UK-based publishing house Cult Never Dies marks its 10th anniversary with the release of Dayal Patterson’s “Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult - The Restored, Expanded & Definitive Edition”.

Demand for the new book has exceeded expectations and all of the 2023 delivery from the factory is now pre-sold. Cult Never Dies will be receiving the rest of the order in early 2024 and is available for pre-order for delivery in January or February (more information to be confirmed via Cult Never Dies channels). The pre-order price of £35 remains and will increase after January/February.

Pre-order your copy now via Cult Never Dies (UK & ROW store / EU store). North American pre-orders can be placed via Decibel Books.

For those looking for a copy of the book more urgently, it is currently available from Van Records, Darkness Shall Rise, Napalm Records, Black City Records, Consouling, Katakomben, Vrijheid Records (China), as well as the likes of Amazon and Waterstones.

A limited number of the Decibel version is now also available to order via Cult Never Dies.

With the original version of the book no longer available in print, Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult is hailed as the most acclaimed book on the history of black metal, and the only one endorsed by those involved in creating the genre.

The book is approximately 340,000 words long, including 140,000 words of new content, 23 new chapters and 50 extended and updated chapters. This includes over 150 exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the genre, including: Venom, Mercyful Fate, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Blasphemy, Darkthrone, Behemoth, Rotting Christ, Mayhem and many more. The author also included over 70 brand new or previously unpublished interviews with the likes of Necromantia, Arcturus, Immortal, Agalloch, Destruction, Mystifier, Profanatica and Winterfylleth.

Evolution of the Cult also has hugely improved cover art and layout by longtime Cult Never Dies artist David Thiérrée (Behemoth, Gorgoroth, Mortiis), and will include 650 images, many previously unseen, including an 80-page colour/gloss photo gallery.

Check out an exclusive excerpt on British black metal via The Quietus and on Greek black metal (in Greek) via Rock Hard Greece.

Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir commended the book: “You don’t have to read between the lines anymore ‘cause it’s all there, straight from the source.” At the same time, Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ praised it as “a valuable educational piece of dark writing.”

Ryan Förster of Blasphemy/Conqueror added: “Finally a book that covers black metal in a well-informed manner and gives credit where it’s due. This is by far the best book I’ve read on black metal and I can recommend this to anyone that is interested in a good read on our diverse genre.”

The Watcher of Fen said: “Free from sensationalist hyperbole and with a dizzying array of detail, anecdotes, photographs and contextualisation of the landmark artists within the genre - all delivered with Dayal’s fluid prose and dry wit. A huge undertaking that oozes passion, the definitive book on the black metal genre.”

The Magus of Necromantia fame said: “A testament for future generations, compiled with sincerity of effort and high-class aesthetics.”

Dayal Patterson, book author, Cult Never Dies owner and longtime music journalist, said: “I cannot express how good it feels now that Cult Never Dies finally owns the rights to this book and are able to release it – along with Decibel in the US - in this massively improved form. The limitations placed on the original in terms of word count meant that so many chapters and parts I originally envisioned simply couldn’t be included or were not even worth completing due to a lack of space. What turned into a fairly straightforward restoration job led to about a year of 14-hour days, not only overhauling the existing chapters and layout (something we had always been unhappy with) of the book, but doing a huge number of new interviews and working with a wealth of new bands and artists. Finally, there are proper chapters celebrating bands such as Vinterland, Satyricon, Immortal, Arcturus, Mystifier and Profanatica, as well as greater explorations of black metal in Brazil, the US, the UK, Sweden, Greece, and, of course, Norway.”

Bands featured include: VENOM • MERCYFUL FATE • BATHORY • HELLHAMMER • CELTIC FROST • SODOM • DESTRUCTION • SEPULTURA • VULCANO • HOLOCAUSTO • MYSTIFIER • BLASPHEMY • SAMAEL • ROTTING CHRIST • NECROMANTIA • DEVISER • TORMENTOR • MASTER’S HAMMER • VON • MAYHEM • THORNS • DARKTHRONE • BURZUM • IMMORTAL • EMPEROR • GEHENNA • GORGOROTH • TRELLDOM • BEHERIT • IMPALED NAZARENE • CRADLE OF FILTH • DIMMU BORGIR • LES LEGIONS NOIRE • MARDUK • DISSECTION • VINTERLAND • THE BLACK • WATAIN • SHINING • STRID • FORGOTTEN WOODS • BETHLEHEM • SILENCER • FORGOTTEN TOMB • LIFELOVER • GRAVELAND • INFERNUM • BEHEMOTH • HADES • HELHEIM • ISENGARD/STORM • KAMPFAR • WINDIR • PRIMORDIAL • OCTOBER FALLS • ENSLAVED • SATYRICON • ULVER • MORTEM • ARCTURUS • FLEURETY • IN THE WOODS… • MANES • VED BUENS ENDE • DØDHEIMSGARD • SIGH • DEATHSPELL OMEGA • MYSTICUM • ABORYM • BLACKLODGE • BLACK WITCHERY • HECATE ENTHRONED • WINTERFYLLETH • FEN • AGALLOCH • ABSU • PROFANATICA and more

For a full list of the 150 interviewees, visit Cult Never Dies.

“An absolute must-read… It serves as a reference work, evening entertainment and a vehicle for nostalgia, and its new edition is also visually appealing. Even those who have already read the original publication will still be able to get a lot of new information from the book, with almost twice as many words. Dayal Patterson has essentially written the (satanic) bible of the black metal scene, in which it should be noted that its author has invested decades of research, work and passion.” - metal.de

“There is stuff that I had no knowledge of prior to reading this book, despite that I have been an avid follower of black metal since Bathory did their massive albums in the 80s. So, it goes without saying that this is by far the best approach to the story and evolution of black metal that you've ever read… the layout is gold for sore eyes. The readability is excellent, and the photos and flyers are well-planned out on each page… If you are into black metal and would like to know more about the evolution of the genre(s), you don't have to look elsewhere. Dayal Patterson's book is, as previously stated, the Bible of black metal.” - Imhotep Zine

“I’m not trying to sell the book. I am sure many of our readers will be aware of it and plenty will have pre-ordered. What I will say is that you will not be disappointed. Your arms may however ache, you may need a bigger bookcase and your postman will be huffing, puffing and cursing when he gets it into your eager hands. This is an essential book for lovers of all music and even if I wanted to, there’s nothing negative I can think of to say.” - Ave Noctum

“Personally speaking, having a deep respect for Patterson's work, I found the new, revised edition of "Evolution Of The Cult" vastly superior to the original as a book that illuminates several (but not all) aspects of the scene, while also sparking the curiosity of the readership to raise questions and decide for themselves how they perceive such a multifaceted idiom.” - Rocking.Gr

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