My initial rendition was looking at the USBM scene. Next I opted to dive into where it arguably all began… Norway. My most recent exploration was into Switzerland’s scene. Rather than repeatedly coming up with a new list, I thought I would blow it all up and start anew. This list will serve as my comprehensive findings on a country by country basis. It will allow me to move on more quickly rather than having to keep a small select group of bands on my Apple Music search history. This is not intended to simply start laundry listing every single band from across the globe. I will note below which country I’m currently dabbling in. Feel free to suggest within the confines of countries already listened to and the one currently being explored. Check back to see what is the next to be explored.

Categorized by country
Organized alphabetically
One album per band

Currently listing: Switzerland
Currently investigating: Germany
On deck: Austria

1.

2.Aaskereia - Dort, Wo Das Alte Böse Ruht

3.Balnasar - Ein Kalter Nachtgedanke

4.Brocken Moon - Das Märchen Vom Schnee

5.Cold Earth - Your Misery, My Triumph

      View entire list ››

For those interested in suggestions of albums by genre

Removed:
- Trolls
- Limp bizkit outside of Alternative category
- albums already nominated. After the results, I will add the nominated albums that don't receive enough votes to be displayed in the results, as "staff write-ins".
- albums with a release date not in 2021

1.

2.Heleven - Into The Oceans

3.Imminence - Heaven In Hiding

4.Lantlôs - Wildhund

5.Leprous - Aphelion

      View entire list ››

Limited only to the albums I rate higher than 7.
Suggestions are extremely welcomed.

1.Theologian - Nonextant

2.She Spread Sorrow - Hunters

3.Choir - Songs For A Tarnished World

4.Five The Hierophant - Through Aureate Void

5.Fragment King - Retreat

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A couple of years ago I was still at the point where the IPA Gods had not bestowed the appreciation of that type of beer upon me. Then. One fateful night in Denver, CO I had a Voodoo Ranger and it changed my opinion of IPAs.

It seems that 2021 is the year that I started to gain an appreciation for Avant-garde Black.

1.Mortiferum - Preserved In Torment

2.Ustalost - Before The Glinting Spell Unvests

3.Krallice - Demonic Wealth

4.The Temple (NZL) - The Temple

5.Worm - Foreverglade

      View entire list ››

Albums i've enjoyed in 2021

1.Turnstile - Glow On

2.Deafheaven - Infinite Granite

3.Herzel - Le Dernier Rempart

4.The Flight Of Sleipnir - Eventide

5.Midnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 2 - The Golden Orb

      View entire list ››

10 years of lists. No plans to slow down.

1.Sermon Of Flames - I Have Seen The Light, And It Was Repulsive

2.Ustalost - Before The Glinting Spell Unvests

3.Worm - Foreverglade

4.Lykhaeon - Opprobrium

5.Kwade Droes - Met Onoprechte Deelneming

      View entire list ››

1.Lorna Shore - ...And I Return To Nothingness

2.Harakiri For The Sky - Mære

3.Monolord - Your Time To Shine

4.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

5.Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Noktvrn

      View entire list ››

1.Worm - Foreverglade

2.Mortiferum - Preserved In Torment

3.Gosudar - Morbid Despotic Ritual

4.Fluisteraars - Gegrepen Door De Geest Der Zielsontluiking

5.Ustalost - Before The Glinting Spell Unvests

      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 ››

1.Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

2.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

3.Master's Hammer - Ritual

4.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

5.Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

      View entire list ››