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The Official Black Metal Recommendations Thread


RelentlessOblivion

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I listened my way through at least half of every song here and while I genuinely enjoyed all of them on some level, I struggled to get very excited by most of it. 

I really enjoyed Skagos though - wow that was cool. I also really liked Spite Extreme Wing.

Sarke was pretty disappointing and I much prefer Khold. Sometimes when I hear riffs like the main one from that Sarke track (and most of the riffs from Darkthrone's 'Arctic Thunder' for instance) I just wonder, 'why'? What are they adding to the world of music by this? Why start a solo project with good old Nocturno Culto and then have it sound as bland as that? Anyway, that's just my impression. 

It's good to get a sense of what's out there in the vastness of the modern (and not so modern) musical landscape. 

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On 8/18/2017 at 9:24 PM, Requiem said:

I listened my way through at least half of every song here and while I genuinely enjoyed all of them on some level, I struggled to get very excited by most of it. 

I really enjoyed Skagos though - wow that was cool. I also really liked Spite Extreme Wing.

Sarke was pretty disappointing and I much prefer Khold. Sometimes when I hear riffs like the main one from that Sarke track (and most of the riffs from Darkthrone's 'Arctic Thunder' for instance) I just wonder, 'why'? What are they adding to the world of music by this? Why start a solo project with good old Nocturno Culto and then have it sound as bland as that? Anyway, that's just my impression. 

It's good to get a sense of what's out there in the vastness of the modern (and not so modern) musical landscape. 

I doubt that all of my selections will be hits with everyone, but I'm glad that you checked them out and found a couple of tracks that you liked. Based on what I know of your listening preferences with black metal, those two are the ones I figured you would get the most into, though I'm a bit surprised that Svartsyn and Sun Worship didn't make a bigger impression. I'm glad to hear the feedback either way, hopefully I can keep them coming.

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On 8/23/2017 at 1:19 AM, Fenririus said:

From the list above Schizo was cool but the best is sun worship for me 

some nice albums i recently stumbled upon:

Mgla - Exercisesin furility 

Marthyrium - Beyond the Thresholds

Acherontas - Ma-IoN (Formulas of reptilian unification)

Batushka - Litourgiya 

 

 

Batushka and Mgla are great.  If only Batushka would do a US tour!

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  • 4 weeks later...
7 hours ago, Balor said:

Would anyone recommend getting Deathcrush by Mayhem, or would my money be better spent getting De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas?

You'd love both. 'Deathcrush' is an absolutely cult release that gets better with every listen. I love it more now than I ever have. And yes, 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' is an all time classic, possibly the best black metal album of all time, and definitely the one you should get if you're only getting one of them. 

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6 minutes ago, Balor said:

I will probably have to get both eventually then.  Thanks.

Your mileage may vary. Listen to DMDS online first; the vocals are, let's say, polarizing. I fucking hate them and they ruin the album for me - goddamn amateur hour burbling mixed in a way that makes them even more divorced from the music. The music itself is cool, but I don't get the superlatives it's showered with around here. I've been trying to find a way to enjoy it since I first bought it 21 years ago, but after several recent back-to-back listens I pretty much gave up.

Having said that, maybe you'll love it, and more power to you if you do. Just know what you're getting into.

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40 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Your mileage may vary. Listen to DMDS online first; the vocals are, let's say, polarizing. I fucking hate them and they ruin the album for me - goddamn amateur hour burbling mixed in a way that makes them even more divorced from the music. The music itself is cool, but I don't get the superlatives it's showered with around here. I've been trying to find a way to enjoy it since I first bought it 21 years ago, but after several recent back-to-back listens I pretty much gave up.

Having said that, maybe you'll love it, and more power to you if you do. Just know what you're getting into.

Ever checked out the "From The Darkest Past" bootleg? Same songs as De Mysteriis, except from a rehearsal in '92 with no vocals.

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What do you guys think about the new Satyricon album? It dropped this friday, and I've had a few spins this weekend. I listened through it as a whole while kayaking down the calm, still waters in a river deep in the woods yesterday - recommended! 

