Anyone know any good Black Metal bands?

[MasterOLightning]

It might take a while to get used to black metal, so start with something pretty mild, like Ulver - Bergtatt. It's only like 34 minutes though, so maybe download it. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse is a must own. If you like that, make sure to get the Wrath of the Tyrant demo. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas isn't my favorite album, but it's not too hard to get into, and the production is pretty clean.

 

[Demiurge]

^^^
Or, you can choose not to take it absolutely literally, and just make sure that are the proud owner of all the releases I mentioned, and, if you choose to, some of the others mentioned in this this thread. Not "Lugburz", though, as it's barely above average, and sounds somewhat unfinished. "Dol Guldur" is quite excellent, though.

Dol Guldor is an excellent release, my favorite by the band, but Lugburz is hardly "barely above average." It's significantly better than any Mayhem release, which I recommend listening to for historical purposes only. I'd stay away from "At the Heart of Winter" as well. Shitty abyss pruduction, overlong songs, and it's not really black metal. It's more of a anthemic heavy metal record made by a Norwegian BM band. On the plus side, it's not nearly as bad as "Sons of Northern Darkness."

I'm too lazy to type up a list of 50 albums, if you want that, you can search my posts because I recall doing so in the past. I'll just toss out a few.

Avzhia - Dark Emperors
Mutiilation - Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
Nox Intempesta - Damnanus - Dominum
Manes - Under Ein Blodraud Maane
Epheles - L'ombre de la Croix
Varathron/Necromantia - Black Arts Lead to Everlasting Sins
Sorcier des Glaces - Snowland
Mjölnir (Ger) - Hinweg über die Tore der Zeit

I second Burzum, early Immortal, Darkthrone(UaFM, TH), Fullmoon, most Graveland(TS in particular), Aeternus, Sort Vokter, Galgeras, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, and some more of the ones I've seen mentioned.

If you find a distro with copies of the Epheles, Nox Intempesta, or Avzhia, get in touch.

 

[Jean-Pierre]

I'll have to mention Tormentor - Anno Domini a second time. Trust me, this is seriously essential.

 

[icewinds]

The only black metal bands you'll ever really need is the early norwegian ones and their classics:

Mayhem - "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" and "Live in Leipzig"
Emperor - "In the Nightside Eclipse"
Immortal - "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism", "Pure Holocaust", "Battles in the North", "Blizzard Beasts" and "At the Heart of Winter"
Enslaved - "Vikingligr Veldi" and "Frost"
Gorgoroth - "Pentagram", "Antichrist" and "Under the Sign of Hell"
Burzum - "Burzum/Aske", "Det som Engang Var", "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "Filosofem"
Darkthrone - "A Blaze in the Northern Sky", "Under a Funeral Moon" and "Transilvanian Hunger"

Less important:

Dimmu Borgir - "Stormblåst"
Satyricon - "Dark Medieval Times" and "The Shadowthrone"
Borknagar - "Borknagar"
Ulver - "Bergtatt"

That is a good way to begin in this genre.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Nox Intempesta - Damnanus - Dominum

What's this?

 

[Crimson Velvet]

Dol Guldor is an excellent release, my favorite by the band, but Lugburz is hardly "barely above average." It's significantly better than any Mayhem release, which I recommend listening to for historical purposes only.

Lugburz suffers from the childish atmosphere of Minas Morgul, as well as riffs that would have fitted better with another band. It was released at a time when Summoning were obviously trying to discover their sound, and it sounds. But in spite of all this, it still manages to be quite nice, although never reaching the titanic hights of later albums.

I'd stay away from "At the Heart of Winter" as well. Shitty abyss pruduction, overlong songs, and it's not really black metal. It's more of a anthemic heavy metal record made by a Norwegian BM band. On the plus side, it's not nearly as bad as "Sons of Northern Darkness."

I suppose I should have listed "At the Heart of Winter" under the "less important" list, but that does not mean it's bad. And it's just as black metal as Mutiilation and Varathrone, for that matter.

 

[Demiurge]

AtHoW is closer to Iron Maiden than it is to the Mutiilation I mentioned. That aside, I'm not going to argue over whether one album is "more black metal" than another.

The first Summoning album is not polished. However, I find it possesses a vivaciousness that is sometimes missing in newer Summoning. Post-Dol Guldor, the band has demonstrated a tendency to descend into cheeseball soundtrack music. Much of their material has still been enjoyable, though.

Nox Intempesta samples: http://www.anus.com/metal/noxintempesta.html

 

[no country for old wainds]

I wouldn't call it cheeseball soundtrack music, but I would say it (in particular "Let Mortal...") lacks some of the contrast, passion, subtlety, structure and sheer power that Dol Guldur possesses. I like it all though.

Thanks for the samples, sounds quite decent though not first-priority stuff. Still got to get me some of that Mjolnir.

 

[BikerMiceFromMars]

I second auzhia and nox intempesta, they're almost unheard of.

 

[Unfaithfully Metalhead]

Ease into Bm.. try these

Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk & In the Nightside Eclipse
Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Old Man's Child - In Defiance of Existence
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas & Chimera
Venom - Black Metal & Welcome to Hell

 

[Cythraul]

Black metal is for faggots.

EDIT: Sorry. I'm an Ulver fan.
EDIT: I like black metal.

 

[Christie_fell]

shut. up.

 

[Episteme]

What's happened to Cythraul?

 

[Cythraul]

What's happened to Cythraul?

I suck even more than I used to. New and improved.

 

[genocide roach]

emperor, enslaved, dissection, darkthrone, nokturnal mortum. those are the obvious ones

i would also reccomend the new tsjuder. its one of the best new releases in the genre
~gR~

 

[RosesofShadow]

Absu
Sad Legend
Negurã Bunget
anaal nathrakh

and all of those mentioned

Hey Hell-born

 

[Episteme]

I suck even more than I used to. New and improved.

Well, for one you're funnier because you're pissing everyone off. Heh...

 

[plaguewilder]

The new Tsjuder is very good. The new Dark Throne is quite good also. Watain are the new masters. Black Metal is on the up and up lately and it makes me smile.........

 

[Cythraul]

Well, for one you're funnier because you're pissing everyone off. Heh...

 

[BlackGoat]

If you really care to learn about the essence of Black Metal you need these albums:

SAMAEL "Worship Him"
DARKTHRONE "A Blaze In The Northern Sky"
ROTTING CHRIST "Thy Mighty Contract"
MORTUARY DRAPE "All The Witches Dance"
MASTERS HAMMER "Ritual"
ROOT "Zjeveni"
MAYHEM "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
NECROMANTIA "Crossing The Firery Path"
MYSTIFIER "Wicca"
TORMENTOR "Anno Domini"
VARATHRON "His Majesty At The Swamp"
BURZUM "Burzum"
SIGH "Scorn Defeat"