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Low Tones In Kvlt: The Best Of Bass Black Metal
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Thumbs up: +16
Bassy black metal. Easy enough to understand: black metal with a distinctly pronounced role for the bass and in which the bass is noticeably audible.

Alphabetical order by band, one album per band. Recs appreciated and encouraged. Links for full streams when available.

Created by: Auntie Sahar | 13.07.2019


1. Abigor - Time Is The Sulphur In The Veins Of The Saint: An Excursion On Satan's Fragmenting Principle
https://tinyurl.com/y65by4ak
2. Aeon Patronist - Mortal Prosternation
https://tinyurl.com/yxhutp6e
3. Aluk Todolo - Voix
Krautrock infused black metal (at times more of the former) with a heavy improvisational edge and an extremely tasty bass delivery. Very psychedelic rock inspired, bouncy, and intricate work here in the four string department. https://tinyurl.com/h3p2ty8
4. Angst Skvadron - Sweet Poison
Spacey black metal that's pretty midtempo, groovy, and has a cheesy yet effective sci fi aesthetic to it. A bit like Oranssi Pazuzu, but rawer and not quite as intricate in the songwriting. https://tinyurl.com/yy5zvfqp
5. Annthennath - States Of Liberating Departure
https://tinyurl.com/y3uxlo65
6. Black Narcisssus - Beyond The Whispers Of Common Men
https://tinyurl.com/y52m385c
7. Délirant - Délirant
Psychedelic black metal from Spain, much like LOC and Wormlust in the bass delivery: audible, but not necessarily predominant, preferring instead to lurk quietly behind the rest of the instrumentation sweetly tickling your brain stem. https://tinyurl.com/y6lytfmr
8. Fullmoon Bongzai - Is All That You Deserve
This Greek band is W-E-I-R-D. They're admittedly more industrial than they are black metal, but the black metal influence to their sound is definitely there in the mix. This album is a puzzling journey through an electronic/black metal fusion in which the bass, while not necessarily as pronounced as on some of the other albums in this list, is still pretty audible and lurks devilishly throughout. https://tinyurl.com/yyus2eew
9. Gnaw Their Tongues - Eschatological Scatology
Noise-heavy, abysmal black metal with no guitar, bass, and a host of swirling, electronic effects. With no guitar, as one could imagine, the bass gets all the glory here, summoning a delivery that is plodding, at times surprisingly catchy, and altogether hellish. https://tinyurl.com/y3rfy227
10. Grav - Projektioner Af Död
https://tinyurl.com/yyxp7pcj
11. Hädanfärd - Smutsiga Sinnen
https://tinyurl.com/y2nmhkar
12. Hakuja - Legacy
https://tinyurl.com/yyupaxup
13. Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury
I'm bending the rules a little here, as personally I think Imperial Triumphant are more of an off kilter, Avant-garde death metal than they are black, and even then there's a hearty dose of jazz influence to their sound too. Nonetheless, I feel I'd be remiss in keeping this album off the list, as here bassist Steve Blanco is definitely the star of the show in my book. His work on this album is nothing short of intricate and thoroughly impressive. https://tinyurl.com/yy8hxfe2
14. Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike
15. Laster - Het Wassen Oog
If there's one black metal band today that most appears to tap into the legacy of Ved Buens Ende, it might just be Laster. This peculiar Dutch black metal trio dub their approach as "obscure dance music." It can be upbeat, raw, and energetic at points, but then those more danceable moments will gradually take over, in which the bass comes to the forefront and things get a lot groovier and more interesting. https://tinyurl.com/yyslmfmc
16. Lurker Of Chalice - Lurker Of Chalice
Although LOC has less material to go by than Leviathan, it's easy to tell with the material that with this project Wrest was focusing a lot more on ambiance and mood than anything else. As such, here the bass has a lot more room to breathe in the composition than with Leviathan, resulting in an approach where, while it's not necessarily the most dominant instrument in the mix, it's presence is still definitely felt, slowly creeping up your spine in the background. https://tinyurl.com/yxmyvprf
17. Mörkö - Itsensänimeävä
A bizarre blackened doom band from Finland with psychedelic undercurrents. Bouncy, upbeat, and pleasantly audible bass delivery here, especially on the second and third tracks. https://tinyurl.com/yxajjbge
18. Murmur - Mainlining The Lugubrious
Very raw and abrasive most of the time, this album does nonetheless have an eerie sense of ambiance to it, and plenty of moments in which the black metal aggression which forms the bulk of it gives way to more melodic passages in which the bass comes out a lot better. Much like the LOC delivery: low in the mix, but quietly spooky and helps a lot to make the overall songwriting a lot more unique than it would be otherwise. https://tinyurl.com/y6nzmvsp
19. Necromantia - Crossing The Fiery Path
One of the originators of the "bass heavy black metal" approach along with Ved Buens Ende, this unusual Greek trio were one of the earliest examples of genuine experimental black metal. Two bassists, no guitar, and synth heavy, almost Castlevania-like atmospheres make this one of the most original albums of 90s black metal. https://tinyurl.com/yyq2xrna
20. Negativa - 03
Midtempo, quasi psychedelic black metal with a pretty nice treble-heavy, rumbling bass delivery given throughout. On a side note, Wormlust's HV Lyngdal is on vocals here, another big seller that definitely makes this album worth checking out. https://tinyurl.com/yxlkm4pt
21. Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä
Oranssi Pazuzu are one of the unquestionable kings of bassy black metal, all thanks to the talents of bassist Toni Hietamäki. There really isn't any one album in their discography where the bass performance is better than others, but I just personally enjoy Toni's lines on this album more than the others. Fat, warm, spacious bass tone that is deliciously audible in the overall mix without overpowering the other instruments. https://tinyurl.com/z7qln8e
22. Skáphe - Untitled
This little 22 minute EP seems to be a lot more ambient-influenced than Skáphe's earlier work, and features a considerably more up front role for the bass. Once again, the music on this album seems to really tap into the LOC legacy, as the goal of the bass here isn't to really pummel you or dominate the other instruments, but to serve as that extra, eerie layer backing up the other instrumentation with its eerie lines. https://tinyurl.com/y4lzsytk
23. Sólstafir - Masterpiece Of Bitterness
Atmospheric, somewhat folky Icelandic black metal in which the bass has a nice role in the overall mix and rumbles along fairly audibly across all the tracks. Admittedly the bass here isn't as pronounced as it is on a lot of other albums on this list, but hey, at least it's not just following the guitar lines note for note and is actually audible.
24. Strid - Strid
https://tinyurl.com/y5oqtx7u
25. Susvourtre - Demo 1996
https://tinyurl.com/y54bbt4p
26. Thecodontion - Jurassic
Dual bass black metal with no guitar. I imagine this is something like what Horse Latitudes might sound like if they played black metal, but even better. Really distinct and pretty wicked sound. https://tinyurl.com/yywgb86f
27. Tómarúm - Demo MMXIX
https://tinyurl.com/y2an9bzg
28. Ustalost - The Spoor Of Vipers
https://tinyurl.com/y4yufb5n
29. Ved Buens Ende - Written In Waters
Another originator of the "bassy black metal" style, Ved Buens Ende established a lot of important staples for experimental black metal, even if they ultimately only left us this one debut. Dissonant, bouncy style in which the bass creates pretty intricate lines and is pleasantly audible in the mix, an approach that would only be further expanded upon with Virus, something of a spiritual successor to VBE. https://tinyurl.com/y6839o5q
30. Wormlust - The Feral Wisdom
The debut of this powerful Icelandic one manner took a strong lesson from LOC with the bass delivery, but even seems to expand upon the LOC legacy for something much grander in that realm. Swirling psychedelic black metal where the bass is crisp and actually quite in the forefront on several occasions. Absolutely delicious. https://tinyurl.com/y5lz5yta


Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Auntie Sahar ]



Comments

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Comments: 12   Visited by: 86 users
13.07.2019 - 22:16
Mercurial
I've been ordered to comment on this list and recommend Ustalost.
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13.07.2019 - 22:18
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Mercurial on 13.07.2019 at 22:16

I've been ordered to comment on this list and recommend Ustalost.

Tee hee

I admittedly didn't listen to that album as much as I probably should have when it first came out, I can't recall it too much and how pronounced the bass on it really was or wasn't. Time for a revisit then!
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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13.07.2019 - 22:20
Mercurial
Written by Auntie Sahar on 13.07.2019 at 22:18

Tee hee

I admittedly didn't listen to that album as much as I probably should have when it first came out, I can't recall it too much and how pronounced the bass on it really was or wasn't. Time for a revisit then!

It's an album I hum the bass along to, so fairly bassy.

I feel like I've heard a lot of other bassy black stuff lately so will have a think.
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14.07.2019 - 00:31
Zap
How did you forget about Alkerdeel?
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14.07.2019 - 00:37
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Zap on 14.07.2019 at 00:31

How did you forget about Alkerdeel?

I consider them more sludge than black, personally. Might go on here eventually
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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14.07.2019 - 00:42
Zap
Written by Auntie Sahar on 14.07.2019 at 00:37

Written by Zap on 14.07.2019 at 00:31

How did you forget about Alkerdeel?

I consider them more sludge than black, personally. Might go on here eventually

I would agree with you if we were talking only about the first two full-lengths, but Lede was definitely mostly black and that album had some tasty bass lines.
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14.07.2019 - 00:52
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Zap on 14.07.2019 at 00:42

I would agree with you if we were talking only about the first two full-lengths, but Lede was definitely mostly black and that album had some tasty bass lines.

I'll make a note to revisit it then, haven't spun it in a while
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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14.07.2019 - 01:42
nikarg
Staff
Necromantia did not have the career they deserved.

There are albums I need to check out but I like so much of the stuff in this list, hence the thumbs up
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14.07.2019 - 02:56
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by nikarg on 14.07.2019 at 01:42

Necromantia did not have the career they deserved.

Agreed, pretty underrated band. I really love the black metal bands who were experimenting a lot with the sound of the genre early on, like back in the late 80s, early 90s. Necromantia, Ved Buens Ende, Woods Of Belial, ones like that.
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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15.07.2019 - 14:29
Desha
delicious dish
Salivating over this list, since I love a bit of a focus on bass.
Dunno if it really fits, but I remember Gnipahålan having good bass.
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You are the hammer, I am the nail
building a house in the fire on the hill
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18.07.2019 - 20:31
Ludicus
Ludicus
What about An Autumn For Crippled Children? As album rec, go for Only The Ocean Knows.
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18.07.2019 - 20:33
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Staff
Written by Ludicus on 18.07.2019 at 20:31

What about An Autumn For Crippled Children?

Cut the crap and come to Rolo Tomassi
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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