Who Really Invented Corpse Paint? 

When it's cold and when it's dark the freezing moon can obsess you 🤘 Per Yngve Ohlin 1969 - 1991

Kings wife said in a Q&A that one of the reasons he paints his face is so people in the crowd who are even far back can see his facial expressions on stage.

I'm surprised Gene Simmons didn't try to trademark or copyright all of it

Everyone knows it was Gene Simmons, he invented air as well.

This video really shows the importance of good audio.

Long live Dead🤘RIP pelle ollin

It's really fun to look at all these musicians and see how creative they have been in decorating their faces. I especially enjoy King Diamond's look. But I'd say that the history of greasepaint makeup in rock music has been anything but straightforward. Arthur Brown didn't look "corpse" to me; he looked "tribal," and that image of him reminds me of Johnny Depp's makeup as Tonto in THE LONE RANGER. Kiss, meanwhile, were never exactly a "Goth" band; their makeup influences seemed to be Japanese kabuki, hippie Day-Glo, "Ziggy Stardust" glitter, and (again) Native American war paint. If I had to give one person credit for inventing corpse paint, I'd have to go with Walter Reimann, who did the makeup for the classic silent film THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, painting Conrad Veidt's face in what was clearly a corpse style.

Keith Richards☠️

Throwing out a semi-educated guess before hitting play: Arthur Brown

Screamin' Jay Hawkins 1956

They even said about Sarcófago, but focuses on Dead. But, well... at 7:21 we can see Sarcófago's logo painted on the back of Dead's jacket. LoL

King wasn’t the first, but damn did he make great music with a badass image.

Bunch of possers in the comments, everyone knows Insane Clow Posse were the first ones using it

Queen Elizabeth inventet corpesepaint

A R T H U R B R O W N *The God of HELLFIRE* *The One hit rock God*

Calls Varg a scumbag, doesn't call euronymous a scumbag.

I thought it was absolutely obvious: ARTHUR BROWN (1966)

I love this series. its cool. Also i'd say Dead relly got it to be "Corpse paint" where as with Kiss King Diamond and Alice i think it was just makeup.

I know they’re distinct genres, but have a lot of interplay... surprised no mention of goth/death rock. Christian Death, etc.

Corpse paint hmm. The whole shock rock aesthetic was born with Screaming Jay Hawkins, because in his live shows he came out of a coffin and the microphone was in a shape of a human skull. And of course he screamed a lot. I mean, what else would you expect from a guy named 'Screaming' Jay Hawkins? But he didn't do corpse paint. Fast forward to the early 60s and there was that guy named Screaming Lord Sutch. I guess we all can see what his inspiration was. He played shock rock, his songs had horror themes in them and he painted his face full white. Plush the costumes he wear and his highly theatrical performances. I think this was the first time we really had corpse paint. But if you are going to discuss this topic with a friend or anyone it's safe to mention Arthur Brown as the first. Because he also popularised it.

I bet a nice purse ,that my grandma was the original corps paint inventor... damn that woman was already looking dead when I was a little kid

I love how you guys still use the studio background when recording at home, thats great lol

Gene Simmons: I need royalties from all these bands because I made corpse paint

7:20 Dead is wearing a Sarcofago jacket...there was a kind of mailed-web of black metal bands connection at that time probably

Tammy Baker perfected it.

I love black metal because it's not just about the music. It also includes theatrics, imagery and art. It's a very holistic genre of music. Black metal bands who skip the theatrics and imagery are hollow.

No mention of Screamin’Jay Hawkins?

No invention in humanity history comes from a sole source. It´s always an ensemble of zeitgeist.

Watches Lords of Chaos once: “Euronymous was only in it for publicity and Varg was a scumbag”

Pelle "Dead" Ohlin

I think Queen joined the party. Not using make-up but lighting and shadow effects on the Queen II album cover and the Bohemian Rhapsody video. Original glam rockers also have a small place in this story

"he wasn't a very well adjusted fellow". Well, that's a very nice way of putting it. Lol.

Great. Now I wanna know who invented the bullet belt.

Corpse paint, as it’s called, has been around for centuries. Corpse paint comes from actually painting a corpse to make them look better for their families and for display as corpses used to be displayed for days, even weeks before being buried. Classical musicians, along with everyone else, wore makeup and I’m sure one or two wore corpse paint to help create a certain kind of look and effect for their dark music. Dead may of made it famous for black metal, but he is centuries off from inventing actual corpse paint or its name.

Rip pelle yngve ''dead'' ollin, you will be missed dearly. May you thrive in the freezing moon for all eternity.

Arthur Brown!

No band invented it. There were tribes doing that 1,000 years ago. They just took something that already existed and used it.

I like this format. Keep going Loudwire!

1968- “The Crazy World of Arthur Brown”. End of story.

The True scumbag was euronymous, not Vikernes!!!! But what was the first black metal band to drop corpsepaints..??

"Scumbag Varg Vikernes"?? Why the unnecessary titel?

The King is the King for a reason......

I wasn't initially gonna watch this video, but then I saw "King Mutha Fu*kin' Diamond" on the thumbnail and I had to watch it.

Secos y mojados from Brasil from the70’s Google it just google it ! There’s some videos on RU-vid too.

Hey, take a look at "Secos e Molhados" another Brazilian band: they claim Kiss copied them!

screamin jay hawkins was the first to use a skeletor and bones on stage. he deserves being mentioned.

I'm surprised Loudwire didn't suggest that Corey Taylor used it first.