I think it's a strong piece of work, and so far 'To your brethren in the dark' and 'The ghost of rome' are my favorites. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 25/09/2017 at 6:23 AM, vinnidark said:

What do you guys think about the new Satyricon album? It dropped this friday, and I've had a few spins this weekend. I listened through it as a whole while kayaking down the calm, still waters in a river deep in the woods yesterday - recommended! 

I think it's a strong piece of work, and so far 'To your brethren in the dark' and 'The ghost of rome' are my favorites. 

I haven't heard it beyond that one track that was released in the lead-up. To be honest, I'm a little tired of that ego-maniac Satyr. I'll stand by much of Satyricon's work till I die, but I found the last album (self titled) an abomination, and I was really turned off by Satyr's pontificating about this current release. Satyr's just not as 'deep' as he thinks he is. I guess I'll give it a listen on youtube or something but I think my run with the current 'band' is going on hiatus. 

If I'm being truly honest, I haven't been moved by Satyricon since 'Volcano', but I've been buying them dutifully, expecting more. Well, no longer. 

1 hour ago, Balor said:

Does anyone know any bands that sound similar to Drudkh that you would recommend?  I looked into Winterfylleth briefly, and thought that it sounded somewhat similar from what I heard.

I keep looking into Winterfylleth due to their amazing artwork, good reputation and high praise in England, but I'm always disappointed. Maybe I'm just not hearing the right songs? They don't hold a candle to (early) Drudkh, if you ask me. I can't say they really sound like them either, although I haven't heard the last couple of Drudkh albums, so who knows. 

 

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19 hours ago, Requiem said:

I keep looking into Winterfylleth due to their amazing artwork, good reputation and high praise in England, but I'm always disappointed. Maybe I'm just not hearing the right songs? They don't hold a candle to (early) Drudkh, if you ask me. I can't say they really sound like them either, although I haven't heard the last couple of Drudkh albums, so who knows. 

 

Too, bad.  I like Drudkh a lot so I always wish that I would be able to find more bands like them, but perhaps it is better that they are unique.

17 hours ago, Iceni said:

Iceland's been producing some good shit lately. Toska and Zhrine are two of my favorites.

Does Zhrine only have one album?  I remember listening to part of their new one and liking it a lot.

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On 10/13/2017 at 1:48 PM, Requiem said:

I haven't heard it beyond that one track that was released in the lead-up. To be honest, I'm a little tired of that ego-maniac Satyr. I'll stand by much of Satyricon's work till I die, but I found the last album (self titled) an abomination, and I was really turned off by Satyr's pontificating about this current release. Satyr's just not as 'deep' as he thinks he is. I guess I'll give it a listen on youtube or something but I think my run with the current 'band' is going on hiatus. 

If I'm being truly honest, I haven't been moved by Satyricon since 'Volcano', but I've been buying them dutifully, expecting more. Well, no longer.

I couldn't have said it any better, and I listened to the new album in its entirety. Trust me, you're not missing anything. 

I really don't want to have to make a bad joke about Satyr's brain tumour. Frost, on the other hand, must be smoking something feral. 

Frost: "It's down to how the album sounds and feels, the vibe, the openness, the depth of it. There's something about the kind of power and conviction that emanates from that album. We feel and understand that this is one of those game-changing albums that will put such a strong mark on its genre and its time. It really marks a major change and something that cannot be ignored, something that is defining of a new feature and a new direction for this genre of music."

Maybe he meant to say that it was one of those game over albums.  

 

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I really can't understand all the hate towards Satyricon. I mean sure, Sigurd is a.. special guy, and if Frost said what he was quoted saying above here, it sounds like he needs to get his feet planted on the ground again. 

But what the hell, I like their music, and I like this new album too. It's like Pantera. I love their music, even though Anselmo is a complete fucking idiot.  

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On 15/10/2017 at 12:56 PM, Vampyrique said:

I couldn't have said it any better, and I listened to the new album in its entirety. Trust me, you're not missing anything. 

