Album Rating: 2.5

I don't listen to a lot of black metal and this band makes me wanna get into more, does that make me a loser hipster who doesn't appreciate real metal?

No. Just search for bands similar to Deafheaven if you like 'em.

there is nothing wrong with using deafheaven as a gateway to get into black metal in its purest form. I'd actively encourage that.
from here i'd say try something like woods of desolation or wolves in the throne room

Album Rating: 4.5

Lantlos and Alcest are good places to start. Expand from there if you dig that style

Album Rating: 2.5

I checked out Leviathan earlier this year, and it was good just a little unmemorable. Thanks for the recs!

alcest might be a bit too gazey to go from this album i think.

i personally don't dig any of these bands too much but they are really good gateway acts

i can see you really liking woods of desolation - As the Stars

Album Rating: 4.5

oh Leviathan is an entirely different beast, Leviathan and Deafheaven differ greatly in black metal style, only comparable by their country of origin.



yeah Alcest is a lot more gazey, but I think it might provide a nice backdrop for where a lot of those bands get some of their style



oh yeah definitely check woods

also if you checked scar sighted that's just as much a death metal record than it is straight black metal in parts.

the opening riff to baby blue is so alcest tbh

Album Rating: 4.5

which is part of why it (scar sighted) is such a complete beast of an album



probably why i like that riff :]

yeah scar sighted is fucking monstrous

Album Rating: 2.5

whenever I bring up the genre to people who claim they know it, they like always recommend Altar of Plagues along with Deafheaven as starters.

Album Rating: 4.0

Drudkh was one of the first black metal bands I got into - maybe check out Autumn Aurora or Microcosmos.

Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse and Burzum's Filosofem were also really easy for me to get into as well when I started getting into black metal.

Album Rating: 3.5

Haven't jammed this yet. I dig Sunbather really hard. Downloading this now, can't wait. m/

Album Rating: 4.5

altar of plagues started out semi-similar to deafheaven, but honestly it might be because those two are very well known today. they are far from a good picture of what black metal offers (though both great, they only offer visions of specific subsections of the genre)



burzum is honestly something i'd recommend only after getting into more gateway stuff. varg is rightly heralded as one of the fathers of black metal, but that doesn't mean his work is palatable



good luck crave, you'll either love it or just go 'meh'

Album Rating: 2.5

I also loved Panopticon's last record, but that, deafheaven, and scar sighted are my only real exposure to the genre, which is kind of exciting honestly.



Is Botanist considered black metal?

Album Rating: 4.5

well they're a black metal band



but i think the question you're trying to ask is 'do people *consider* them black metal', to which i'd say, don't worry about that



if you meet someone who is worried about what band is or isn't black metal, you already know enough about them to disregard their opinion

I would consider them part of the genre. Band has a unique approach

Album Rating: 4.5

btw panopticon's latest takes hints from death metal as well, so you've a lot of room to explore as far as black metal is concerned :]