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.Bathory - Hammerheart

5.Mgła - Exercises In Futility

      View entire list ››

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. And I'm not broke yet.

Character limit maxed in mid-May (lockdown increased my music intake too much), so needed to cut down some entries.

I also gave up listing all the potential MSA candidates I ploughed through in late December

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Elder - Omens

3.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

4.Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea

5.Barishi - Old Smoke

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

I don't think these are necessarily the best 30 albums of this year, but they're the ones that have I guess endured in my psyche and inspiried revisits more than most others. I was tempted to do a top 50, but after around #26 or so, I found myself confronted with about 50 albums that could've conceivably made it in, most of which I hadn't relistened to enough to rank above the others with confidence.

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Elder - Omens

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

5.Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea

      View entire list ››

1.Imha Tarikat - Sternenberster

2.Akhlys - Melinoë

3.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

4.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

5.Jordablod - The Cabinet Of Numinous Song

      View entire list ››

Top 30 in alphabetical order plus some honourable mentions, the top 3 EPs and the best split. Here in the Black Lodge we had some other 20 album that could get in, but the gates in Twin Peaks woods slammed down in flickering flashlights...
The comments are from my delirious tulpa...

1.Above Aurora - The Shrine Of Deterioration

2.Acherontas - Psychic Death - The Shattering Of Perceptions

3.Akhlys - Melinoë

4.Ars Magna Umbrae - Apotheosis

5.Blaze Of Perdition - The Harrowing Of Hearts

      View entire list ››

Surely not everything I've listened to, not even close. Every year I use Spotify to make some megalist and start plowing through. Most albums are listened to and discarded, but those that pique my interest get shunted into the Keeper playlist. (I also use other media when needed - particularly Bandcamp - but Spotify remains my favorite.)

1.10,000 Years - 10​,​000 Years

2.Acid Mammoth - Under Acid Hoof

3....And Oceans - Cosmic World Mother

4.Aversio Humanitatis - Behold The Silent Dwellers

5.Baardvader - Baardvader

      View entire list ››

Horrible times. Thank the metal gods for music.

1.A Light In The Dark - Insomnia

2.Ages - Uncrown

3.Ainsoph - Ω - V

4.An Autumn For Crippled Children - All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet

5.An Evening With Knives - Sense Of Gravity

      View entire list ››

1.Vile Creature - Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!

2.Fuck The Facts - Pleine Noirceur

3.Duma - Duma

4.Thou - May Our Chambers Be Full [Collaboration]

5.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

      View entire list ››

1.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

2.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

5.Black Crown Initiate - Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape

      View entire list ››

updated, but still more bands to consider

1.Spectral Lore - Wanderers: Astrology Of The Nine [Collaboration]

2.Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods

3.Abigor - Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook)

4.Enslaved - Utgard

5.Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo

      View entire list ››

My top to bottom list of everything from 2020 I've spent time with and have also purchased either physically or digitally (which is why most of them have high ratings). Releases featured on MS only. Whole number ratings out of 10 and my personal opinions included.

NOTE: I am no longer updating this list. 2020 was a great year for music despite being not a great year in general but I am onto a 2021 list. You can check it out here: http://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6525

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Caligula's Horse - Rise Radiant

3.Sojourner - Premonitions

4.On Thorns I Lay - Threnos

5.Elder - Omens

      View entire list ››

To keep track of albums i've listened to this year.

1.Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

2.Malokarpatan - Krupinské Ohne

3.Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

4.Elder - Omens

5.Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough: Volume I [Collaboration]

      View entire list ››

1.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

2.Katatonia - City Burials

3.Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?

4.Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

5.Lorna Shore - Immortal

      View entire list ››

----Updated every weeks----

I'm looking for all genres without exceptions, with currently little preferencies for Progressive, Death and Black metal! Listenning to every albums 2 or 3 times at less before including it in my list.
I specify my favourite songs in order of preferency

❤ = Amazing song!

1.Intronaut - Fluid Existential Inversions

2.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

3.Igorrr - Spirituality And Distortion

4.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

5.Dark Fortress - Spectres From The Old World

      View entire list ››