There have been a lot of threads created in the past about this, but hopefully this can become the definitive guide to depressive bm. If you have any depressive bm bands you enjoy, please share them. I'll start by posting a few (I haven't heard all of them, but I plan to quite soon).

Burzum (Nothing more needs to be said, really)

Drudkh: Awesome band from the Ukraine, especially in terms of atmosphere. In terms of dbm, the first album is probably better than the latter ones (I only have Autumn Aurora which is stunning).

Krohm: Havent heard but plan to get 'A World through Dead Eyes' soon. I would like to hear some opinions.

Beatrik: Again, I only plan to get Journey through the End of Life. I would like some opinions.

Veil: Relatively unknown USBM band. I have heard good things about their release 'Dolor' available from Autumn Winds Prod.

I chose not to mention Xasthur, as I hardly find them depressive, just tedious. WAY overhyped due to this whole 'suicidal blackmetal' craze.
If anyone could post info on some Swedish dbm such as Hypothermia, Kyla, Durthang etc that would be excellent.

Beatrik are quite a good band. I have their album, Requiem Of December and it's quite good. Very Doomy in nature, and the vocals are well, kind of your typical angst-filled vocals (quite fitting though).

For DBM, I highly recommend the band, The Eye. It's a side project of Vidasval of B.A.N. fame, but I think the former is superior to B.A.N. They have one album called Supremacy out.

Another band which has been in frequent rotation on my player are Stillhet. A new band with one full-length out called, Gjemt I Skyggene. They even have a Burzum cover (Spell Of Destruction - cliched choice, but well done nonetheless), so this band should be right up your alley.

Another new band that I'm enjoying a lot are Misantropical Painforest. They too have only one release out as of yet called Winds Saturate With Inhumane Longing. If you liked Drudkh and Wyrd you should definately check this band out. But the production wasn't exactly to my liking though. Nevertheless, good stuff

Ok, more later, but these were the bands that just popped into my head. So check out these bands, if you already haven't.

First of all, sorry Despondency, but I think it would be better if you explain a bit about the bands in your list. Just posting a list of bands will not help him.. sorry I have to say something about your post again

To me, the top of depressive black metal would be Mütiilation. Especially "Remains of a Ruined, Death, Cursed Soul" and everything that followed after that album. "Majestas Leprosus" comes close to the depressive perfection of "Remains...". Anyway, avoid the old material, because the quality is just horrible on the old demos.

I can also recommend Weakling if you are into Burzum-type depressive black metal. It is more slow and the songs are definitly more lengthy, but the vocalist and sad keyboards are just very good of this band. Especially advicable if you like Burzum's "Filosofem".

Forgotten Tomb is also really depressive(actually, TOO depressive that it becomes stupid sometimes), anyway, they are more on the doom side of metal than the black side of metal, but you can give them a try. They are really popular among black metal fans.

I guess these bands will keep you busy for a while, feel free to say what you think about them

You label Tristania as depressive black metal. Mind explaining? Last time i checked they were gothic metal, and an almost romantic gothic metal.

"Krohm: Havent heard but plan to get 'A World through Dead Eyes' soon. I would like to hear some opinions."
Ive heard a few songs by this band, quite nice stuff but not necessarily original.

Also, try Shining.... but most people would probably say they are suicidal black metal.

Well, people in here have a good taste! hehehe! I specially like Mütiilation and Drudkh, two perfect bands! But there is an album (I think that most of people will desagree with me now) called "Stormblast" that I think that it's one of the best depressive black metal albuns ever! Songs like "Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen" and "Sorgens Kammer" are really dark and melancholic, at least in my opinion... hehehe!

mmm Shining are very depressive, specially with IV - The Eerie Cold... the term "suicidal" black metal isn't wrong actually...

well, about Bethlehem they're also very depressive but I can't get into them, they're kind of overrated if you ask me they don't create half of the atmosphere of Shining...

Other good depressive BM act are Silencer, those screams are wicked!

and well, I certainly wouldn't call Mutiilation or Drudkh as"depressive", as says the man above...

