Relatively new to Black Metal

[strings]

Never really looked into black metal, but ironically - my favourite bands that I love are Summoning and Windir, but they're mostly folk with black metal mixed in. I don't even know to be honest. Music is music to my ears and that's all I care really.

Anyway, I think personally it's gonna be a journey like my Classical discoveries - always something new and refreshing. No idea where to start but so far loving the self titled Emperor CD and the older Bathory albums, Ulver too. The thing that put me off from getting into black metal was the imagery, crime, arson, the movement etc. To be honest, I'm naive to it all, but I simply love the rawness and atmosphere that the music creates.

Are there certain periods that distinguishes the extreme side to the more mellow so to speak? (probably the oddest word to relate to black metal)

 

[waif]

Black metal is usually discussed in terms of waves, with the first wave being the sorta proto-black metal stuff like early Bathory, Venom, Hellhammer, etc, the second wave being where a lot of the classic Norweigian stuff falls, and the third wave generally being bands that came out around 95 on.

I'm not really an expert, but definitely make a priority of:
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Burzum - Hvis Lysett Tar Oss
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

Other people will be in with longer lists and more obscure stuff, but those are all pretty accessible, easy to find, and influential. And good. God, what I wouldn't give to hear In The Nightside Eclipse for the first time again...

 

[LuminousAether]

Get any album you can find from the band Drudkh but prioritize Autumn Aurora.

 

[CF87]

Dawn 'Nær Sólen Gar Niþer For Evogher.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Not to be "that guy" but I'd probably go in reverse chronological order. The original BM albums can be REALLY tough to get into if that's not a style you're particularly into just yet. The ultra raw and formative albums can sound like low-fi crap until your ears kinda get used to it. Maybe start with more "modern classics" and work backwards.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Are there certain periods that distinguishes the extreme side to the more mellow so to speak? (probably the oddest word to relate to black metal)

I would say most of the main sub-genres were developed in the early 90s. For example, look at all the genre defining albums that came out of Norway in 1994:

Burzum- Hvis Lyset Tar Oss ("ambient/atmospheric" black metal)
Darkthrone- Transylvanian Hunger (raw black metal)
Enslaved- Vikingligr Veldi (viking black)
Emperor- In the Nightside Eclipse (symphonic black)

Ulver's Bergtatt (folk black) came out in early 1995.

For the whole ambient/ atmospheric black metal sound (which is what I guess you mean by "mellow") try out the following albums:

Burzum- Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Blut Aus Nord- Ultima Thulee
Drudkh- Autumn Aurora
Graveland- Memory and Destiny
Paysage d'Hvir- S/t
Velvet Cacoon- Genevieve

Six great atmospheric black metal albums that are all very different sounding. All from different countries too, FWIW.

 

[strings]

Thank you guys, much appreciated. I'll definitely give those bands/albums a listen.