1.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

2.In Flames - The Jester Race

3.Moonspell - Irreligious

4.Katatonia - Brave Murder Day

5.Cradle Of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace

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I've been listened to Black Metal since the late 2000s starting with Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. Since then, I've discover dozens of amazing bands thanks to MS and it has become one of my favourite genres, especially the more melodic/symphonic/epic bands.

So here are my favourites of the genre with my rating, its sub-genre and release year:

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of black metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1.Agalloch - The Mantle

2.Caladan Brood - Echoes Of Battle

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

5.Windir - 1184

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This is my top albums (only with those where I gave 8 or more). I will update the list now and then

1.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

3.Slipknot - Iowa

4.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

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1.Asphyx - The Rack

2.Death - Symbolic

3.Death - Individual Thought Patterns

4.Asphyx - Last One On Earth

5.Obituary - Slowly We Rot

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These CDs are on the highest shelf

1.Anthrax - Fistful Of Metal

2.Anthrax - Among The Living

3.Anthrax - Sound Of White Noise

4.Biohazard - State Of The World Address

5.Biohazard - Nativity In Black - A Tribute To Black Sabbath

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1.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

2.Empyrium - Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields

3.Saturnus - Paradise Belongs To You

4.Opeth - Still Life

5.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

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This is a list of black metal (and blackened metal) albums based on their artwork (in reverse alphabetical order). It includes iconic cover art from classic albums as well as fascinating work from more recent releases.
There is a saying that "you should not judge a book by its cover", which is of course also true in the case of music albums. However, the artwork can complement the production and give a visual introduction to the musical theme and atmosphere. More than for any other kind of music, this may be true for metal.

(Updated 02.10.2023)

1.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor

2.Yoth Iria - As The Flame Withers

3.Watain - Lawless Darkness

4.Vreid - Lifehunger

5.Venom - Black Metal

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1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Mastodon - Crack The Skye

3.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

4.Kamelot - Karma

5.Sonata Arctica - Silence

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1.Shylmagoghnar - Emergence

2.Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation

3.Blindead - Affliction XXIX II MXMVI

4.Batushka - Litourgiya

5.Leprous - Bilateral

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An exploration of the best (and worst) albums of 1996, will keep updating as I find more albums to rank. I've often thought that 1996 was one of the worst years for metal but I keep finding great and overlooked albums. Many of them deserve another listen, there are definitely some gems hidden amongst the weirdness.

1.Stratovarius - Episode

2.Metallica - Load

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Bathory - Blood On Ice

5.Burzum - Filosofem

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Here are some albums that used to be replayed in my MC-player hundreds of times when I was 16. Some of them keep listening till now, some I won't ever listen to again. Some good, some bad, some rather unexpected, but all of them pirated.

1.Aggressor - Of Long Duration Anguish

2.Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Brutality - When The Sky Turns Black

5.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

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The purpose of this list is not to find and record which albums are the best but to define Dark Metal. We will try to specify which albums are the definitive examples of Dark Metal. "Dark Metal" is what we would call a "post-subgenre". An album that's not quite Black, not quite Death, sometimes a little Doom or Gothic, other times just Melodic or Symphonic or even "Atmospheric", anything that could fall somewhere in between some or all of these categories, that could probably be a "Dark Metal" album, as long as the tone is somewhat dark.

1.Rotting Christ - Sanctus Diavolos

2.Celtic Frost - Monotheist

3.Nightfall - At Night We Prey

4.Septicflesh - Sumerian Daemons

5.Behemoth - I Loved You At Your Darkest

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1.Alter Bridge - Blackbird

2.Alter Bridge - One Day Remains

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Amorphis - Tuonela

5.Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

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My favourite black metal albums listed and ranked, all varieties within the black metal genre.

1.Summoning - Oath Bound

2.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

3.Primordial - To The Nameless Dead

4.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

5.Mgła - Exercises In Futility

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Must Listen: The First 8

1.Angra - Holy Land

2.Anathema - Eternity

3.Type O Negative - October Rust

4.Stratovarius - Episode

5.Grave Digger - Tunes Of War

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