Hip-hop had the East vs West Coast feud. Metal got church burnings and murder via a collection of rather intense young men from Scandinavia.

The second wave of black metal had Norway as its epicentre - but as pioneering as bands like Emperor, Mayhem and Darkthrone were with the powerful atmospheres of their grim extreme metal, the early Nineties peak of the scene is now remembered by many for its shady ideology and illegal activities.

Church burnings were only the half of it - things really hit rock bottom when Burzum's suspected arsonist-in-residence Count Grishnackh (or Varg Vikernes to his mum and close friends) decided to stab Mayhem guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) to death in 1993.

He was released from prison on parole in May. Check here for a classic Vikernes interview from the ever-brilliant Metal Hammer. Scary, scary man.