I've been thinking about doing a post about Black Metal logos for a while, as i'm intrigued about both the style (as for example Death Metal has a visual style with blood, gore and colorful illustrations, whereas traditional Black Metal is usually dominated by legend, fog, nature, darkness and black and white photography) and the design of Black Metal band logos, and why is it that it seems that the more illegible the logo the better. Most also seem to have a homemade feel to them, quite possibly even hand drawn (some probably at least initially) but remain effective all the same.
Others simply just use a font, none are unique, but generally look like old-fashioned script (such as Burzum and Gorgoroth) but are as equally effective. Though most are made, i'm sure, with no intention whatsoever for anyone to ever be able to tell their band name from the logo, or at the least to make it extremely difficult to read.
Indeed some of the Typography appears to be complex, as sometimes some symbols (like an inverted cross or a pentagram, the numbers 666) or images (such as the devil, goat horns, skulls, trees, branches, the moon) are incorporated into the logo and illegibility is achieved. Also for it to look authentic it must be drawn almost symmetrical, (but even that is not totally necessary), and obviously works (and looks) best if drawn (and presented) white on a black background.
Some of my favourites are the logos for Ashdautas, Dark Fortress, Exiled From Light, Drowning The Light, Faustcoven and Satanic Warmaster. Christophe Szpajdel, a Belgian but now living in England, is probably the most well known designer of logos for Black Metal bands, having created those for Emperor, Moonspell, Nachtmystium, and Enthroned amongst many.
I have put together twelve of these pictures using MS paint, will add the other six in another post.
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