Thread three in the series. I hope this one will get more engagement since this forum favors Black Metal.
Same format and rules apply. I'll make a bunch of recommendations of Unblack Metal bands that may be lesser known and ask in return for Black Metal recommendations that avoid blasphemous, anti-Christian, occult, or etc. stuff. I know that by the textbook definition of Black Metal that doesn't make any sense, but that definition is rarely followed now and there are a lot of (especially newer bands) that will fit the criteria. I'm especially interested in Folk/Viking stuff as well as symphonic and atmospheric BM. I prefer albums, but if there are albums I should hear that don't fit the criteria, I'd also appreciate song recommendations from those albums.
Here are the albums that I already have:
Agalloch - Pale Folklore, The Mantle, Ashes Against the Grain
Alcest - Le Secret, Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde, Ecailles de Lune, Les Voyages de L'ame
Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia
Bathory - Hammerheart
Bergthron - Faust fur Faust
Borknagar - Everything from The Archaic Course on
Cruachan - Folklore
Drudkh - Forgotten Legends, Autumn Aurora, The Swan Road, Blood in Our Wells
Empyrium - A Wintersunset, Songs of Moors and Misty Fields, etc.
Ensiferum - Ensiferum, Iron
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
Mithotyn - In the Sign of the Ravens
Oathean - Fading Away Into the Grave of Nothingness
Ulver - Bergtatt, Kveldssanger, Nattens Madrigal
Vintersorg - ALL
I'll begin by doing my part and providing some Unblack Metal recommendations of my own. I'll start with the originators of Unblack Metal - Horde - and then give a sampling by region.
Horde - This is where it all began - the one-man project of the talented Jayson Sherlock of Mortification and Paramaecium. Horde invented the subgenre by writing Black Metal style music coupled with Christian lyrics. The title of the album provided the name for the music: Holy Unblack.
SCANDINAVIA:
Antestor - Legendary act and one of the first Christian Extreme Metal bands formed in 1989. Began as a Death/Doom outfit before evolving into Unblack Metal. The first album is more straightforward while The Forsaken is a modern symphonic Unblack Metal masterpiece which is widely celebrated in all circles (and I've posted the full album here).
Crimson Moonlight - Swedish Unblack Metal band formed in 1997. They are one of the bigger names in the scene. They started off playing old school symphonic Unblack in the vein of "Stomblast" era Dimmu Borgir before taking a much more aggressive stance focused on speed and brutality in later albums.
Admonish - The first Unblack Metal band in Sweden - formed in 1994. They didn't release any recorded material until 2005. This, their second EP, is a masterpiece of melodic and atmospheric Unblack with sweeping acoustic passages.
Vaakevandring - An early symphonic Unblack band that recorded one of the most emotive and impactful EPs I've ever heard. Features the vocals of Ronny Hansen (future Antestor vocalist) and Pal Daehlen (drummer of Frosthardr).
Frosthardr - Norwegian band with roots back to 1997. The early material is more straightforward while the recent full-length has a black n' roll vibe I really enjoy.
Drottnar - Norwegian band with roots back to 1996. They started off playing Viking Metal (A White Realm) but afterwards evolved into a Technical Unblack Metal style that is very impressive.
Lengsel - Progressive Unblack Metal with members of Extol. Technical, boundary pushing, and strange - I haven't gotten into this a lot but people who like weirder music enjoy it.
Stronghold - Traditional sound that should appeal to BM fans. Members also performed in Cloth and Dalit. Has a bit of Doom Metal influence.
Cloth - see above. Two very high quality EPs here.
Sanctifica - Another early Unblack band that started in a symphonic mid-paced style before taking a more aggressive approach (reminds somewhat of Emperor) before evolving into a Progressive Death Metal band.
Vardoger - Followed the same developmental trajectory as Sanctifica - unfortunate because this is a great Melodic Unblack Metal EP.
Grave Declaration - Norwegian band that plays modern symphonic Unblack Metal. Very polished music reminiscent of Carach Angren or "Puritanical..." era Dimmu Borgir.
Skald in Veum - Ripping fast Unblack in the vein of Dark Funeral or Marduk. Aggressive but with plenty of groove and biting lyrics.
