom's lyrics had anti-Christian and satanic themes. Groups like Bathory and Hellhammer have also been early influences, incorporating screaming productions and lo-fi productions.
The first wave musicians also adopted morbid theater characters, pseudonyms and corpses paintings that were later used for future iterations of black metal.
In the early 1990s, Norwegian bands such as Mayhem, Darkthrone and Immortal formed the second wave of black metal, significantly influencing the nihilistic and misanthropic tone of the genre.
After the second wave, black metal has diversified into sub-genres such as atmospheric black and melodic black, with scenes around the world. Some subgenera of black metal represent hateful ideologies, such as the National Socialist Black Metal, which promotes Nazism and similar views.
The genre has been linked to church fires
Early black metal bands used evil slogans and satanic images to shock, but the Norwegian scene of Norwegian black metal in the 90s turned these themes into reality.
The most striking example is the Norwegian black metal artist Varg Vikernes, former bassist of Mayhem group, who played a key role in black metal and the neo-Nazi movement.
In 1992, Vikernes launched a campaign of church fires in Norway, allegedly started with the twelfth-century Fantove Stave church located near Bergen, according to Los Angeles Times.
Vikernes has boasted of having burned churches with other members of the scene, claiming that he wanted to "avenge" Christians and bring Norway back to his pagan roots, reported Rolling Stone.
Vikernes spent 15 years in prison for arson and for the murder of his group mate, Euronymous, in 1993.
But if there are subcategories of black metal that express racist or neo-Nazi views, such extremist views are not representative of the entire genre or the black metal community.
Suspicious Facebook activity in Louisiana
Matthews was active in a few Facebook groups that focused on Black Metal or pagan, Asatru and Nordic religious beliefs.
Matthews said in an article on Facebook that he shared Asatru religious beliefs, centered around old Nordic gods.
Matthews seems to admit in two Facebook posts on October 24 that he illegally carries a handgun, in addition to a knife and a dagger.
"I'm wearing this," he writes, in captioning the photo of a handgun. "Maybe not legally but I really only respect the law of Odin ….. who says, as you said, arm yourself."
On the same day, the authorities announced that Matthews had set the Greater Union Baptist Church on fire in Opelousas, Louisiana. Matthews had made a cold post in a Facebook group of black metal artists.
Another member of the group asked people to choose a "class": wizard, fighter, sniper, assassin, guardian and warrior.
"I'll take the arson / assassin / bard," Matthews replied.
Suspect targeted black churches
We do not know what kind of black metal Matthews listened to and whether he shaped his worldview or influenced his attacks on churches.
Of course, the issue of race in the Louisiana fires can not be ignored – the three burned churches had predominantly black congregations. As such, the events in Louisiana also evoke painful memories of the Jim Crow era, when hate – inspired church fires were common, especially in the south.
"For decades, African-American churches have served as an epicenter for survival and a symbol of hope for many members of the African-American community," said President and Chief Executive Officer NAACP, Derrick Johnson. "As a result, these houses of faith have always been the target of violence."
The authorities have not indicated whether they also plan to accuse Matthews of a hate crime.
CNN's Paul Murphy contributed to this report.
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