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Corpse paint (sometimes a single word, ''corpsepaint'') is a style of Black -and- White Makeup used extensively by Black Metal bands during live concerts and Photo Shoot s. The decoration is used to intensify the bands' imagery of forbidding Evil , inhumanity, and corpse-like decay (thus the term ''corpse paint''). It is also suggested that the facepaint conjures evil clown imagery. Most commonly the musicians' faces are painted white with black around the eyes and lips. Many variations on the basic two-tone color scheme, though rare, have been seen. Bands such as Gorgoroth and Ragnarok use blood-colored paint, while the Norwegian band Dødheimsgard has experimented using other colours. Still, the clean two-tone style is preferred by most bands. The style is said by some to have its roots in British Glam Rock , however the origin of corpse paint is probably more accureately traced back to Germanic folklore. Particularly striking are the similarities between black metal corpsepaint and the ghoulish apparence of the members of the Oskorei , a legion of dead souls in Norse mythology. One can note similarities between Metal corpse paint and the makeup worn in Expressionist films, such as worn by Conrad Veidt in '' The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari ''. The earliest Rock groups to decorate themselves with corpse paint included Arthur Brown in the 1960s, and KISS and Alice Cooper in the 1970s. Hellhammer and King Diamond of Mercyful Fate (Who used Corpsepaint as early as 1978 in his band Black Rose) were perhaps the first Death or Black Metal groups to use corpse paint in the early 1980s. Other groups soon followed suit, including Celtic Frost , The Misfits (Predates Metal Usage), and early Slayer . Early Norwegian black metal bands such as Mayhem , Emperor (band) , Immortal , Darkthrone , and Satyricon are arguably responsible for maintaining the popularity of the corpsepaint among today's black metal acts. However, corpse paint is dismissed by many as immature or theatrically kitschy. Varg Vikernes of the notorious one man ambient black metal act Burzum rarely used corpse paint, even in its heyday - possibly because he never performed live. But Vikernes is perhaps a clandestine user of corpse paint, as one photograph in the book Lords Of Chaos (Moynihan, Soderlind) does show him in corpse paint. Recently, some "purists" have argued that corpse paint has become fashionable and over-trendy (both being qualities unfavorable to underground extreme metal bands such as the aforementioned) and therefore has lost its original value. Some bands such as Emperor , Enslaved and Borknagar , although having used corpsepaint in the past, avoid it altogether. APPLYING CORPSEPAINT In the application of typical black metal corpsepaint, the following steps are usually followed: 1. Apply white or light colored foundation on face, ears and neck. This white layer is usually called the 'white heat'. 2. With dark colored eyeshadow, eyeliner and liquid eyeliner, apply the black designs on the face. These designs are often unique to each black metal musician: a) First, the eyeliner should be applied around the eyes, both below and above, to accentuate the eyes. b) Then, eyeshadow should be used to tone the area around the eyes and other parts of the face that should be painted in a darker color than the 'white heat'. The liquid eyeliner, of course black or some similar dark color, should be used to go over the areas toned in eyeshadow to make them clear. The eyeshadow underlay ensures that the colors are properly dark. Oil or water based face paint is not a recommended substance for use for the 'white heat'. Oil based face paint, often readily available in party shops and used extensively for children's face painting, will be sticky and will not stay on for long, also sticking to the hair, which is rather an unfavorable asset due to the nature of most black metallers of having long hair. Water based face paint, although equally available, is also a bad idea as it comes off easily. Neither water or oil based face paint is good for your skin, especially the facial skin which tends to be delicate. The best substance to use for corpsepainting is probably normal makeup, such as white foundation, eyeshadow, and eyeliner. These are available from regular makeup shops and are probably much better for skin than face paint. Some mainstream makeup shops may not have completely white foundation, and this may be found usually in party shops. In some countries, there are actually shops and makeup product lines designed especially for corpsepainting. |
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