Moreld - A very unique band in the Unblack scene that plays Folk Metal reminiscient of Asmegin and Otyg.
Arvinger - Another Norwegian act that plays very good Viking Metal. The recent EP is much better produced than the debut album.
Reverorum ib Malacht - A weird ambient/Unblack act from Sweden with members of Dodfodd. I believe they held some kind of luciferian/anti-cosmic satanism beliefs before their research (allegedly to better blaspheme) led them to convert to Roman Catholicism.
ASIA:
Kekal - Indonesian Unblack band that has been putting out music since 1995. Their career has followed a similar trajectory to that of Ulver in that they started making more traditional (Un)Black Metal music before becoming more avant garde and incorporating electronic influences, etc. Their later work is rather renowned, but I'm partial to the first two albums which reveal youthful exuberance and honesty in all their glory. They demonstrate a great songwriting, melody, and fantastic lead work. Embrace the Dead is one of my favorite albums.
Bealiah - Indonesian raw Unblack Metal band with atmospheric breaks.
CONTINENTAL EUROPE:
Slechtvalk - One of the top quality Unblack bands. Slechtvalk started as a one-man symphonic project on Falconry before evolving into Viking Metal by At the Dawn of War. A Forlorn Throne is one of my favorite albums.
Dormant - A rather good Dutch Unblack act.
Opus Irae - German symphonic band that has released two well written and produced singles. The wait for release of the full-length has been long.
Elgibbor - Polish one-man atmospheric Unblack act of former satanist Jarek Pozarycki. He puts out entirely too much material so that some of it is mediocre but when he is on, he is really on.
Firethrone - A side project of Jarek of Elgibbor - plays raw, fast Unblack war.
Illuminandi - A Polish ensemble that plays a unique style of Folk Metal with a variety of instruments and male and female vocals. The violin is used to great effect.
Evroklidon - Probably one of the finest Unblack albums was released by this Ukrainian band whom I think anyone on this forum could appreciate.
Dying Blaze - A Ukrainian/Russian band that plays traditional Unblack with some nice riffs.
Holy Blood - One of the better known Unblack bands. Ukraine's Holy Blood played Folk Metal before a split in the band led to a sound more like early Amon Amarth.
Oskord - The departing members of Holy Blood took their Folk Metal sound with them to form a new band which released this excellent EP.
Gospod - An Orthodox Christian band from Russia that emphasizes Orthodox vocal chants.
Ohen - An interesting project from Slovakia that manages an almost Middle Eastern vibe on this song.
LATIN AMERICA:
Anima Mortuum - Chilean project deeply influenced by the first wave of Black Metal and full of great rock/punk riffs.
Hortor - The premier Unblack band from Mexico - Hortor is led by riffmaster Fredy Acosta who plays with a revolving group of musicians. Hortor's early music (omitted here) was raw and symphonic before taking on a sound akin to early Immortal. Fredy developed that sound by adding back in more symphonic elements and clean vocals on the latest album which is a masterpiece full of incredible riffs and great songs. Listen to the two songs from Ancient... if you don't like symphonic and want to hear great riffs.
Cerimonial Sacred - Brazilian symphonic/atmospheric Unblack Metal project by two brothers. The below album is one of my favorites.
Exortta - A promising young symphonic band from Brazil. They are a bit raw but I love the vocals and the direction they are heading.
Hazeroth - A very good and melodic Unblack band from Brazil.
Sorrowstorm - A high-quality one-man Unblack act from Panama. One of the older Latin American projects that has recently re-emerged with a very good EP.
NORTH AMERICA:
Frost Like Ashes - Interesting American band with members of Possession that incorporates Death and Thrash metal elements into their style of Unblack along with high-pitched falsetto screams.
Vials of Wrath - An Agalloch influenced project that writes beautiful soundscapes.
Hesychast - American Orthodox Christian band that also relies on bringing out the stylistic elements of their religious tradition.
Within Thy Wounds - Roman Catholic atmospheric Unblack Metal band from Texas.
Panegyrist - Avant-garde Unblack band that reminds of Arcturus.
They are foundational and, I think, really good.
