Epic/Majestic Black Metal

[Doom]

Sorry for the stupid vague thread title, but I couldn't think of anything better.

I've been listening to a lot of Windir recently. I love the "majestic" feeling on all of their albums (see "Fagning" of Likferd for the best example, with that glorious melodic guitar lead), and they have at least 2 or 3 truly outstanding songs on each album, where they really succeed in creating some truly epic and majestic black metal. However, I don't find any of their albums to be consistently good throughout.

Ehh, I'm really bad at pinpointing exactly what it is I'm looking for. Basically the reason I mention Windir is because the type of stuff I'm looking for is very much in the vein of Windir's style, but I never felt they themselves ever managed to create a 10/10 album, although I really like what they were trying to achieve.

So any suggestions of other stuff? And yes, I've heard [FONT=Verdana,geneva,arial]Vikingligr Veldi (that's another good point of reference)
[/FONT]

 

[Doom]

I suppose it doesn't really have to be black metal either. That really was a useless title.

 

[Sadguru]

Summoning, but you already heard them correct?

 

[JayKeeley]

...the reason I mention Windir is because the type of stuff I'm looking for is very much in the vein of Windir's style...

Hmm, I find it's a lot easier when you can connect two bands and then delve a little deeper. For example, from Windir, you could try one of the following (not necessarily Windir clones but certainly EPIC) :

Hades - Dawn of the Dying Sun
Aeternus - Wandering Moon / And so the Night Became
Falkenbach - En their Medh Riki Fara

Or if you want specific Windir-like viking metal with epic melody, try:

Einherjer - Norwegian Native Art (although I suspect you would like Odin Owns Ye All)
Mithotyn - Gathered Around the Oaken Table

That's a start at least...go check samples!

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Master's Hammer - Ritual
Moonblood - Blut und Krieg

and the obvious Summoning

 

[Doom]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! Yeah, I've heard Summoning and while I think they're great, and both epic and majestic, it's a bit different to what I had in mind.

That Hades album has been on my to-buy-list for about 5 years! I have their debut album "...Again Shall be", which is quite good, but from what I understand that second album is much better.

I own the rest of those albums, apart from any Einherjer. I shall try and check them out...

 

[JayKeeley]

It's never a good idea to sample a shitty youtube bootleg video of a band for the first time, but if you dare, watch this live performance of HADES playing Dawn of a Dying Sun.

It's especially cool because the entire first 3 minutes is basically the main theme from Conan the Barbarian. So that inherently makes it epic.

 

[Doom]

I own the rest of those albums, apart from any Einherjer. I shall try and check them out...

Ok, listening to the songs on their My Space page...this isn't really what I was looking for. A bit too much like jolly viking metal, especially that "Crimson Rain" song, ugh...

 

[JayKeeley]

OK, although some would argue that Windir have their jolly moments also. In that case, avoid the usual suspects: early Thyrfing, some Moonsorrow, Pagan Reign, Ensiferum, etc.

It's tough to answer the original question because Aeternus, Hades, and Falkenbach don't really sound like Windir either so maybe people can just list epic/pagan metal regardless....try this one:

Sacramentum - Far Away from the Sun

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

I should check out Mithotyn huh?

 

[Tranquillian]

Dawn - Slaughtersun (Crown of the triarchy)
Epic, majestic, furious and at the same time very melodic. A true masterpiece.

Nocte Obducta - Nektar I & II

Enslaved - Eld, especially the first 15 minute track 793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)

 

[cthulufhtagn]

moonsorrow is not jolly

 

[JayKeeley]

Voimasta is pretty jolly. Their demo is harsh sounding and the new stuff all epic, but there was definitely a few jolly moments there somewhere in the middle.

"Sankarihauta" is as jolly as jolly gets. (It's also one of their greatest songs of all time, and so not sure why people are so anti-jolly all of a sudden...or at least not until Willy Wonka declared "jollyfolk" to be outcast as one of his many oompa commandments).

 

[MFJ]

I should check out Mithotyn huh?

i like them. king of the distant forests...

 

[Krilons Resa]

Ancalagon
Svarga (Ukraine)
Kampfar - Mellon Skogkledde...
Nydvind
Bergthron

 

[WhiteBeastofWotan]

Surprised no one recommended Nokturnal Mortum's Lunar Poetry!

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Shit I forgot

Iuvenes - Riddle Of Steel

 

[Krilons Resa]

Surprised no one recommended Nokturnal Mortum's Lunar Poetry!

Cuz they have been fellated on RC since it's inception.

btw, youre in Providence? Howdy neighbor.

 

[J.]

I'll try to list stuff that hasn't been listed, but yeah, that Hades album is superb.

Abigor - Nachthymnen
A great, but often overlooked album. Their best.

Bak De Syv Fjell - From Haavardstun
Short, but sweet.

Fullmoon - United Aryan Evil
Don't be a wimp and let the title scare you. This is supreme black metal art.

Graveland - Fire Chariot of Destruction
His best in a long, long time. Epic and majestic and black metal

Helheim - Av Norron Aett
I really think you'll dig this.

Hirilorn - Legends of Evil and Eternal Death
Super long songs, melodic, epic, awesome!

Sort Vokter - Folkloric Necro Metal
I thought I would hate it. It's beautiful

Poccolus - s/t
Great depressive, epic pagan black metal

other albums you'll dig:

Nagelfar - Hünengrab im Herbst
Graveland - Following the Voice of Blood
Setherial - Nord
Myrddraal - Blood on the Mountain
Geasa - Fate's Lost Son/Starside

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Hail - Inheritance of Evilness