Black Metal Starter Kit

[MetalDad74]

OK, well, I recently got back into metal (frankly, music in general) and wanted to jump start a death metal collection so I posted here. The recommendations I got were tremendous and I am currently enjoying the fruits of that discussion. And will be getting many more of those. However, as I read through some of the other threads and band discussions, I have become interested in the Black Metal side of things too. So I would like to start a similar thread:

What are the first ten Black Metal albums a starter should own?

 

[scytheavatar]

Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Burzum - s/t
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Enslaved - Isa
Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet
Shining - V - Halmstad

These are not necessarily the best albums of the genre, or even of the bands, but they are accessible albums that should get someone understanding black metal.

 

[Necroraven]

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Bathory - Sign of the Black Mark
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom
Burzum - s/t
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky/Transylvanian Hunger
Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst
Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

 

[wandering_taco]

I think Pure Holocaust would be a better choice for an Immortal album.

 

[Necroraven]

I think Pure Holocaust would be a better choice for an Immortal album.

I'd say At the Heart of Winter is better to start with.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Summoning - Dol Guldur
Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun
Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Graveland - Thousand Swords
Hail - Inheritance of Evilness
Aeternus - Beyond the Wandering Moon

 

[Bitencourt29]

These are good 10 BM albums for a start, a diverse list with some of the best "schools" represented:

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Enslaved - Eld
Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
Taake - Nattestid Ser Porten Vid
Cobalt - Eater of Birds (or Gin - both are fantastic)
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Grand Belial's Key - Mocking the Philanthropist
Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax
Marduk - Nightwing

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Yeah, I kinda just picked a list of my favorite albums. Your list is a bit more diverse.

 

[Bitencourt29]

Nothing wrong with your list at all, kickass stuff all the way. But I wanted to throw some of the good bands/albums released in the past years, along with the classics.

BTW you guys tend to forget the USBM bands, the ones I mentioned are some of my favourites.

 

[Draehl]

Not so much old school pure BM like everyone else, but here's a few that you may like that are a little cleaner production or less harsh that you may get into easier. Then move onto the more "core" BM. Also, some of my favorites.

Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells
Opeth - Morningrise
Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters
Agalloch - The Mantle
Windir - 1184

 

[MetalDad74]

This is just what I'm looking for. Going to make a couple of purchases tonight to get started.

 

[Vossyrus]

Because no one is likely to mention it, I highly recommend Dimmu Borgir's debut album For All Tid. A very atmospheric, and beautiful album. Incredibly underrated too. They never again made an album quite like this one.

Also, you can't go wrong with these classics:
Burzum - Burzum
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times

And here are some more underrated releases worth picking up:
Abigor - Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age
Old Man's Child - Born of the Flickering
Gehenna - First Spell
Behemoth - Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)

 

[unknown]

pretty much everything I would've said has been said, but I'll say it anyway

Burzum - s/t or Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Mayhem - De Mysteris...
Bathory - Under the Sign
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Enslaved - Eld

 

[SkeletonWitch]

I highly, highly discourage that you start with raw, stripped out black metal like Darkthrone, early Immortal, Mayhem, etc.

This stuff, you tend to get into it later. In that regard, I would pretty much agree with Draele's list, though mine would be :

Cradle of Filth - The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (it's probably not even black metal, but I would include it in a BM starter kit)
Dissection - The Somberlain
Dissection - Storm At The Light's Bane
Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
Windir - 1184
Windir - Arntor
Pensees Nocturnes - Vacuum
Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel (a must-listen)
Lord Belial - Enter The Moonlight Gate

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Well I'm gonna keep it to one album per band, otherwise I would just recommend you a bunch of Emperor, Burzum and Darkthrone. Instead I'll try and give you a variety so you get a good sense of the spectrum of black metal.

Burzum- Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
IMO the best black metal album. Songs with minimalist composition that are nonetheless completely epic.

Emperor- Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
The best symphonic black metal album.

Drudkh- Autumn Aurora
The most beautiful black metal album.

Mutiilation- Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
The best raw black metal album.

Enslaved- Vikingir Veldi
The best viking-black metal album.

Dissection- Storm of the Lights Bane
The best melodic black metal album.

Darkthrone- Blaze in the Northern Sky
A classic. Raw and dark, but the riffs are extremely catchy.

Satyricon- Dark Medieval Times
Epic black metal with folk edge.

Velvet Cacoon- Genevieve
Eerie and atmospheric. Like black metal from beneath the sea.

Deathspell Omega- Fas, Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Extremely technical and complex musicianship. Very evil atmosphere.

Mayhem- Live in Leipzig
The best depiction of Mayhem, with the amazing Dead on vocals. Extremely raw.

 

[Kreated]

these 3 bands IMO are better than the more famous ones such a Burzum and Emperor:

Summoning (I recommend Stronghold)
Immortal (I recommend All Shall Fall)
Kampfar (I recommend Heimgang)

get anything by them. Just fantastic

 

[wandering_taco]

So, metaldad, how are you faring on your venture into darkness thus far?

 

[Personified Hatred]

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
Ulver - Bergtatt: Et Eventyr I 5 Capitler
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Gorgoroth - Antichrist
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
Dissection - The Somberlain
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

These are some of the best ones in Black Metal.

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

I can't think of 10 black metal albums worth owning. Anthems...by Emperor, for sure. Some early Immortal and Enslaved. Even perhaps some very early Dimmu Borgir. Some early Borknagar definitely. And whoever said Opeth is strange, since they're not a black metal band. Summoning, while classified as black metal for some strange reason, really isn't black metal either, but they damn sure are worth owning. Fantastic fucking band. Stronghold is a masterpiece.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

What's up with the Summoning hype in here? Its just nerdy Tolkien worship that repeats the same riff over and over for 8-10 minutes. I'll give them a listen 2-3 times a year, because the melodies are fun and catchy, if you're in the right mood. But they're far from an elite band.