What's your opinion about Black metal ?

[The Ozzman]

The most in crowd genre but there's some good stuff to be had in it. There isn't much trve black metal I've listened to that I outright dislike.

 

[Onder]

I think black metal of all the genres I like has the lowest lows but also the highest peaks in terms of quality, which really makes all the digging and wading through the drek worth it when you find that piece of music spewing cold primeval savagery.

I guess this is as close to my opinion as it gets.

Sure there's plenty of bedroom black metal garbage and burnt-out bands from the nineties. Still, time after time a new album emerges that makes my jaw drop and listen in trance. I think there's a really good scene even in Czech alone, so there. Now there's Crepusculo Negro and other new things, Scandinavian scenes, Portuguese of all things, we could really go on and on. Fuck the haters, and fuck the scene. Anti-goth anti-life anti-cosmos.

 

[Onder]

HamburgerBoy compared the scene to immigrants because he thinks black metal is about black people and he's scared of their stereotypically large penises. Everything his brain processes goes through a penis-funnel just behind the frontal lobe which makes everything seem like it's all about erect dicks doing things, while in fact, real life is so much more than that.

 

[CiG]

I'm listening to Nechochwen right now, hail black metal.

 

[Psilociraptor]

Probably the genera I listen to the least. I like the idea of it. The overuse of minor 3rds, aggressive vocal style, rhythmic and melodic elements that separate it from thrash and death metal. But these days I get really bored with the overuse of lo-fi techniques. I like my music to sound three dimensional and have some clarity. I like to be able to hear the subtle melodies come forward from behind the wall of noise. I know to the purists it is totally uncool for me to say this, but I far prefer the new Dark Funeral album and albums like Lawless Darkness by Watain to most of the obscure stuff that sounds like a Line 6 pod being played through a fish tank. Don't get me wrong, I come across some of it I love from time to time. There are definitely some bands that make it work with their overall sound. But at this point a lot of it seems formulaic. I probably just need to dig some more though. I guess it's somewhat of the deal with every genera.

 

[Sophii]

Probably the genera I listen to the least. I like the idea of it. The overuse of minor 3rds, aggressive vocal style, rhythmic and melodic elements that separate it from thrash and death metal. But these days I get really bored with the overuse of lo-fi techniques. I like my music to sound three dimensional and have some clarity. I like to be able to hear the subtle melodies come forward from behind the wall of noise. I know to the purists it is totally uncool for me to say this, but I far prefer the new Dark Funeral album and albums like Lawless Darkness by Watain to most of the obscure stuff that sounds like a Line 6 pod being played through a fish tank. Don't get me wrong, I come across some of it I love from time to time. There are definitely some bands that make it work with their overall sound. But at this point a lot of it seems formulaic. I probably just need to dig some more though. I guess it's somewhat of the deal with every genera.

The cool thing about black metal is that its pretty moldable in sound.
As much as I have troubles liking newer Post-Black stuff, most bands in that style usually have a crisp and esoteric sound to them. You might dig bands like Krallice who are more technical in their approach to Black Metal, or Agalloch who blend a handful of directions into one (folk, doom, progressive, black.)

 

[Bruticus]

read all replies, and thanks for the Youtubes most of those are good music.

I used to think black metal was "weak". Weak high-pitched grasps rather than powerful virile growls, weak musically compared to death metal, and about image/concept more than the actual music/tabs. The whole campy satanic thing was a nearly definitive turnoff. Then I heard certain bands, Blut Aus Nord, and out of my love for industrial that initially got me there I grew into the black metal aspect of it, and from there sought black metal around. It might forever feel foreign to me to listen to, as death metal was always my one true love, but strangely enough the stuff I write is sounding more and more black metally: no grasps or perpetual blasts, but the minor chord progressions, that willingness to marry melody with evil undertones. Senseless chromaticism and atonal music (DMetal) does, I guess, get old after a while. Emperor are the first BM I ever enjoyed, but then again Ihsahn is no ordinary BM musician.

 

[Psilociraptor]

The cool thing about black metal is that its pretty moldable in sound.
As much as I have troubles liking newer Post-Black stuff, most bands in that style usually have a crisp and esoteric sound to them. You might dig bands like Krallice who are more technical in their approach to Black Metal, or Agalloch who blend a handful of directions into one (folk, doom, progressive, black.)

I like Agalloch a lot, but Krallice has been hit or miss. Even then it's not something I typically put on. Maybe I take back what I said in my last post. Maybe I like it to be more thrashy. Or whatever it is that characterizes those two albums I mentioned. I can't put my finger on it but it's qualitatively very different. They present more like a modern death or thrash album, while maintaining the melodic and dark quality of black metal. They're good for shaking your head and fists and not just nodding off.

 

[Phylactery]

Emperor are the first BM I ever enjoyed, but then again Ihsahn is no ordinary BM musician.

