Top 55 black metal albums
My ranking of best black metal albums. Some picks may be unpopular so if you agree or disagree argue like an human. List includes any type of black metal (avant-garde, blackened death, melodic and so on..) but first wave such as mercyful fate and venom which belongs more to heavy metal. |
| 55 |  | Agrypnie
Grenzgænger
Nice melodic black with a little bit of post influence |
| 54 |  | Transcending Bizarre?
The Four Scissors
Experimental that space from industrial to symphonic |
| 53 |  | Satyricon
Nemesis Divina
An iconic anti-religious work with some pagan influences and |
| 52 |  | Keep of Kalessin
Armada
Battle metal? |
| 51 |  | Burzum
Hvis lyset tar oss
Yeah i know, too low. As much i like his early works and the lo-fi atmosphere i always found Burzum overrated in the metal panorama |
| 50 |  | Peste Noire
La Sanie des Siècles
Experimental, primal and dirty sounding french BM. Sound like it's coming from late 80s |
| 49 |  | Sigh
Imaginary Sonicscape
Psychedelic avnt-garde black metal that features some of the most trippy atmospheres in metal. The only flaw is that fucking muzzled bland drumming. |
| 48 |  | Hoth
Oathbreaker
A blighted hope may be one of the catchiest tracks in black metal, nice blending of folk and meloblack. |
| 47 |  | Akercocke
Words That Go Unspoken...
Proggy weird black death with an original sound |
| 46 |  | Shylmagoghnar
Emergence
Melodeath meets atmospheric black |
| 45 |  | Primordial
The Gathering Wilderness
The band and album's names are some of the most appropriate ever |
| 44 |  | Mithotyn
In The Sign Of The Ravens
Cheesy but super fun viking black metal |
| 43 |  | Wolves in the Throne Room
Diadem Of 12 Stars
What a debut for an american black metal band. The lo-fi production, the guitar harmonies and the female backing vocals fits perfectly |
| 42 |  | The Kovenant
Nexus Polaris
Cosmic atmosphere in a overlooked symphonic work |
| 41 |  | Taake
Hordalands Doedskvad
Energetic, angry and passionate |
| 40 |  | Forgotten tomb
Songs to Leave
Many depressive suicidal albums flaws into ridiculous, not this one. One of the bleakest albums ever |
| 39 |  | Dimmu Borgir
Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
When they were masters of modern symphonic black metal genre |
| 38 |  | Panopticon
Roads to the North
A long breathtaking journey that blends atmospheric, folk, melodic black metal and even bluegrass |
| 37 |  | Mayhem
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
While i've never got used to the vocals this remains one of the most iconic and important albums in the genre with it's satanic atmosphere and original style |
| 36 |  | Solefald
The Linear Scaffold
Some of the weirdest atmospheres for a black metal album |
| 35 |  | Moonsorrow
Verisäkeet
This will send you to a different epoque |
| 34 |  | Dragged Into Sunlight
Hatred For Mankind
One of the most misanthropic worls ever. sludgy, soiled dark and depraved. |
| 33 |  | Summoning
Stronghold
While it could be a little repetitive at times this will make you trip to medieval times |
| 32 |  | Negura Bunget
Om
Proggy pagan BM with some of the most esoteric vibes in music |
| 31 |  | Vinterland
Welcome My Last Chapter
Some of the most catchiest and energic melodies in black metal |
| 30 |  | Solstafir
Köld
1/3 post metal 1/3type o negative and 1/3 black metal |
| 29 |  | Thurisaz
Scent of a Dream
Pure epicness |
| 28 |  | Coldworld
Melancholie
will make you feel physically cold |
| 27 |  | Empyrium
Songs of Moors and Misty Fields
A journey through nordic landscapes |
| 26 |  | Behemoth
The Satanist
One of the most triumphant albums ever, masters of modern blackened death |
| 25 |  | Sacramentum
Far Away from the Sun
Occult, melodic, passionate. Aged perfectly |
| 24 |  | Celtic Frost
To Mega Therion
One of the most important influences for the genre, truly ahead of their time |
| 23 |  | The Ruins Of Beverast
Rain Upon The Impure
The less accessible album on this list. Once you get used to the chaotic production you will hear darkness incarnated into music, one of the darkest albums in history |
| 22 |  | Gris
Il Était Une Forêt...
Beautifully depressing |
| 21 |  | Shining (SWE)
V - Halmstad
The most original dsbm album ever, the guitar sound is perfect |
| 20 |  | Windir
1184
Triumphant epicness |
| 19 |  | Arcturus
The Sham Mirrors
Oniric atmosphere and transcendent vibes in one of the best avant-garde black metal albums ever |
| 18 |  | Old Man's Child
Ill Natured Spiritual Invasion
One of the most underrated ever, Galder gave us an occult symphonic majestic lp that beats every dimmu borgir album (imo) |
| 17 |  | Lunar Aurora
Andacht
Upsetting cryptic and somehow disturbing |
| 16 |  | Darkthrone
A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Pure definition of black metal |
| 15 |  | Ulver
Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
While i'm not a huge fan of the later works their debut remains one of the best things in atmospheric black metal |
| 14 |  | Deafheaven
Sunbather
A modern masterpiece that brought light into the black lifting you up to the skies |
| 13 |  | Nokturnal Mortum
The Voice of Steel
This makes you want to become Ukrainian |
| 12 |  | Weakling
Dead as Dreams
The best american bm album ever. Sometimes doomy, sometimes atmospheric and overall upsetting. So cryptic that you can't even find lyrics or physical copies |
| 11 |  | Alcest
Écailles De Lune
The most celestial album i've listened in years. Beautifully Ethereal, this makes you feel like you are in the deepest abyss in the ocean |
| 10 |  | Ihsahn
After
The reprise in "on the shores/ undercurrent" is stuck in my head. Both relaxing and creepy, an experimental masterpiece from one of the best songwriters in metal |
| 9 |  | Immortal
At the Heart of Winter
The soundtrack for winter storms. A melodic elegant and majestic work |
| 8 |  | Enslaved
Axioma Ethica Odini
A complex philosophical masterwork that combines perfectly progressive elements to the grim sound of BM. Some of the best clean vocals in the sub genre |
| 7 |  | Necrophobic
The Nocturnal Silence
Undiscussed kings of blackened death, their brutality was ahead of their time and still they managed to fit dark atmsophere in it |
| 6 |  | Deathspell Omega
Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum
Maybe the closest thing to hell you'll ever listen. A structured chaos that will bring you down with the devil |
| 5 |  | Dissection
Storm of the Light's Bane
Both poetic and misanthropic, an occult masterpiece that blends ominous brutality with an elegant use of mwlodies |
| 4 |  | Rotting Christ
Theogonia
RC already were one of my favorite BM bands but they certainly outdone themself with this. A combination of bm traditional brutality, Greek musical influences and majestic melodies. |
| 3 |  | Bathory
Blood Fire Death
One of the first bands to blend atmosphere, war chants and epicness to a brutal rush of heaviness. |
| 2 |  | Agalloch
The Mantle
dark atmospheric masterpiece that features some of the gloomiest vibes in metal, haunyingly beautiful |
| 1 |  | Emperor
In the Nightside Eclipse
Everything you can love from black metal in one album, it's occult with it's satanic themes, it's atmospheric with a brief melodic vibe, heavy like hell, the keyboards add that touch of melancholy and the transcendent sound is outstanding |
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