Blackened Crust

Blackened crust fuses the D-beat-driven attack and political rage of crust punk with the tremolo-picked guitars, blast beats, raw production and shrieked singing of black metal. Bands such as *Young and in the Way*, *Martyrdöd* and *Dödsrit* pair crust's down-tuned, metallic hardcore riffing with black metal's minor-key atmosphere and occult or misanthropic imagery, producing music that keeps punk's directness while abandoning its melodic residues. The style developed from the 1990s onward as the two undergrounds cross-pollinated, and it now spans raw one-person projects and polished international touring bands.