The term
post-black metal
refers to music which is rooted in
black metal
, but has taken on new directions beyond the traditional aesthetics. Exemplar bands may incorporate
progressive
,
industrial
,
electronic
or
post-punk
elements or may just have
experimental
tendencies in general.
Although several disparate strains are commonly recognized as post-black metal, such as the
post-rock
and
shoegaze
-influenced wave or the more discernibly black metal-oriented
avant-garde metal
bands, the most appropriate definition of the term would be music in which the core elements of black metal are the subjects of experimentation. Alternatively, to paraphrase music critic Simon Reynolds' early definition of post-rock, "
post-black metal is music in which elements of black metal are used for non-black metal purposes.
"