There are those who vehemently state that black metal died. The year they give varies, be it '94, '95, or '96. While some argue that the death of
black metal was largely of an ideological sort, others will say that black metal came to a musical demise at this time. I have always doubted this musical demise, feeling that the importance and quality of some early releases was greatly exaggerated out of a sense of nostalgia and elitism while newer releases have been overlooked.
I don't really want to discuss ideologies here. I want to look at the quality of albums produced in given years, starting in 1990 or so. Some will argue that ideology largely determines the quality of black metal, which I agree with to an extent, but when I hear high quality metal coming from ideologically empty bands like Velvet Cacoon, it casts doubt upon the necessity of a true ideological foundation. People who especially identify with the ANUS point of view--I'm interested in what you have to say, but I don't want to see the thread denigrate into the types of arguments that usually occur with ANUS people.
Now the reason this isn't something I'm just doing on my own time is because my knowledge of black metal is far from complete. I need all of your input in filling in what the most significant black metal releases have been. I'm looking for the releases you would categorize as being "very good" or better. Albums that would score at least 8/10 in most people's minds. If the lists start to get out of hand, I'd trim out the more borderline choices. I'd also include albums that have been important or influential in spite of mixed opinions on the quality (ex; Mayhem's Grand Declaration of War, or Emperor's IX Equilibrium; albums by critical bands that mark large changes). That being said, there's no need to list every Darkthrone album Total Death through The Cult is Alive, or all the experimental Ulver albums.
I'm just going to start by posting a few no-brainers and then I'll open the thread so people can start suggesting. Remember that I'm interested in looking at things year by year, so give the year of the albums you think represent the best black metal has to offer. There seems to be enough of a mix of old school and new school black metal fans to get a good balance.
1988
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
1989
1990
Bathory - Hammerheart
Master's Hammer - Ritual
Root - Zjevení / The Revelation
1991
Beherit - The Oath of Black Blood
Root - Hell Symphony
Samael - Worship Him
1992
Burzum - s/t
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
Sabbat - Evoke
Samael - Blood Ritual
1993
Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
Dissection - The Somberlain
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp
1994
Abigor - Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age
Bethlehem - Dark Metal
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
Gorgoroth - Pentagram
Graveland - Carpathian Wolves
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
1995
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
Fullmoon - United Aryan Evil
Graveland - Thousand Swords
Ildjarn - Ildjarn, Det Frysende Nordariket
Immortal - Battles in the North
Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike
Mütiilation - Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
Vlad Tepes/Belketre - March to the Black Holocaust
1996
Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I - Fathers Of The Icy Age
Burzum - Filosofem
Gorgoroth - Antichrist
Ildjarn - Forest Poetry
Ildjarn - Strength and Anger
Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun
Sort Vokter - Folkloric Necro Metal
Summoning - Dol Guldur
1997
Aeternus - Beyond the Wandering Moon
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Graveland - Following the Voice of Blood
Hades - The Dawn of the Dying Sun
Moonblood - Blut & Krieg
Nagelfar - Hünengrab im Herbst
Nokturnal Mortum - Goat Horns
1998
1999
Mutiilation - Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
2000
2001
Averse Sefira - Battle's Clarion
2002
2003
Drudkh - Forgotten Legends
Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
2004
Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
Dark Tribe - In Jeraspunta - Die Rueckkehr Der Tollwuetigen Bestie
Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve
2005
Deathspell Omega - Kenose
2006
Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells
I know that's not many yet. I'll be working on it. Please be selective in your recommendations, otherwise the list will be too large to be useful. And nitpicking over one choice or another too much isn't productive either.
black metal was largely of an ideological sort, others will say that black metal came to a musical demise at this time. I have always doubted this musical demise, feeling that the importance and quality of some early releases was greatly exaggerated out of a sense of nostalgia and elitism while newer releases have been overlooked.
I don't really want to discuss ideologies here. I want to look at the quality of albums produced in given years, starting in 1990 or so. Some will argue that ideology largely determines the quality of black metal, which I agree with to an extent, but when I hear high quality metal coming from ideologically empty bands like Velvet Cacoon, it casts doubt upon the necessity of a true ideological foundation. People who especially identify with the ANUS point of view--I'm interested in what you have to say, but I don't want to see the thread denigrate into the types of arguments that usually occur with ANUS people.
Now the reason this isn't something I'm just doing on my own time is because my knowledge of black metal is far from complete. I need all of your input in filling in what the most significant black metal releases have been. I'm looking for the releases you would categorize as being "very good" or better. Albums that would score at least 8/10 in most people's minds. If the lists start to get out of hand, I'd trim out the more borderline choices. I'd also include albums that have been important or influential in spite of mixed opinions on the quality (ex; Mayhem's Grand Declaration of War, or Emperor's IX Equilibrium; albums by critical bands that mark large changes). That being said, there's no need to list every Darkthrone album Total Death through The Cult is Alive, or all the experimental Ulver albums.
I'm just going to start by posting a few no-brainers and then I'll open the thread so people can start suggesting. Remember that I'm interested in looking at things year by year, so give the year of the albums you think represent the best black metal has to offer. There seems to be enough of a mix of old school and new school black metal fans to get a good balance.
1988
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
1989
1990
Bathory - Hammerheart
Master's Hammer - Ritual
Root - Zjevení / The Revelation
1991
Beherit - The Oath of Black Blood
Root - Hell Symphony
Samael - Worship Him
1992
Burzum - s/t
Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
Sabbat - Evoke
Samael - Blood Ritual
1993
Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
Dissection - The Somberlain
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp
1994
Abigor - Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age
Bethlehem - Dark Metal
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
Gorgoroth - Pentagram
Graveland - Carpathian Wolves
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
1995
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
Fullmoon - United Aryan Evil
Graveland - Thousand Swords
Ildjarn - Ildjarn, Det Frysende Nordariket
Immortal - Battles in the North
Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike
Mütiilation - Vampires of Black Imperial Blood
Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
Vlad Tepes/Belketre - March to the Black Holocaust
1996
Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I - Fathers Of The Icy Age
Burzum - Filosofem
Gorgoroth - Antichrist
Ildjarn - Forest Poetry
Ildjarn - Strength and Anger
Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun
Sort Vokter - Folkloric Necro Metal
Summoning - Dol Guldur
1997
Aeternus - Beyond the Wandering Moon
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Graveland - Following the Voice of Blood
Hades - The Dawn of the Dying Sun
Moonblood - Blut & Krieg
Nagelfar - Hünengrab im Herbst
Nokturnal Mortum - Goat Horns
1998
1999
Mutiilation - Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
2000
2001
Averse Sefira - Battle's Clarion
2002
2003
Drudkh - Forgotten Legends
Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
2004
Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
Dark Tribe - In Jeraspunta - Die Rueckkehr Der Tollwuetigen Bestie
Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve
2005
Deathspell Omega - Kenose
2006
Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells
I know that's not many yet. I'll be working on it. Please be selective in your recommendations, otherwise the list will be too large to be useful. And nitpicking over one choice or another too much isn't productive either.
