Think of your favourite metal band. They're most likely from somewhere in the United States, or maybe Canada, right? Now think of your favourite Norwegian black metal group. Don't know any? That's the reaction of most North Americans.

What most don't realize, though, is that brewing somewhere on the outskirts of popular culture, underground metal (including all the different Scandinavian varieties) has been exploding in a big way.

To be fair, I probably wouldn't even know anything about heavy metal music if it were not for my little brother, Nevin, who has steadily been introducing me to new genres since his love affair with double bass, guitar solos and incomprehensible lyrics began some years ago. Little did I know, that years later I would be interviewing his band, Deathmarch, as they prepare for an Ontario-Quebec tour promoting their new self-titled album.

Nevin, Jarrett, Mike and Kyle, the four members of Deathmarch, play black metal, a sub-genre of heavy metal closely related to thrash. The sound is often described as “evil,” attributed to the use of dissonant chords and the blatant embrace of grim subject matter, generally anything having to do with death, Satan worship and the occult. These topics, however, are not exclusive to the genre, and in fact many black metal bands stray away from such material. Doing this has created a sense of ambiguity within metal music, however, and where one sub-genre ends and another begins is often anyone's guess.

When I first listened to Deathmarch, what was most peculiar to me was the fact that I never viewed my brother as the dark, brooding character he portrays in the band. After all, he was the stereotypical youngest-in-the-family comedian. I began to wonder if there was an inherent contradiction in these otherwise happy people making music with the sole intent to aggrandize the dismal and morose.

“Its not a contradiction,” Nevin corrected me. “Most metal is all a show. I mean come on, when you go to a play and meet the actors after the show you don't expect to see them acting out their character... It's the same with metal.”

Indeed, the ‘what you see is what you get' adage does not exactly apply to such a genre where, extreme personas have become the norm.

Nevertheless, a devoted audience has been growing for black metal in North America, providing Deathmarch with some exciting opportunities. The band recently signed a record deal with Northern Storm based in Hamilton (through which their self-titled album is now available) and the guys are gearing up for a December tour taking them to several stops between London and Quebec City. Not bad for a group whose average age is 18-years-old.

In fact, the age of the band has created an intriguing generation gap (or lack thereof) between old-school metal fans and new devotees.

“There have been mixed thoughts about us,” Mike Cotton, Deathmarch's drummer, explained. “Some people have been totally supportive...and have a positive attitude towards us, and some have just tried to do everything they can to make it miserable.”

“We're pretty young, and it's hard to earn lots of older metalheads respect because of that,” Nevin added.

It would appear that the majority approve of Deathmarch, though, as just last month they were invited to play at the Opera House, opening up for Dark Funeral, one of the largest black metal bands in the world.

“It was a pretty unique experience,” Nevin said, “It was basically a taste of what we hope to achieve eventually. Its something we hope becomes a constant.”

Perhaps one day Deathmarch will reach such heights, but until then you can see them play at The Embassy in London on December 7 with Macabre, Heavens Ablaze and Morbid Theory. $12/adv or $15 at the door.