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The Official Black Metal Recommendations Thread


RelentlessOblivion

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4 hours ago, Balor said:

Check out Trist from Germany.  He plays excellent dark ambient black metal that is very repetitive and atmospheric.

 

Thanks. I don't know if that's what I'm looking for, but it was awesome; a fifteen minute song that seems to do the same thing over and over, yet somehow just keeps getting better as it goes along.

I guess what I'm looking for is more like the Beherit album Drawing Down the Moon, or maybe the Von comp album Satanic Blood Angel. But, as I said, That song you recommended is flippin' awesome!

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Black/Noise Metal Recommendations:

In a way, noise has played a role in black metal since its founding through the genre's emphasis on raw recording methods and use of sounds samples pulled from nature.  It is no surprise, then, that bands that combine black metal with noise music are able to produce music that emphasizes the best aspects of both genres.

Other bands that I have mentioned here (Reek of the Unzen Gas Fumes, Konflict, etc.) could easily fit into this category as well.  Therefore, in no particular order, are some of my favorite bands that combine noise with black metal.

Ride for Revenge: (Finland)

Heavy, raw, and slow.  Ride for Revenge play heavily distorted black metal with weird atmospherics and mesmerizing rhythms.

Flooded Church of Asmodeus: (Finland)

Flooded Church of Asmodeus is essentially a collaboration project between members of Ride for Revenge and Bizarre Uproar.  Their music is essentially instrumental, and makes heavy use of sound samples pulled from old B-grade horror movies.  The riffs are heavy and distorted, and punctuated by piercing noise shrieks.  Highly recommended.

Reptile Womb: (?)

Ultra harsh and raw, with one of my favorite active vocalists.  Reptile Womb leans more towards noise music than black metal, but the dark atmospherics and screeching vocals are definitely rooted in bm.

An interesting interview with Reptile Womb is available here.

Axnaar: (UK)

 

Axnaar play primitive and raw bm.  Fast and harsh.

Hakaristi: (Finland)

Raw black metal with vocals in the style of power electronics,  Songs range from fast and harsh to slow and atmospheric.

Chaos Cascade: (Germany)

Blackened noise grind.  Everything sounds as though it was filtered through distortion to produce a wall of noise.

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On 2/2/2012 at 8:19 PM, ZSofAD said:

Re: recommendations? I would say besides the first generation of Black Metal (Hellhammer, Venom, Bathory etc.) you're not really going to find too much. Maybe Agalloch and "softer" bands.

All the Sarcófago albuns, they're one of the firsts bands in Black Metal what used corpsepaint

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On 10/5/2019 at 7:31 AM, Balor said:

Wasn't there a discussion here a while ago about Sarcofago's lyrics being terrible?

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk
 

My post was a sarcastic joke. Damn Balers, keep up. Sarcofago are notorious for awkward translation lyrics. 

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Wolves Eyes are very well respected, but not incredibly well known, despite the raw black metal sound one can come to expect from them, very underground for sure. Beneath the banners of the elders is a euphoria inducing metal song and an absolute goldmine of bands I will include also, whom of which may of only released a few, or even just 1 album/s. Always a pleasure to help anyhow;

December Moon - Source of origin 1996 - Spinefarm Records??

Witchbane - Soldiers of Hell 1997/8 ? II Moons

C.O.F - Cruelty and the Beast - 1998 - MFN

Hecate Enthroned - All 90's Albums are pure majestic ... etc

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Katharsis - VVorld Without End.  Album is utterly schizoid and infernal.  Nonstop Satanic racket.  I also enjoy the production.  Title track slays.  Opening track is like a gate to Hell bursting open in front of you and you get bukkaked hard by the worst cacodemons imaginable. 

 

 

Sanguine Relic - Vampyric Will.  Okay, so they're USBM try-hards doing the lo-fi thing to the nth degree.  And yet I enjoy the kind of fuzzy muffled butthole sound...       

 

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So...for many years I have been unable to "break through the wall" with Black Metal. I respect the history & musical atmosphere created by the genre...but I actually find it hard to listen to.

The only black metal albums I remember actually enjoying is Storm Of The Light's Bane by Dissection & Midian/Nymphetamine by Cradle of Filth (if those count). I have listened to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem & a couple of Dimmu Borgir albums...but nothing much really stayed with me.

Basically I'm here now to ask for some recommendations of what is the best "Melodic" Black Metal I can be listening to.

I do want to give the genre a fair chance & it may make an interesting musical project for me in 2020.

So...I'm here...ready & waiting with a pen & paper to take down a list of recommendations.

