Best 15 Black Metal Albums

15. Xasthur - Funeral of Being

I most certainly am not a big fan of any blatant atmospheric and or progressive suicidal Black Metal, but for this album of Xasthur I will make an exception. This masterpiece takes you into a deep journey of hate and misanthropy.

14. Cobalt - Gin

A more recent album now, but which deserves it's place in this best black metal albums list. Cobalt is one of these bands that needs neither the marketing of big mainstream labels, neither the long and redundant history of events unrelated to the music simply to attract heavy metal posers, neither the stage presence accumulated from a massive amount of touring... in fact, Cobalt needs none of that : their work speaks for themselves.

13. Frost Like Ashes - Tophet

Frost Like Ashes returns with a very raw and innovative Black Metal style, mixing discordant effects with frequent blast-beats. Frost Like Ashes takes you into a blizzard of evil in this obscure symphony.

12. Circle of Dead Children - Psalm of the Grand Destroyer

Mixing extreme grindcore and raw Black Metal... hazardous, but the results are more than convincing with the masterpiece of desolation that is Psalm of the Grand Destroyer.

11. Von Venien - Tribal Blood

Back to some more recent releases, from 2010 to be precise. For those who would still ignore it, which is quite improbable due to the amount of media attention that this even has generated, Von Venien is the co-founder of the legendary band VON.
With his solo debut in 2010, Von Venien has produced a more than promising premiere album in the name of Tribal Blood. This is one of the most innovative and avant-garde musical experiments, while keeping the cold and evil aspect of Black Metal.

10. Weakling - Dead As Dreams

A very inspirational work of misanthropy and sorrowfulness, mixed with the raw atmosphere of experimental Black Metal. Dead as Dreams was post-black before post-black, and avant-garde before avant-garde (avant-avant-garde then). It is one of the most inspiring albums ever produced.

9. Vesperian Sorrow - Beyond the Cursed Eclipse

This is how bands like Dimmu Borgir, Dissection or Satyricon try to sound... and fail. Vesperian Sorrow is highhandedly one of the finest Black Metal bands, and Beyond the Cursed Eclipse one of their most atmospheric work to date.

8. Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life

Leviathan is not per say an underground Black Metal band, in fact they are one of the most renown in this list. Yet, their album Massive Conspiracy Against All Life deserves more than any other their place.

7. Von Goat - Septic Illumination

Pure Satan.
Inferior only to their following album Disappear, Septic Illumination is a quiet psychotic masterpiece of raw grimness and black atmosphere.
Black Metal at it's best, shifting the whole scene into a new direction, very far from the weak "third-wave".
Hail the Goat.

6. Ceremonial Castings - Immortal Black Art

Ceremonial Castings were one of the first bands to play decent symphonic Black Metal. I'm not talking about symphonic metal, but symphonic Black Metal.
This album is everything. Brutal, epic, magnetic, grim, atmospheric, beautiful, melancholic, romantic.
Once again, this album is surpassed only by their following, Barbaric is the Beast, and lies on the throne amongst the very best of this genre.

5. Agalloch - The Mantle

How could I have not mentioned The Mantle, or any other Agalloch album ? When I first heard about it, not only was I skeptical because of it's popularity, but also because I dislike most avant-garde experimental atmospheric stuff.
Luckily, I was impressed. How couldn't I be ? This album has everything to impress.
This is contemporary Black Metal... played the right way.

4. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters

It is shameful that this band is so renown yet still disturbingly underrated.
Wolves in the Throne Room is pure melancholic and original Black Magic.
Far beyond the limitations and conformism of modern Black Metal, Two Hunters is a philosophy in itself.

3. Von - Satanic Blood

Take all your "satanic", "evil" and "raw" albums, and pile them in a circle, and watch them burn to the raw sounding of Von's masterpiece, Satanic Blood.
Before Black Metal, there was Von. Von inspired in every way and form the whole concept of evil and atmospheric music. What is today an acclaimed genre in itself would of seemed pretentious at best, fake at worst, if it wasn't for Von.
The essence of Satanic Blood itself is pure evil. An underestimated masterpiece of hell.
In two words, Satanic Blood is Black Metal. Or is Black Metal Satanic Blood ?

2. Ceremonial Castings - Barbaric is the Beast

An unsurpassed compilation of epic atmospheres filled with raw inhuman grimness. To say the least, Barbaric is the Beast is a continuity of the ingenious and inventive symphony that was Immortal Black Art.
Probably one of the finest Black Metal albums of all times, surpassed only by...

1. Von Goat - Disappear

The gods of Black Metal are back.
Whenever Von, Von Goat or Von Venien release anything new, it shakes the whole foundations of the Heavy Metal scene. But nothing has ever defeated the contemporary vision of music as Disappear did.
Devastation and chaos, this is not like anything ever produced.
If you are looking for a satanic blood sequel, catchy riffs, keyboard symphonies, weak atmospheric suicidal vocals, forget it.
Sure this album has its melodies, its technical progressive aspects and even some parts that don't go without reminding the 1988 Von.
But only in a much, much darker picture.
Everything about this album is grim, cruel and chaotic art.
To read more about Von Goat - Disappear.

15. Xasthur - Funeral of Being
14. Cobalt - Gin
13. Frost Like Ashes - Tophet
12. Circle of Dead Children - Psalm of the Grand Destroyer
11. Von Venien - Tribal Blood

10. Weakling - Dead as Dreams
9. Vesperian Sorrow - Beyond the Cursed Eclipse
8. Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
7. Von Goat - Septic Illumination
6. Ceremonial Castings - Immortal Black Art

5. Agalloch - The Mantle
4. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters
3. Von - Satanic Blood
2. Ceremonial Castings - Barbaric is the Beast
1. Von Goat - Disappear