Top 10 Black Metal 2022
For the books here are just my favorite ones ranked.
Honorable mentions are White Ward, Aara, Blut Aus Nord, Unru, ColdWorld, Pure Wrath, Firtan, Grima, Wiegedood, Gudsforladt, Verberis, Candelabrum, Tome Of The Unreplenished, Stormruler, Ruine and Darvaza. |
| 1 |  | In Aphelion
Moribund
The ultimate melodic black metal album. Production is clean & crystal clear to highlight the precision of the music. Highlights are for sure the excellent guitar leads and an overall fun heavy metal feeling. If a metal fan who isn't into black metal has to listen to only one black metal album, then it has to be this. It is also very accessible. |
| 2 |  | Scarcity
Aveilut
Mix of totalism drone with black metal vocals and spirit. This is digging into your deepest and then holding something tight there until your listen is over. |
| 3 |  | Black Fucking Cancer
Procreate Inverse
Devastating and relentless sludgy epic black metal without being post black metal. This record is a merciless and intense listen. The songs feel spontaneous like the band is jamming in front of you. |
| 4 |  | Gaerea
Mirage
Too compressed production which is a shame because Gaereas approach to black metal with longer post metal-ish songs needs air to breath. Besides that con the this is a very confident post black metal album. |
| 5 |  | Ellende
Ellenbogengesellschaft
Beautiful austrian post black metal. Most of its time you can call it blackgaze also. Ellende did a great job on being melancholic and harsh at the same time. Production is awesome from sound to artwork. A suprise of the year for me. |
| 6 |  | Asunojokei
Island
Fantastic post black metal with a blackgaze and post hardcore edge. You have to listen carefully that this long record can grow on you. A true genre gem. Do not overlook this. |
| 7 |  | Rigorous Institution
Cainsmarsh
Original-sounding and exciting genre mix which combines crust-punk and black metal in a way that you have to think of the 80ies, UK sound and a long forgotten anarcho spirit. |
| 8 |  | Ultha
All That Has Never Been True
My favorite band delivers an album which came as an surprise for the world on 1 april. You find all the strengths of the band here again. Ultha never did a mediocre album. All of them are highlights which makes a ranking hard to handle. |
| 9 |  | Falls of Rauros
Key to a Vanishing Future
Everyone who likes progressive metal and tolerates black metal vocals and a folky edge should listen to this record. Maybe songwriting lacks on creating highlights which makes it not so easy to let this record grow on you. Love the earth warm production. |
| 10 |  | Candelabrum
Nocturnal Trance
Eerie but beautiful mysterious low-fi black metal with a trancelike atmosphere. Very melancholic and great melodies |
| 11 |  | Imperial Triumphant
Spirit of Ecstasy
EXCLUDED: not counting this as a black metal record, otherwise it would be number 4 in this list. |
| 12 |  | Ashenspire
Hostile Architecture
EXCLUDED: not counting this as a black metal record, otherwise it would be number 6 in this list. |
| 13 |  | Moonlight Sorcery
Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity
BONUS EP: Awesome Debut-EP with ice cold black metal influenced by all kind of genres. It is symphonic, melodic, thrashy, heavy metal, raw and creepy...all fits together. Vocals are a little bit low in the mix. |
| 14 |  | Moonlight Sorcery
Nightwind: The Conqueror From The Stars
BONUS EP II: Second EP in one year for Moonlight Sorcery and again this ist phenomenal. This time vocals are louder in the mix and its overall not so ice cold like the first EP. Again brilliant riffs and guitar leads. |
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