In the Nightside Eclipse has become a victim of being released by a band whose material that came after largely sucked and lost them respect in the underground. Opinions that the album in question is nothing special are becoming more and more common from what I can see these days - it's always had a few detractors, but they're popping up more frequently. When we did a poll to rank the top 10 metal albums of 1994 on this forum not too long ago it didn't even make the top 10! I find that kinda ridiculous. An album that 10-15 years ago was constantly discussed with the other black metal greats. It has seemingly fallen from grace.

Well fuck that, In the Nightside Eclipse is absolutely fucking special and is absolutely a top tier black metal record. "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" is one of the best black metal songs I've ever heard, and I've heard thousands. Their split with Enslaved is also amazing.

Anyway since you've been listening to stuff people have been posting in this thread, I'll share a track from my favourite black metal record:

 

[no country for old wainds]

i know what you mean but it's still overwhelmingly popular overall. it's 4th on RYM's black metal charts, ahead of every other emperor album, every darkthrone, every mayhem, every dissection, every immortal, etc.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

HamburgerBoy compared the scene to immigrants because he thinks black metal is about black people and he's scared of their stereotypically large penises. Everything his brain processes goes through a penis-funnel just behind the frontal lobe which makes everything seem like it's all about erect dicks doing things, while in fact, real life is so much more than that.

I compared the founders of black metal to the founders of America, a group of protectionist anti-immigration white nationalists. Just as white Americans imported slaves, Chinese laborers, etc expecting free work but not giving credit where due, black metal steals from outside cultures like noise rock and neofolk and expects to not pay them back. It's an unsustainable economic and cultural model. Black immigration is barely even a thing here btw, and what immigrants we do receive (Nigerians and such) are mostly excellent, you're projecting your own continent's migration crisis on us. It's light-brown people that come here lately, and I don't think their penises are that different. My homorapist Cuban buddy had about a 4 incher tops.

 

[Onder]

I compared the founders of black metal to the founders of America, a group of protectionist anti-immigration white nationalists. Just as white Americans imported slaves, Chinese laborers, etc expecting free work but not giving credit where due, black metal steals from outside cultures like noise rock and neofolk and expects to not pay them back. It's an unsustainable economic and cultural model. Black immigration is barely even a thing here btw, and what immigrants we do receive (Nigerians and such) are mostly excellent, you're projecting your own continent's migration crisis on us. It's light-brown people that come here lately, and I don't think their penises are that different. My homorapist Cuban buddy had about a 4 incher tops.

I stand corrected.

 

[Psilociraptor]

In the Nightside Eclipse is by far one of my favorite of the old black metal albums. I like a little on Anthems, but nothing else Isahn has done has interested me.

 

[Bruticus]

I stand corrected.

can one sit corrected ? Like if you're humbled, acknowledge it, but are still casual like that.

 

[Bruticus]

In the Nightside Eclipse has become a victim of being released by a band whose material that came after largely sucked and lost them respect in the underground. Opinions that the album in question is nothing special are becoming more and more common from what I can see these days - it's always had a few detractors, but they're popping up more frequently. When we did a poll to rank the top 10 metal albums of 1994 on this forum not too long ago it didn't even make the top 10! I find that kinda ridiculous. An album that 10-15 years ago was constantly discussed with the other black metal greats. It has seemingly fallen from grace.

Well fuck that, In the Nightside Eclipse is absolutely fucking special and is absolutely a top tier black metal record. "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" is one of the best black metal songs I've ever heard, and I've heard thousands. Their split with Enslaved is also amazing.

Anyway since you've been listening to stuff people have been posting in this thread, I'll share a track from my favourite black metal record:

Well you won't agree of course but I think Emperor turned more interesting later on.


What you've posted is fine black metal but quite standard. The music evolved so much on an album like Prometheus, everything from the technical proficiency, song-writing and assembling of grand memorable musical themes, the finer little things, the arrangements, the vocal/instrument range, and even the lyrical content.

 

[Phylactery]

I haven’t listened to that album in years and I’ve never liked it. Gave the track you posted a listen and I still feel this way.

And I disagree - later Emperor is absolutely more technical in terms of instrumental playing, but is actually far less developed and complex than ItNE in terms of composition and songwriting. They want you to believe these songs are complex and difficult to disgest by dazzling you with technical skills and haphazard transitions in a superficial attempt to hide the fact that actually these songs are rather basic.

And if you’re talking about Far Away from the Sun when you say it sounds “standard” I can’t agree there either. You could even say it’s *ahem* far away from standard.

 

[Draehl]

Emperor is one of the few BM acts that are actually better live than on album IMO. ITNE is a touch too screechy/trebly yet having some amazing songwriting. Love the energy of these tracks live also.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

ITNE is easily their worst full-length.

 

[Phylactery]

Bad opinion.

It’s their only great full length. Anthems has some moments on it that are good, but overall it’s a huge step down. The following two are just bad. Although I quite like “Curse You All Men” from the 3rd.

The Emperor EP is amazing. Wrath of the Tyrant would be good, except the production is awful and those echoey reverbed vocals make it unlistenable.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I qualified to say "worst full-length" because that EP is probably even worse, pound-for-pound at least. A rare band that got gradually better with time, though they still suck through and through.