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How do you like your black metal?


HellKell

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I prefer mine like my coffee, black and bitter. I have been listening to black metal for well over a decade and I have seen it grow, change, and mature like a fine wine. I have also seen some of the worse crap come from it. I am  not what you call a kvltist but I do know there are something's that I just can not accept when it comes to black metal. Most notably it is this blackgaze stuff, a friend of mine played me some of their stuff and I just had to say no. The only band from this bastard offspring that I can even stomach would be maybe Autumn For Crippled Children, and even that pushes it. It is like black metal for emo/hipster kids. I know I am sure it has it's good points but I have yet to see them. I will stick to my favs and retire back till my cave, call me when Watain  comes back on tour.

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Agalloch is just about the only band that's ever managed that to my satisfaction.

I definitely enjoy dissonant vicious stuff like Drottnar, Infestus, Cssaba, Pyrrhon or Voices. Usually, though, I like it to be melodic and/or atmospheric. Folk (Belenos), Prog (Amiensus, Diabolical Masquerade), Industrial (Illidiance, ...and Oceans) almost any significant cross-genre influences are also good. Anything straight BM, bestial or crossed with thrash doesn't really do it for me.

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I prefer riffier, more complex, and more melodic black metal to the simpler side of things. I think a lot of typical "melodic" BM is too predictable, though, I like bands that have their own sensibility rather than just using the same old chord progressions. I enjoy atmosphere as long as there's aggression to go with it. I like a bit of raw edge to the sound, and I don't mind some of the under-produced "necro" recordings. I got into it as a teenager with the Norwegian stuff, a little first wave, and a couple of Greek bands. My current favorites are Furia, Averse Sefira, early Ulver, early Rotting Christ, Satyricon, Celtic Frost, Thantifaxath, Drudkh, Jute Gyte, Sacramentum, and Dawn; some bands I enjoy but don't listen to as frequently are Darkthrone, Emperor, Immortal, Mork Gryning, Burzum, Bathory, Sarcofago, Ruins Of Beverast, Khold, Shining, Leviathan, Blut Aus Nord, Vinterland... umm, I'm leaving out quite a few, I have a bunch of BM on the computer that I only put on when I'm painting. A couple of local bands worth checking out are Castevet and Mutilation Rites.

Agalloch is just about the only band that's ever managed that to my satisfaction.

I definitely enjoy dissonant vicious stuff like Drottnar, Infestus, Cssaba, Pyrrhon or Voices. Usually, though, I like it to be melodic and/or atmospheric. Folk (Belenos), Prog (Amiensus, Diabolical Masquerade), Industrial (Illidiance, ...and Oceans) almost any significant cross-genre influences are also good. Anything straight BM, bestial or crossed with thrash doesn't really do it for me.

I enjoy Pyrrhon and Voices, but I wouldn't consider either of them black metal, they've got much more in common with death metal IMO. I love Diabolical Masquerade, forgot to mention them.

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I enjoy Pyrrhon and Voices, but I wouldn't consider either of them black metal, they've got much more in common with death metal IMO.

I thought there was enough BM in both for them to qualify - I did have to remember to leave out Talanas and BH from the list.

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I can find something I like in just about every sub-scene if I dig around enough, but I generally like black metal that's aggressive yet emotive, and not overproduced. When I say I emotive i do NOT mean emotional, just something that compositionally pulls you in, I find a lot of early Gorgoroth quite emotive. I'm also in the minority when I say I actually do enjoy a good bit of the post-black scene and even some of the gazey stuff, I think Amesoeurs was a brilliant band, as is Autumn for Crippled Children as you mentioned. 

and btw, Watain is touring in the US in november. I'll be catching them with Mayhem & Rotting Christ november 27

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Hmm, I can enjoy almost every subgenre from black metal I guess. From the more classic ones of like Bathory, Darkthrone and Satyricon to more melodic ones like Dissection, Dawn, Sacramentum and Vinterland and Swedish bands like Marduk and Watain. Also, I don't have to forget Inquisition and bands who use more dissonant chords like Svartidaudi, Misthyrming, Sinmara, Haar, etc. Atmoshperic black (and sometimes dsbm) does it as well for me: Austere, Skyforest, Csejthe, Gris, Ellende, Sombres Forets, Imperium Dekadenz, Woods of Desolation. (although you can place WoD also between the new post-black/blackgaze wave)... Talking about post-black and blackgaze: there are also quite a lot bands in that genre which I enjoy: Der Weg Einer Freiheit, early (and later) Alcest, Botanist, Vargnatt, Violet Cold, Ghost Bath, Agrypnie...

 

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Super stoked that Watain is touring but I bet they will be no where near me. I have herd of Altar of Plagues and have been meaning to give them a chance. Don't get me wrong, sorry if I came of as a pureist prick I am really not. I do like other forms of BM. I love Forgotten Tomb, Borknagar, Wolves of the Throne Room, Ulver(both old & new), Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega etc... I will check out Der Weg Einer Freihelt, you are like the 5th person to mention them to me.