?

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38 minutes ago, Grievous said:

So...for many years I have been unable to "break through the wall" with Black Metal. I respect the history & musical atmosphere created by the genre...but I actually find it hard to listen to.

The only black metal albums I remember actually enjoying is Storm Of The Light's Bane by Dissection & Midian/Nymphetamine by Cradle of Filth (if those count). I have listened to De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem & a couple of Dimmu Borgir albums...but nothing much really stayed with me.

Basically I'm here now to ask for some recommendations of what is the best "Melodic" Black Metal I can be listening to.

I do want to give the genre a fair chance & it may make an interesting musical project for me in 2020.

So...I'm here...ready & waiting with a pen & paper to take down a list of recommendations.

?

Some 90s classics might be a good place to start. I'm sure these have been mentioned in the thread, but to save you digging, here are a handful to get you going.

Naglfar - Vittra

 

Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun

 

Here's the opening track from Dawn's Slaughtersun (I have to be in the right mood for these guys, more repetitive and long-winded than some others, still great though)

 

Here's "Shadows Follow" from Rotting Christ's Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers. They moved away from playing black metal on this album, but it's my favorite of theirs. If you want to hear a less refined and more black-metally take on this sound, check out their previous two albums, Thy Mighty Contract and Non Serviam.

 

 

Ulver's debut Bergtatt isn't exactly "melodic black metal" but there's a good amount of melody and some black metal on it. This is one of my all time favorite albums, rough edges and all. Not to be missed.

 

Since you've been into Obsequiae you may enjoy this obscure Finnish band, Fall Of The Leafe. Here's a track from their album Evanescent, Everfading, which was apparently a big influence on Obsequiae when they were starting up.

 

Depending on how you feel about any of these, I could probably recommend some more, let us know what you think about it all.

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Adding to what FA offered I'd say perhaps you'll enjoy 'The Somberlain' by Dissection since you enjoyed Storm of the Light's Bane. 'Cruelty and the Beast' by Cradle of Filth as well if you want to hear the pinnacle of their melodic/symphonic black metal sound. Other then that I can't offer too much without seeing how you respond to FA's suggestions.

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Three (kind of) new bands i stumbled on recently. First one is called Tyranni from Sweden. Great melodic 90´s sounding black metal with lot´s of grand passages, i possibly noticed some early Emperor influences here and there? Great stuff!

 

Second one is called Hovmod from Norway who just released their debut album. Sound a little like Khold but with an extra little kick of speed. Really digging this one so far ?

 

Mortem isn´t exactly new considering they have been around since the late 80´s, but this is their first full length album. Great line up with member of Arcturus, Mayhem and 1349. Well worth the long wait, sounds like a lost early Arcturus album.

 

 

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I just found this black ambient band Lustre. Youtube recommended me the song, Phantom Part II, and I loved it. I hear a strong Burzum influence, particularly reminding me of the intro to the song Det Som En Gang Var (My favorite part of my favorite Burzum song), and the song Rundtgåing av den transcendentale egenhetens støtte (one of Burzum's best ambient pieces). They have quite an extensive catalog, so I'll be exploring it for a while.

 

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Great  thread! I've already picked out a bunch of bands that I will inspect closer in the nest few weeks.

It seems that the Russian black metal formation Blackdeath hasn't been mentioned yet. Ofcourse the bandname is rather generic so maybe that makes people overlook them? But they're actually a great band; especially their newer releases are worthwhile (the older ones can be enjoyed too, but they are of a more questionable quality, both production- and musicianshipwise — but of course this can have its own charm as well).

"Das Pestreich" from "Katharsis: kalte Lieder aus der Hölle" [2010]

 

"Das Zähnefletschen Des Engels (Phobos)" from "Phobos" [2013]

 

"Der Hammer des steineren Molochs" from "Gift" [2015]

 

"Hass in den Adern der Erde" from "Phantasmhassgorie" [2019]

 

These folks —two Russian brothers and a woman from Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state)— also have a non-metal side project, Cthulhu Biomechanical (or variations of that name, depending on what they are doing) which could be called 'industrial psychedelic'

 

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I was randomly looking at bands, and at one point I reached the page of Aschmicrosa. They have an absurd number of full-length releases; from 2012 and on they release at least two full-lenghts a year, and some years three or even four! (Btw some of these  'full-lenghts' are under 30 minutes, while their one EP is 26 minutes. Weird.)

I haven't been able yet to check out their music, but if their albums are any good they must be one of the most productive bands in the genre!

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