Peshtigo Fire and Norwegian Black Metal

The most devastating wildfire in U.S. history was not in the western states, or even a recent event. Instead it was in Wisconsin, on October 8th, 1871. The fire burned around 1.5 million acres, and claimed more than 1,500 lives.

In the 1990s, a new genre of music emerged, know as Norwegian black metal. Some of the most influential members of extreme metal came from this period. Its members from were also responsible for two murders, a suicide, and the burning of old Norwegian churches.

The Norwegian black metal segment may be disturbing for sensitive listeners, and includes references to suicide and murder.

The Peshtigo Fire - National Weather Service
The Peshtigo Fire - Wikipedia
The Great Midwest Wildfires of 1871
The Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 11, number 1, September 1927
Why America's Deadliest Wildfire Was Largely Forgotten
Norwegian Black Metal