These are my top Symphonic Black Metal Albums, limited to one per band. Some of these bands have multiple amazing albums, but I wanted to include some of the less heard of bands in this. A few of these might not quite be considered Symphonic Black Metal, but it is close enough for me.

1.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

2.Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order

3.Dimmu Borgir - Spiritual Black Dimensions

4.Old Man's Child - Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation

5.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

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Obviously, a list of my favorite songs, or songs that mean something special to me at least. I don't remember them all of course so I'll be adding more as soon as I'm reminded of them.
I wanted to pull this off on Spotify but I'm missing a whole lot of songs, so I figured this would be a good place to save it.

1.After Forever - Decipher

2.Ahab - The Giant

3.Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs

4.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

5.Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect

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As is the case with my other lists, this is for my own organizational purposes and is designed purely to help me keep track of all the many black metal bands and albums that I enjoy, since I can't keep all of this information in my head. It has no other benefit whatsoever and will likely result in tantrums should anyone else see it. I'm aware that I haven't listened to every black metal album that I should have. I only went down to the 6s on this list, so it's possible that I have listened to your favorite black metal album that you desperately need to suggest and I thought it was terrible. There are a lot of heinously incompetent black metal bands out there.

On the off-chance that you've found this and actually care about what I think (you shouldn't), be advised that my favorites come first. Some are favorites in the general sense; some are favorites within black metal. The first few of those are in some order and not so much after that.

Because this is for my own purposes and not intended to be a definitive list of pure black metal, there are some black metal-adjacent bands, or albums by black metal bands that may not themselves be black metal. That's why you'll find so much Sigh clogging up the top of the list. I prefer to keep whole discographies together on one list. I used to include Primordial, Forefather, and other such bands, but a while back I created a list for folk and I decided that those artists would fit better there.

I update these lists very infrequently. This was last updated December 7, 2022.

1.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

2.Sigh - Graveward

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Sigh - Heir To Despair

5.The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

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These are my rankings for all times of what personally like. Regardless of the style and year. Can someone to his appeal grutine and they are great ... Please comment if you wish.
regards

1.The Ruins Of Beverast - Blood Vaults (The Blazing Gospel Of Heinrich Kramer)

2.Evoken - Antithesis Of Light

3.Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson II

5.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

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- My TOP 75 from 90s (and 80s), 00s and 10s.
- Each TOP 75 ordered from my most favourite down.
- One album for every band in one TOP 75.
- Only full-lengths or EPs/demos with more than half an hour.

Description includes: Genre (traditional/true BM bands are labeled with their countries, e.g. Norwegian Black), year and my personal favourite song of the particular album with link.

Hall of Fame (bands in each time period): Agalloch, Blut Aus Nord, Enslaved, Immortal, Nokturnal Mortum, Summoning

1.

2.Windir - Arntor

3.Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage D'Hiver

4.Blut Aus Nord - Ultima Thulée

5.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

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Note 1: This list will take time before it gets a definitive form (or it might take forever if good gothic metal albums will be released in the future).

Note 2: Another important feature is that this list will not take into consideration the Metalstorm way of labeling what is gothic metal and what isn't. Some albums have gothic metal elements yet they are not categorized as gothic metal. No hard feelings. I am also accepting suggestions as I might slip a couple of albums in the process.

1.Estatic Fear - A Sombre Dance

2.Tiamat - Wildhoney

3.The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow

4.Tristania - Widow's Weeds

5.Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear

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1.Nightwish - Oceanborn

2.Slayer - Diabolus In Musica

3.Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

4.Kamelot - Siége Perilous

5.Fear Factory - Obsolete

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

2.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

3.Cradle Of Filth - Midian

4.Cradle Of Filth - The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh

5.Cradle Of Filth - Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder

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1.Sentenced - Frozen

2.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

3.Anathema - Alternative 4

4.Therion - Vovin

5.Rhapsody Of Fire - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands

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Not *quite* as doomy of a list as the title implies. This is just my current playlist, since my preferences change this time of year.
Post Edit: Now that Bell Witch is on here...it *is* as doomy as the title implies. \m/

1.Kamelot - Silverthorn

2.Bell Witch - Self Titled

3.Wintersun - Time I

4.Watain - Lawless Darkness

5.Sunstorm - House Of Dreams

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1.All time & genre (including Non-Metal on MS)
2.Only studio albums & EPs
3.I DON'T modify this list. So, this list is THE FINAL edition and based on my selection on 1 April 2017. (Modified on 12 February 2022)
4.The genre is primary one.
Last modified on 1 April 2017

...NOTICE: I'm reselecting albums & EPs for "The Timeless Ver2". This will be a bit more stringently selected than "ver1".

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

3.Krallice - Diotima

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Deathspell Omega - Kénôse

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1.The Gathering - How To Measure A Planet?

2.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

3.Theatre Of Tragedy - Aégis

4.The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow

5.Therion - Vovin

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1.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

2.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

3.Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger

4.1349 - Hellfire

5.Burzum - Belus

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1.Cradle Of Filth - V Empire

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

3.Cradle Of Filth - Midian

4.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

5.Cradle Of Filth - Nymphetamine

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My take on the greatest albums ever... (No, early 70s Black Sabbath is NOT metal, and neither is Led Zeppelin.)

1.Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

2.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

3.King Diamond - Abigail

4.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

5.Slayer - Reign In Blood

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