I really don't want to have to make a bad joke about Satyr's brain tumour. Frost, on the other hand, must be smoking something feral. 

Frost: "It's down to how the album sounds and feels, the vibe, the openness, the depth of it. There's something about the kind of power and conviction that emanates from that album. We feel and understand that this is one of those game-changing albums that will put such a strong mark on its genre and its time. It really marks a major change and something that cannot be ignored, something that is defining of a new feature and a new direction for this genre of music."

Maybe he meant to say that it was one of those game over albums.  

 

Ah Frosty, ever the faithful lap-dog. For a guy who basically does nothing these days but tap away very quietly in the background, he's certainly very confident about an album he didn't write. I just don't understand why Satyr and Frost are talking themselves up like this with these last two albums.

Here's what they're basically saying:

Satyr: "Our albums are very deep - check out our new title - and only deep souls can understand how great we are. If you don't like the album then you're not deep."

Frosted Flakes:  "We're such genre-changing geniuses." 

Me: "What did you do on the album, Frostballs?"

Frost: "Tapped along with what Satyr plays. I'm a real fucking genius". 

Me: "How long did it take to make this album?"

Satyr: "Four years."

Me: "How many tracks does each song have, Frosty?"

Frost: "Two. One guitar and me tapping away on paper cups."

 

22 hours ago, vinnidark said:

But what the hell, I like their music, and I like this new album too. It's like Pantera. I love their music, even though Anselmo is a complete fucking idiot.  

I know you mean this in the best possible way, and I get that you're not comparing their music, but this is not a comparison that makes me shout for joy...

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You're right, I wasn't comparing their music. Bad example maybe, I was just trying to say that even though I don't necessarily like the musician(s) that doesn't mean I automatically don't like their material. That said, I don't really have any problems with either of the two in Satyricon - eccentric as they may be. 

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On 10/13/2017 at 12:32 PM, Balor said:

Does anyone know any bands that sound similar to Drudkh that you would recommend?  I looked into Winterfylleth briefly, and thought that it sounded somewhat similar from what I heard.

It's hard to find any bands like Drudkh, but if you're into the very atmospheric, nature-oriented type of Black Metal, then I would recommend Negura Bunget, Kroda, Paysage D'Hiver, Ethereal Woods, Lunar Aurora, I Shalt Become, and Striborg. You'll notice some of these bands are a little more focused on a depressing kind of aesthetic, but they are still very much derivative of that atmospheric Black Metal sound.

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On 9/18/2017 at 3:53 PM, FatherAlabaster said:

Your mileage may vary. Listen to DMDS online first; the vocals are, let's say, polarizing. I fucking hate them and they ruin the album for me - goddamn amateur hour burbling mixed in a way that makes them even more divorced from the music. The music itself is cool, but I don't get the superlatives it's showered with around here. I've been trying to find a way to enjoy it since I first bought it 21 years ago, but after several recent back-to-back listens I pretty much gave up.

Having said that, maybe you'll love it, and more power to you if you do. Just know what you're getting into.

Interesting that you say that. I'm not really a fan of the album either, but moreso because of the bass production (and the bassist, of course), rather than the vocals. I think the way Attila uses a mix of harsh vocals and uber-low melodic chants is very cool. However, as I mentioned, I hate the bass work and the bass production on the album. I never liked Varg as a bassist (or on any instrument), and I think the lack of bass sound from the production standpoint didn't make things any better.

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7 minutes ago, salmonellapancake said:

Interesting that you say that. I'm not really a fan of the album either, but moreso because of the bass production (and the bassist, of course), rather than the vocals. I think the way Attila uses a mix of harsh vocals and uber-low melodic chants is very cool. However, as I mentioned, I hate the bass work and the bass production on the album. I never liked Varg as a bassist (or on any instrument), and I think the lack of bass sound from the production standpoint didn't make things any better.

What about Varg on synth?  I could see people criticizing him on guitar/bass due to Burzum having pretty simply songs, but I thought his synth/ambient albums were good.

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