Written by Guest on 06.06.2006 at 06:54

Although I don't really know if the lyrics qualify as 'depressive' the music certainly does.

Forgotten Tomb
Abyssic Hate (in my opinion, is depressive)
Xasthur (for whatever reason you dont like them, is your business)
Aaskeriea
Wigrid
Striborg
Aakon Keetreh (not really black, but worth checking out)
Sad Legend
Old Forest (probably just me. brings back sad memories =( )
Sitra
Tristania

Tristania?!?!? TRISTANIA?? You obviously just stopped listening to Slipknot last year and decided to gain some 2-bit metal knowledge from metal-archives for a couple hours one day. Congratulations on proving you know nothing.

Dude, you have issues. Writing Tristania here is as bad as posting My Dying Bride. Neither of them has ANY influences in black metal. And had you bothered to read the title of the topic, you would have realized that the name is "Depressive black metal". Which means you're supposed to post black metal bands here. Plus i hadn't heard of any bands except Tristania and Forgotten Tomb from your list. Since you posted non-popular bands, then descriptions of them are needed. I think that last time i checked some rules in this forum, simply posting lists without explanations is spamming.

I have no bands to add. I just came here for info and discovered that i had something to talk about afterall

"@ Ba'al Peor - I wish you'd read my goddamn post.
"Once again, these are my OPINIONS. So don't give me shit like, "those aren't depressive at all~!""

Fine, your opinion but please explain.

Written by Guest on 20.05.2006 at 06:20


Beatrik: Again, I only plan to get Journey through the End of Life. I would like some opinions.

Awsome!!! I can't even describe my new found love for this awsome black doom band. I have both of his records, and I have to say that Beatrik is one of the most underrated and very talented bands on the scene right now. Requiem For December is an albu that I just can't stop listening to, so depressive so suicidal, the vocals are almost cries.

I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new. Also try Despond, wich is just another great, hipnotising Dolorian.

Written by Damnated on 09.06.2006 at 19:01


I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new.

Old Katatonia is blackish? How come? I did read that their lyrical content could be used in a bm band and that's why a pentagram is in their logo, but black doom...I always thought it was regular doom
If i am mistaken, i'll listen to it again from a different angle.

People, please do not spam in this topic. Do not say other members suck and stuff. We try to discover more in this topic about depressive black metal. So please talk about that.

However..JoeDoom's post was slightly enjoyable

@Despondency, Forgotten Tomb are mostly doom with black metal vocals. Besides the screaming vocals the instrumentation is only doom. It is quite slow and lengthy, as we are used to that from doom metal bands.

Written by Vunts on 09.06.2006 at 20:05

Written by Damnated on 09.06.2006 at 19:01


I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new.

Old Katatonia is blackish? How come? I did read that their lyrical content could be used in a bm band and that's why a pentagram is in their logo, but black doom...I always thought it was regular doom
If i am mistaken, i'll listen to it again from a different angle.

Listen to Dance Of December Souls then.

Oh...what's more amazing is that i didn't realize that about the music when i was listening to it like...a week ago. I stand corrected.

are you still doing the split EP with me? ive been waiting for bob to send me the material for our 7" for ages.

Written by Damnated on 10.06.2006 at 18:52

Written by Vunts on 09.06.2006 at 20:05

Written by Damnated on 09.06.2006 at 19:01


I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new.

Old Katatonia is blackish? How come? I did read that their lyrical content could be used in a bm band and that's why a pentagram is in their logo, but black doom...I always thought it was regular doom
If i am mistaken, i'll listen to it again from a different angle.

Listen to Dance Of December Souls then.

I can't see Black Metal in Katatonia neither, not even in their first stuff... Just Doom...

Written by Guest on 10.06.2006 at 23:00

@Blackgir - I still say theres more black influence. Sure, theres loads and loads of doom influence. But the song structure (in Springtime Depression) is based around black metal, for the most part..

