Confessions of an Antichrist

DEBUT This debut by a lawyer, writing as Skaði, follows the band Baphomet’s Agony as they are about to hit it big. They’ve also never played a gig longer than 15 minutes before the cops shut it down. That’s Norwegian black metal for you. And no one knows the fan base like Marta, the band’s manager. Add in an abundance of Satanism, regular orgies, an occasional church burning, and plenty of thrown fists, and you have yourself a band. But what happens when one of the members may be the actual Antichrist? How much of their belief is just for show, and how far are they willing to go? Like its inspiration, the writing of this character driven novel is a frenzy of flashbacks, forwards, and sideways, not intended for accessibility. The tell-all format is the right structure for the confusing writing and cutting observations of organized religion and society. Readers will not escape this book unalienated—that’s the point. But for those who can stomach the vulgar and grotesque, the humor is as dark and surprising as it gets.

CORRECTION: The review has been edited to remove the real name of the author, who wishes to remain anonymous.