What bands are pushing the limits of Black Metal?

[Oblivious Maximus]

Living Colour no doubt.

Hell yeah! Living Colour is my favorite black metal band!

 

[no country for old wainds]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA, you said it twice lol in the same thread and it STILL rules, I bet it won't stay fresh for much longer though

 

[ultrahulkamaniac]

Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape
Axis of Perdition - The Ichuemon Method
Dodheimsgard - 666 International

Sigh and DHG are not very black metal anymore, but are very good post-BM bands. Axis of Perdition is in the same vein as Anaal, but there's more of a power electronic influence and the music is absolutely insane.

 

[Nico]

Astriaal... Aussie black metal, with lots of melody. Bloody great stuff, I cant reccomend it enough.

 

[Demiurge]

Woodtemple is a listless ripoff of the classic polish sound.

Anaal Nathrakh isn't pushing the boundaries of anything. Likewise, Akercocke.

 

[SculptedCold]

Yeah, a few 'norsecore' style bands are being listed, i'm still quite undecided as to whether I consider them black metal for purposes of boundary definition, or whether they're just 'trebly grindcore' masquerading as black metal. I think I lean more to the former proposition though.

Either way I love the visceral power and misanthropy of bands like Anaal Nathrakh, Axis Of Perdition, December Wolves, Marduk etc.

 

[andrew_plamondon]

Unquintessence is totally extreme...

 

[i acnt spell]

So I just checked out Negura Bunget, and they are fucking awesome.


Anybody have any thoughts on Taake?

 

[the phoenix]

So I just checked out Negura Bunget, and they are fucking awesome.

Yeah same here. And they really know their ideological shit, too.

 

[Krilons Resa]

Unquintessence is totally extreme...

Yeah they are. TOO hectic though imo.

The new Blut Aus Nord is a fucking masterpiece. It ooozes atmosphere and the guitar tone resembles demonic moans. Incredible stuff.

Other terrific BM bands that rule, not neccessarily pushing boundaries:

Negura Bunget
Drudkh
Leviathan
Weakling
Xasthur
Mutiilation
Nachtfalke
Astrofaes
Funeral Mist
Beherit
Nargaroth
Graveland
Astriaal
Ewiges Reich

 

[Krilons Resa]

Fluisterworld
Kristallnacht
Nihil Nocturne
Lux Occulta
Strid
Woods of Ypres

 

[Perdition's Light]

Blut Aus Nord
Negura Bunget
Drudkh
Leviathan
Xasthur
Beherit
Nargaroth
Graveland
Astriaal
Fluisterwoud
Woods of Ypres

Man, based on those recommendations (who I all think are great) I'm definitely going to check out those others.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Astrofaes, Nachtfalke and Mutiilation are particularly good.

 

[Slayed Necros]

Moonblood - Blut Und Krieg.

I agree with the recommendations for Blut Aus Nord, Mutiilation, Nachtfalke and Graveland. Also, add Forest, Mortuary Drape, Grand Belial's Key, Megiddo and Hate Forest.

 

[SculptedCold]

What about Dimmu Borgir.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Stormblast was a very decent album. Somberlain's recommendations are mostly cool. I haven't liked what I've heard from Hate Forest though, although granted, that isn't very much.

 

[King Chaos]

@ Sculpted cold. Many people argue that Dimmu aint black metal anymore. I think they are and I would agree that they have pushed the limmits of Black Metal (in the opposite direction to most BM Bands) But the new DImmu album is immense and is unlike anything Ive heard in a while.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Dimmu Borgir are not black metal, they barely share any of BM's fundamental characteristics.

 

[SculptedCold]

Hehe, I was actually joking. Credit to you two though, I was expecting an extremely prejudiced verbal slaughtering.

Like 'norsecore' styled bands, I'm not sure whether I consider Dimmu black metal. I consider them black metal in the sense that, if they could only keyholed into one major genre, then they'd have to be black metal. (shit metal, gaythenburg, mallcore styled comments aside) But of course it's not that simple.

I dunno, they certainly have pushed the sound of black metal, but not within the realms of true black metal, so they have and they haven't pushed the envelope. Of course, the fact that they're relatively commercial now puts an unfair and prejudiced tarnish on the sound, but as an aesthetic development from the constraints of true black metal, I think Dimmu Borgir have done some important work....even though i'm personally not fond of their latest stuff, you'd have to be really 'true' or just weird and narrow in your tastes to not appreciate the excellence of Enthrone Darkness Triumphant.

Overall though, i'm not a big fan of symphonic black metal, but there's a few bands and albums I enjoy.

 

[Perdition's Light]

I like Stormblast