Hm, I guess that's why our opinion is different. I mainly listen to "Loves Burial Ground". This album is a lot more doomy than "Springtime Depression". Though, I wouldn't say the structure is mostly black metal on "Springtime Depresssion".

Written by Guest on 10.06.2006 at 23:59

Written by Damnated on 10.06.2006 at 18:52

Written by Vunts on 09.06.2006 at 20:05

Written by Damnated on 09.06.2006 at 19:01


I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new.

Old Katatonia is blackish? How come? I did read that their lyrical content could be used in a bm band and that's why a pentagram is in their logo, but black doom...I always thought it was regular doom
If i am mistaken, i'll listen to it again from a different angle.

Listen to Dance Of December Souls then.

I can't see Black Metal in Katatonia neither, not even in their first stuff... Just Doom...

Id definately say Dance Of December Souls is black/doom. It reminds me a lot of Forgotten Tomb.

Written by Guest on 10.06.2006 at 23:59

Written by Damnated on 10.06.2006 at 18:52

Written by Vunts on 09.06.2006 at 20:05

Written by Damnated on 09.06.2006 at 19:01


I can recommend for black/doom old Katatonia, but I belive that whit this I wont say anything new.

Old Katatonia is blackish? How come? I did read that their lyrical content could be used in a bm band and that's why a pentagram is in their logo, but black doom...I always thought it was regular doom
If i am mistaken, i'll listen to it again from a different angle.

Listen to Dance Of December Souls then.

I can't see Black Metal in Katatonia neither, not even in their first stuff... Just Doom...

Like I said, I can recommend for black/doo,m old Katatonia . I said black/doom, cuz I saw that although the topic title is depressive black, many black/doom bands are mentioned.

Go get Abyssic Hate's Suicidal Emotions. Best DMB record ive ever heard.

Is Mutiilations later albums (ie Rattenkonig and Majestas Leprosus) as depressive as early stuff like Remains... and Vampires of BIB?

Well Remains... is his best/ most depressive album, but this suicidal feeling is present on all his albums, there's no exeption.

abandon - never ending black torrent of death


good stuff. kind of distorted in a noisy way but its depressive and hypnotic and better than most "suicidal BM" bands.

Written by Guest on 07.06.2006 at 23:39

Well, people in here have a good taste! hehehe! I specially like Mütiilation and Drudkh, two perfect bands! But there is an album (I think that most of people will desagree with me now) called "Stormblast" that I think that it's one of the best depressive black metal albuns ever! Songs like "Alt Lys Er Svunnet Hen" and "Sorgens Kammer" are really dark and melancholic, at least in my opinion... hehehe!

Yeah truly awesome album but it can come under many subdivisions of Black Metal. You could say it is arguably depressive tho...

Drudkh and Burzum are the best depressive Black Metal bands around for me.

I only skimmed over the posts, but I would recommend Silencer from Sweden. They have a sick, sad sort of tune about them. Especially the vocals and warm guitar production, acoustics and synths too. Check it out.

Written by -tom- on 18.06.2006 at 15:05

abandon - never ending black torrent of death


good stuff. kind of distorted in a noisy way but its depressive and hypnotic and better than most "suicidal BM" bands.

i was gonna name this band too. The band is now named Hateful Abandon and has re-released in tape format the Never-Ending Black Torrent of Death tought it is remixed and there are some guitars added.

Also check out Birkenau (I Shalt Become)


But Veil really is the best of depressive black metal.

is the hateful abandon version different then? ill probably get the tape version next time i order from todestrieb.

It's not THAT different, just a few guitar melodies added in some songs. But seriously, for a very cheap price since it's a tape, why would'nt you get it ? You can order it via TODESTRIEB records.

Almost forgot Trails of anguish. It's the only fast paced bm band i know that actualy makes me feel depresed. "Relentless abhorance of Misery's grievance" ias an amazing album. Really worth the listen.

Other band that can be pretty cool and depressive is Ancient Wisdon, specially with their album "Commeth Death Commeth Doom" that can be easilly labelled as Black/Doom... very worthy shit to check.