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Top 5 Second Wave Black Metal Albums


RelentlessOblivion

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2 minutes ago, C0rpse said:

Definitely 'burzum' over Hvis or Filosofem. While no doubt both are brilliant albums, I enjoy a lot more songs off the self titled. I also think it was peak vocal performance for varg. They send chills down my spine.

Wrath of the Tyrant was one of the first emperor releases I got into, so I had to give it credit. Without it, I probably wouldn't be into black metal as much as I am now

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Watch out: some people around here will get snarky with you if you happen to like Varg's early vocal style. I'm with you though.

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On 03/11/2017 at 9:15 AM, Parker said:

Watch out: some people around here will get snarky with you if you happen to like Varg's early vocal style. I'm with you though.

You're a madman. Everyone here pretty much loves Varg's vocals. They're amazing. 

On 02/11/2017 at 10:28 PM, Parker said:

Sorry, just can't narrow it down to 5, but here's my top 6 in no order:

Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas

Emperor - In the Nightside Eclypse

Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon

Thorns - Grymyrk

Unlver - Nattens Madrigal

Great list. Classics all. 

 

On 02/11/2017 at 3:48 PM, C0rpse said:

Very tough choice, as most people, second wave was my first exposure to black metal, so i gotta lot of love for it. (these aren't in any particular order either)

Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon

Gorgoroth - Pentagram 

Mayhem - Deathcrush

Burzum -Self Titled

Emperor - Wrath Of The Tyrant

 

Also awesome. I love all of these older albums. 'Deathcrush', 'Burzum' and 'Wrath'. 10/10. Great call. I can't believe how amazing the second wave was. 

 

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  • 2 months later...
Although I have only recently discovered 1349 I find "Hellfire" to be one of their weaker releases.  The mix is off so those blasting drums are far too high at times in the mix.  I am not sure what the intent was with the near punk vocal style either. 
That was my first 1349 album, so some of my enjoyment of it may come from nostalgia. However, the riffs and that album are dynamite, and I love the overbearing drums to match them. I don't think it would sound as cool with more standard drumming.

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2 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

Although I have only recently discovered 1349 I find "Hellfire" to be one of their weaker releases.  The mix is off so those blasting drums are far too high at times in the mix.  I am not sure what the intent was with the near punk vocal style either. 

I tend to like Black Metal with heavy punk influence. Very well may be because I considered myself a punk in high school and like Ban said nostalgia may be talking here.

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  • 1 year later...

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

Satyricon - The Shadowthrone

Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

Yeah, I know, I'm such a Satyricon fanboy especially for their early stuff. Can't help it.

No demos, no EPs, no live albums. That gets too tricky. 

De Mysteriis... is pretty much required imo. A Blaze in the Northern Sky, of course.  I believe these five albums are essential listening and among the best music ever made.

 

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On 1/26/2019 at 5:20 PM, Depraved said:

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

Satyricon - The Shadowthrone

Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

Yeah, I know, I'm such a Satyricon fanboy especially for their early stuff. Can't help it.

No demos, no EPs, no live albums. That gets too tricky. 

De Mysteriis... is pretty much required imo. A Blaze in the Northern Sky, of course.  I believe these five albums are essential listening and among the best music ever made.

 

Great albums, Depraved. Five perfect releases. 

Those first three Satyricon albums are amazing and in many ways the height of the genre. All the more frustrating that they went elsewhere with the sound to sit into a sort of rock pocket with minimal atmospherics 

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4 hours ago, Requiem said:

Great albums, Depraved. Five perfect releases. 

Those first three Satyricon albums are amazing and in many ways the height of the genre. All the more frustrating that they went elsewhere with the sound to sit into a sort of rock pocket with minimal atmospherics 

Satyricon mastered the most perfect atmospheric, sort of mystical sound on those albums. The acoustic arrangements on Dark Medieval Times are beautiful and unexpected, and they took this one step farther on The Shadowthrone and Nemesis Divina to create an absolutely haunting atmosphere using piano/keyboards to harmonize with those incredible riffs. They were unique in that way I think. It's a shame they moved away from that sound in the late 90s, as nothing they've done since then even comes close to touching those albums. I can appreciate that they're still together and making music and I'm always curious to hear what they're doing, they've written some good songs over the years but those first three albums are masterpieces of the genre.

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  • 1 month later...
On 1/26/2019 at 1:10 AM, ivanderneymar said:

maybe it's blasphemous list.Cause i do not mention to mayhem album's.but the show must go on.so here is my list 

1. Dissection - Storm Of The Light Bane 

2 Windir - Arntor 

3 Gorgoroth - Pentagram 

4 Marduk - Opus Nocturne 

5 Darkthrone - a blaze in the northern Sky

 

I forgot to address this post. Even though you've left out dear old 'Mysteriis...' you nevertheless have five absolutely cracking albums here. I love every second of every one of them. Great list, especially the Windir inclusion - it's such a brilliant album. 

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See this a top 5 that is near impossible to do. Depending upon my mood and the season my top 5 will probably differ wildly, but i´ll give it a try nontheless. One thing is for sure that it will consist solely of Scandinavian bands.

1. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

2. Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi

3. Burzum - Burzum

4. Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

5. Ulver - Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler

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19 hours ago, Benjaminc81 said:

See this a top 5 that is near impossible to do. Depending upon my mood and the season my top 5 will probably differ wildly, but i´ll give it a try nontheless. One thing is for sure that it will consist solely of Scandinavian bands.

1. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

2. Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi

3. Burzum - Burzum

4. Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

5. Ulver - Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler

Yep, awesome list. But as you say, there could be dozens of combinations of Norwegian (and other) albums that could just as easily make it.

5 is way too limiting. I think the next thread I start will be another Top 20 so people can really express their preferences a bit more accurately. 

Your five are basically perfect, so are my different five! There are too many great fives. 

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  • 2 years later...

This is very difficult, but here goes:

1. Burzum - Filosofem

2. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse BUT POSSIBLY Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, I cannot decide

3. Marduk - Nightwing

4. Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract

5. Nokturnal Mortum - Goat Horns (Had to, sorry)

Honorable mentions that I struggled to not put on this list because let's face it, 5 albums is kind of tough

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (it feels kind of cheap to put this album on the main list, as it's essentially THE black metal album even normies think of when the subject is brought up)

Dark Funeral - The Secrets of the Black Arts (second black metal album I ever bought)

Dimmu Borgir - Stormblast (Not the bullshit 2005 rerecording, the original was amazing with how centered the keys were and how the guitars were pushed to the back of the mix. Very original)

Cradle of Filth - Dusk & Her Embrace, Cruelty and the Beast (Cradle of Filth was a black metal band at one point in time)

Abigor - Channeling the Quintessence of Satan (under appreciated album)

Dodheimsgard - Kronet til Konge (why this band went in the direction they did, I will never understand)

Enslaved - Frost

Immortal - Pure Holocaust

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon, Transylvanian Hunger, Panzerfaust (Can't include one without doing all four)

Gorgoroth - Pentagram (Even though I'm not really into Gorgoroth)

Graveland - Thousand Swords (It felt cheap to put this & Nokturnal Mortum on the main list)

Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

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