Blacker Than the Blackest Black

  So a While back I did a top 20 Death metal bands post so I wanted to compile my top 20 Black Metal bands as well.  Black Metal has been around since the mid to late 80's starting with bands like Mayhem, Venom, and Burzum to name a few.  Now there are a lot of different elements that go into making a decent black metal band.  Most of them are focused on the darker side of things, with a more sinister, or evil approach to their craft, but that's not true for all black metal.  Some is very atmospheric and has a lot of warmth to it.  Some of it is very straight forward and to the point.  Either way there are some great musicians surrounding this style of metal.  I enjoy all kinds of metal, and black metal is one of the styles that took me a while to get into, but now that I've found my favs in the genre it really is opening my ears to the rest of the crazy world of black metal.  Weather you like atmosphere, or conceptual elements. Or a more straight forward intensity, anger, and power behind your black metal there is a band out there for you.  So without further a due here is my list of my top 20 black metal bands.  I am going to try and span many different elements of the genre.

Gorgoroth

Formed: 1992, Bergin Norway

Style: Norwegian Black Metal

Albums

 

Immortal

Formed: 1990, Bergin Norway

Style: Norwegian Black Metal

Albums

Belphagor

Formed: 1991, Salzburg, Austria

Style: Blackened Death Metal

Albums

Inquisition

Formed: 1988, Cali, Columbia

Style: Black Metal

Albums

Inquisition had some early years demos but I'm only including LP's so they didn't release an LP tell later in their career.

Venom

Formed: 1979 Newcastle, England

Style: Extreme/Thrash/Black Metal

Albums

Abigail Williams

Formed: 2004 Phoenix, Arizona

Style: Atmospheric Blackened Death Metal

Albums

Dark Fortress

Formed: 1994 Landshut, Germany

Style: Black Metal

Albums

Krallice

Formed: 2008 New York 

Style: Experimental Black Metal

Albums

Watain

Formed: 1998 Uppsala

Style: Swedish Black Metal

Albums

Burzum

Formed: 1991 Bergen, Norway

Style: Norwegian Black Metal/ Atmospheric Black Metal

Albums

Lunar Aurora

Formed: 1994 Rosenheim, Bavaria

Style: Black Metal

Albums

Agalloch

Formed: 1995 Portland, Oregon

Style: Atmospheric/Folk/Black Metal

Albums

Dark Funeral
Formed: 1993 Stockholm, Sweden
Style: Black metal

Albums

Mayhem
Formed: 1984 Oslo, Norway
Style: Norwegian Black Metal

Albums

Taake
Formed: 1993, Norway
Style: Norwegian Black Metal

Albums

Darkthrone
Formed: 1987 Kolbotn, Oslo
Style: Black Metal, (Early) Death Metal, Heavy Metal

Albums

Melechesh
Formed: 1993 Netherlands
Style: Blackend Death Metal, Folk Metal, 

Albums

Enslaved
Formed: 1991, Haugesund, Norway
Style: Progressive Black Metal/ Viking Metal

Albums

Wolves In the Throne Room
Formed: 2003 Olympia, Washington
Style: Atmospheric Black Metal

Albums








































Satyricon
Formed: 1991 Oslo
Style: Black Metal

Albums

   So there they are.  My top 20 Black Metal bands.  Some are more of a traditional Black Metal, and some are more adventurous.  Either way the roots are still pretty black, an dark.  Black Metal has been an ever growing beast for me.  I have discovered a lot of new Black Metal artists in the last few years.  Bands like Wolves In the Throne Room, Taake, Abigail Williams, and Agalloch.  I'm sure as time goes on I will find more that I really dig, but until then these are the guys that are kickin it in the Black Metal world for me right now.  So I hope you enjoyed my list.  Some of the particular records that I recommend are Immortals All Shall Fall, Satyricon's The Age of Nero, Wolves In the Throne Room's Celestial Lineage, Enslaved's Axioma Ethica Odini, and Agalloch's The Mantle.  Just to name a few but they are all good in their own way so check them out if you haven't listened to them.  And listen to the whole thing.  I hate it when I hear someone say "Oh I didn't like that album".  And I ask well did you listen to the whole thing, and they say "No I only listened to the first 2 tracks.  That's not cool.  If you're going to say something is bad give it a complete listen before you say it's bad because there may be something you missed that would've blown you away had you of listened to track 4 or 6 you know.  So until next stay hard, stay heavy.