Though they're not Metal, Kiss influenced many metal bands, in fact the use of makeup is one of their main features other bands adopted

It Definitely Originated From African And South American Tribes Decorating Themselves For Rituals, It's Kind Of Ironic Considering The Amount Of Racist Black Metal Fans

Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine) in the mid 60's and one member of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band formed in 1972.

Clive Archer aka "Jesus Christ" Venom's first singer in 1979

At one time Gene Simmons (Kiss) had a problem with King Diamond (Ben Peterson) make-up. I was more for Kings side of point of view. 👍💀👍

Abbath and Immortal is always at the top of lists on most ridiculous band image, but every time I see them live, it just works.

Glenn Danzig is amazing. He just released his 10th studio album a couple years ago. Dude's in his 60s

Screaming Jay Hawkins? Also on another note, I thought you own the studio, why film on a green screen then?

We just gonna ignore jay Hawkins?

Why you gotta call Varg a scumbag?

Celtic Frost.

Ney Matogrosso from Secos e Molhados invented this. At 60's live show in the São Paulo City - Brasil look this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DwVc0G3IKU4.html They declined an offer to sing in English. Not satisfied the American music industry launched kiss band with painted faces a few months later.

Screaming Lord Sutch is the inventor FACT !!!!

Kabuki theater has been using corpse paint for centuries. Someone may have adapted it to metal but they didn't invent it.

Kabuki face paint going way back to 15th century In Music . Screaming jay Hawkins - His voodoo look, screaming Lord Sutch - Jack the ripper routine in 1964 Arthur Brown - Fire. Alice cooper.

King diamond has been around a long time like 81or 82 I was only a couple of years old then so the only metal/rock band I know of that wore full makeup before that was kiss.

I'd assume everyone jocked off Kiss for thinking face paint on grown men was cool

Arthur Brown and Alice Cooper!

Arthur Brown-Fire the amount of time he set 🔥 to his hair 🤣

Dude there's this band called Metallica and their video for ManUNkind they wear corpse paint and it looks awesome. I think you should check it out, they might be big in some years.

Idc who made it because Mayhem is Mayhem

Am I the only one here who loves Thorn’s Grymyrk Demo of 1991

As far as horrific stage performances SCREAMIN JAY HAWKINS is the king. . I'm really happy that you mentioned Arthur Brown. I will say hes the one that began the corpse paint this . He even said that what he did was called the "death mask" in one interview. Another example of this is lesser known Scremin Lord Sutch .he was the UKs answer to Screamin Jay Hawkins. There are pics where he looks more "goth or death rock "like .trying to look vampiric but ok then again it wasnt the way that Arthur did . One other band that shouldve been mentioned was the the Italian horror metal band Death SS . They not only had the corpse paint they have a few songs that could easily sound like proto first wave black metal. Truth be told most really heavy bands in the 80s wore make up the non hairbmetal bands that were more on the dangerous or satanic side wore that paint around their eyes. Slayer, sepultura, mystetfiyer and Sarcafago etc.. look at even groups like witchfyned ... that was a dangerous heavy metal look - as if having long hair and ragged clothes wasnt enough lol...

First person I thought of was Arthur Brown .

Make a video about inventing Maloik/Devil horns please.

Overkill were also wearing an earlier version of corpse paint. Rat Skate talked about it in his movie. I remember seeing pictures around their first or second demo.

God vid and a very interesting subject. From a production standpoint you need a lapel mic. Is this shot in front of a green screen?

Jon at the start, about !:38 rocking a ROK (Sadistik Eikution) design on the long sleeve T

Well, you also have Alistair Macdonald "Zal" Cleminson (Aley harvey band, Nazareth) who used "clown" face paint in the early 70s. However, personally I think it's a bit different because Kiss - in part - and the others created new "characters".

Hey dudes, Like me, you were not at the scene when things happened in Norway. So it is not up to you, or me to judge and call someone (Varg) a scumbag. "Jeg tror du er et drittsekk selv." Now that's an opinion, not a statement.

kiss was for sure the biggest influence

Not one mention of kabuki theater influence? That's the true root of it.

in 1971 Osanna (Italian prog) already used to paint their faces during their concerts

Brazilian band Secos e Molhados came with corpse paint before Kiss. Search for it to confirm

Awesome Profanatica shirt! Nice represent!

Laughed when he called Varg a scumbag

Lol! I thought Kiss & Alice were the first using makeup

Arthur brown 1968 crazy worl Creador del corpse paint

you can actually see him read the scrypt lmao

I am the god of hellfire! And I bring you…. Fire!🔥🔥🔥

Dead was the 1st, everyone seems to know that but these guys. Corpse Paint.....not skull paint. And saying Venom is Black Metal is like saying Steppenwolf is Heavy Metal. They were just phrases. Not even close to the genre.

The guy that inspired the misfits iconic image

Stacia Blake, Hawkwind's dancer, wore elaborate makeup that often looked like corpse paint back in the early 70's.

Almost 10 minutes of my life I waited for you to tell me what I already knew. DEAD

Kiss pulled it off the best in my opinion.

one word: Kiss

King Diamond is great

Arthur Brown had a superstar band... Carl Palmer, Arthut Brown and Vincent Crane (RIP) to name few

People always forget Jerry Only. He was doing it in the mid 70’s.

my dad grew up on the same block as alice cooper

No mention of Screaming Lord Sutch either

I like this guy, aways very excited 💪🏾

Hail king diamond