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Idunno man I havent checked the dates but I'm in Georgia, i imagine there must be a leg of southern dates. Back to subject though: Maaan you shrug off BM for hipsters but like Wolves?  While I appreciate the interest that they revitalized in black metal for young people, I think they, for lack of a better term, really suck. Then again, when I think of it werent the hardcore BM crowd the original hipsters, at least of metal? But ay, Deathspell is a monumental band, I think they pretty much embody the core concept of what black metal should be seen as

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I don't think there is a particular "type" of BM I prefer.  I mean yeah, I can sit for days and blast Darkthrone, Burzum etc but right now I am playing Krallice and their progressive musings entertain me just as much.  The wizardry of Blut Aus Nord could be thought of as more experimental I suppose but I still enjoy it's BM core and the ritualistic BM attack of Cultes Des Ghoules always pleases me greatly.  One of my favourite records of recent years was Spectral Lore "III", so full of expansive passages yet still spurts harsh BM shrieks and scathing riffs like some open wound.  Last Varathron pleased me greatly also.

Of late I have really enjoyed Lluvia from Mexico and Crom Dubh from the UK (who remind me an awful lot of Drudkh).

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The shoegaze stuff does nothing for me. DSBM takes me to the headspace I was in at the worst point of my battle with clinical depression. Aside from that I'll give any black metal a chance. I dig the first wave stuff like Hellhammer and Tormentor, the Norwegian scene with Mayhem and co. some of the black/thrash like Aura Noir, I went on a huge BM binge about 2 months ago actually.

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I listen to tons of black metal from all over the spectrum, but I tend to prefer heavier, more riff-centric black metal as my favorite releases. Stuff like De Mysteriis era Mayhem, Greek black metal, Mortuary Drape, old Samael, Master's Hammer, old Sigh, Sabbat, Mystifier, Inquisition, Tormentor, Sarcófago, Absu, Demoncy, Havohej, etc... The only black metal that really gets under my skin is mindless blasturbation shit like Enthroned and Dark Funeral, and really pointless meandering melodic/gothic/symphonic black metal. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...

The underlying theme of course being that you want your BM to be interesting. While the symphonic BM style can be enjoyable when executed well (Cradle Of Filth's Cruelty And The Beast springs to mind) most of that stuff is just plain boring.

It doesn't have to be, but usually the black metal elements are either cut or dropped entirely to make way for bloated symphonic elements that don't really add to the music. It's essentially the same problem that I have with most melodic death metal, the death metal elements are dropped to favor an accessible and poppy sound that is really more like power/gothic metal than anything. It's cool if you're into that sort of thing in both cases, but unless it's really well written, I tend not to care for it. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
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I'd certainly agree with you there. It's why early Cradle Of Filth was the only example I could give and post Cruelty they aren't worth hearing. I could try wading through the plethora of symphonic pseudo BM bands to find the rare blackened gem and one day probably will do just that but I got a long list of more pressing matters before that day arrives.

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I'd certainly agree with you there. It's why early Cradle Of Filth was the only example I could give and post Cruelty they aren't worth hearing. I could try wading through the plethora of symphonic pseudo BM bands to find the rare blackened gem and one day probably will do just that but I got a long list of more pressing matters before that day arrives.

Nokturnal Mortum, old Lunar Aurora, and obviously Emperor come to mind. Raging black metal with symphonic compliments as opposed to limp wristed keyboard wank with blackened power/gothic metal accompaniments. On the other side of the equation though, bands like Limbonic Art do pull off the bloated symphonics well with good songwriting and retaining a black metal atmosphere, even if the guitars are a bit subdued. Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
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Emperor is about as far as I delve into the symphonic scene (Septicflesh as well) but oddly enough they're one of my all time favorites, actually wearing my cutoff this very moment sporting the art from the original ep.

My thing is I grew up being an overwhelmingly DM-leaning guy, then sludge and doom. I always liked black metal and definitely had my selected bands that I really enjoyed but I think I didnt quite understand it at that age, didnt appreciate it for what it truly was, until just a couple years ago. Now its the majority of what I find myself listening to, and I'm really loving the experimentation that bands are doing with it stylistically today, probably why i cant really settle on just one set sound that I look for in it

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Emperor is about as far as I delve into the symphonic scene (Septicflesh as well) but oddly enough they're one of my all time favorites, actually wearing my cutoff this very moment sporting the art from the original ep.

My thing is I grew up being an overwhelmingly DM-leaning guy, then sludge and doom. I always liked black metal and definitely had my selected bands that I really enjoyed but I think I didnt quite understand it at that age, didnt appreciate it for what it truly was, until just a couple years ago. Now its the majority of what I find myself listening to, and I'm really loving the experimentation that bands are doing with it stylistically today, probably why i cant really settle on just one set sound that I look for in it

Septic Flesh is death metal... B) Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
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