Sweden’s revered Christopher Dean, a.k.a. “NecrosHorns,” has established himself as a staple of the black metal community. NecrosHorns has photographed a seemingly never-ending and always-expanding list of top artists like Blasphemy, Taake, Urgehal, Kampfar, Mortiis, Carpathian Forest, and Attila Csihar. In terms of popularity, NecrosHorns even outshines many of the bands with whom he collaborates.

During the course of his glorious career, NecrosHorns has earned fans from all over the world, and thus constantly receives more invitations than he could possibly accept to participate in festivals. Given NecrosHorns’ brilliance and importance, the announcement of his tenth book, the compilation 10 Years of Blasphemy, comes as a wonderful surprise.

This celebration of NecrosHorns’ decade of dark art proves why this modern legend is so beloved. 10 Years of Blasphemy will be unveiled in March at the Houston-based festival Hell’s Heroes, where NecrosHorns will also be revealing his 10-year anniversary exhibition in full for the first time after showing selected parts elsewhere.

NecrosHorns shared exciting details with us regarding his upcoming title:

“10 Years of Blasphemy is a photography compilation of 41 images from these 10 years of work. From the very beginning until what it is today, NecrosHorns hasn’t always been about photography, but the visual aspect has been very important in my work. The book is divided into Chapter 1: Wood Art; Chapter 2: Death; Chapter 3: Ossuaries; Chapter 4: Travel; Chapter 5: Photo Session; Chapter 6: Live Photography; Chapter 7: Via Dolorosa; Chapter 8: NecrosHorns.”

NecrosHorns informs us that 10 Years of Blasphemy features “carefully selected photos that represent my journey over all the years, the evolution of my artistic expression and dark vision.” Inside, NecrosHorns pens: “This is my path, my dark mind, my inner demon…” He continues: “NecrosHorns represents my end but also a new beginning. I left a life behind for an uncertain future. I lost everything and transformed into eternity. And there is more to come. I salute all of you who support this madness and somehow have been part of this journey to the end…”

Photo Credit: NecrosHorns

We were honored to have a sneak preview of this indescribably gorgeous masterpiece. If photography can move a person to tears and summon forth notions of the sublime, the work contained within 10 Years of Blasphemy will certainly do the trick. 10 Years of Blasphemy guides us through Asia, India, and Europe. Even I, a longtime fan of NecrosHorns who sees his images daily, was totally blown away.

Yes, as expected, 10 Years of Blasphemy showcases stunning images of influential bands like Nifelheim and Ondskapt. However, as one can assume from the chapters listed above, this totally cohesive yet highly varied offering is not just for metalheads but anyone interested in true art.

An exploration

10 Years of Blasphemy could be considered an exploration of savage beauty, the allure within the macabre, or the roundelay of life and death. NecrosHorns expertly captures the ritualistic aspects of black metal and other topics in all of their rich symbolism and meaning. A master of chiaroscuro, NecrosHorns’ work oozes mystery and depth. His photographs are intense, passionate, and thought-provoking.

10 Years of Blasphemy is an exceptionally rewarding creative and spiritual journey that should ultimately liberate the beholder insofar as it forces meditations on the realm beyond this mortal coil. All images contained both elevate and transcend their subject matter, thanks to NecrosHorns’ sophisticated approach and execution. NecrosHorns excels at amplifying the individual essences of his subjects, permitting his photographs to speak to audiences and become remarkably memorable.

Photo Credit: NecrosHorns

As readers will observe, NecrosHorns began his journey creating wood art with pyrography, acrylics, and blood. When NecrosHorns switched to music photography, his following only snowballed. Meanwhile, for his travel and architecture photography published under the Christopher Dean banner, NecrosHorns has repeatedly been named one of the top 35 photographers in Sweden and the top 10 in Stockholm.

No artist could be more deserving than NecrosHorns of his success.

He works around the clock with a soldier’s dedication. A former pilot, NecrosHorns nearly lost his life when his engine went up in flames. NecrosHorns has never been afraid to play with fire. On the contrary, he is known for taking risks as a photographer, whether with lighter fluids or by jeopardizing his life for his art in other dangerous situations.

Making history

In November 2023, NecrosHorns made history by immortalizing the Nidrosian Black Metal pioneer Wraath of Darvaza parading in corpsepaint, spikes, and an anti-Christian Katharsis shirt through the Via Dolorosa in Israel the day before the violence erupted. In conversation with Wraath on Iblis Manifestations, Shayan of Trivax commented: “That picture, you can see it going around all over social media now. […] it’s quite symbolic in a way.

Behind the images

If anything is going to make you believe, it’s the fact that, yeah, there’s this demon appearing here behind the sacred walls, where nothing like this has ever appeared before, and then moments later that [the bloodshed] happens. You can’t make that up.” Although this gruesome fact might be hard for some to comprehend, NecrosHorns and Wraath truly could have been killed for bringing blasphemy to that specific part of the Holy Land.

Two magnificent photos from the shoot in question, which is known as “The Omen…,” are included toward the end of 10 Years of Blasphemy. “The Omen…” has already become iconic, and the rest of the photos in 10 Years of Blasphemy are no less phenomenal. Fortunately, Darvaza will be present with NecrosHorns at Hell’s Heroes, making the book release even more of a special moment. We look forward to seeing NecrosHorns and Darvaza set America ablaze.

Photo Credit: NecrosHorns