1st Wave of Black Metal. Most bands here may not be considered black metal as we know it today or even in the 2nd wave, but had some sort of influence of the genre's subject matter, sound and imagery.

1.Bathory - Bathory

2.Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

3.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

4.Blasphemy - Fallen Angel Of Doom

5.Bulldozer - The Day Of Wrath

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Just a list of classic thrash albums I really enjoy, since thrash has had such a good year this year. They are in no particular order.

1.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

2.Anthrax - Among The Living

3.Anthrax - Spreading The Disease

4.Artillery - By Inheritance

5.Assassin - The Upcoming Terror

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1.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

4.Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force

5.Scorpions - Love At First Sting

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Hail the Metal Beginnings

1.Venom - Black Metal

2.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

3.Slayer - Show No Mercy

4.Kreator - Pleasure To Kill

5.Possessed - Seven Churches

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1.Slayer - Reign In Blood

2.Obituary - Cause Of Death

3.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

4.Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law

5.Venom - Black Metal

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1.Venom - Welcome To Hell

2.Mercyful Fate - Mercyful Fate

3.Venom - Black Metal

4.Sodom - Witching Metal

5.666 - Nekrofilie

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This is a list of black metal (and blackened metal) albums based on their artwork (in reverse alphabetical order). It includes iconic cover art from classic albums as well as fascinating work from more recent releases.
There is a saying that "you should not judge a book by its cover", which is of course also true in the case of music albums. However, the artwork can complement the production and give a visual introduction to the musical theme and atmosphere. More than for any other kind of music, this may be true for metal.

(Updated 02.10.2023)

1.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor

2.Yoth Iria - As The Flame Withers

3.Watain - Lawless Darkness

4.Vreid - Lifehunger

5.Venom - Black Metal

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1.AC/DC - Back In Black

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

4.Dio - Holy Diver

5.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

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1.Agalloch - Faustian Echoes

2.Summoning - Nightshade Forests

3.Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales

4.Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids

5.Equilibrium - Waldschrein

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1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

3.Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales

4.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

5.Dio - The Last In Line

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This is unfinished

1.Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge

2.Alestorm - Black Sails At Midnight

3.Alestorm - Back Through Time

4.Almôra - Gates Of Time

5.Ancient Rites - Dim Carcosa

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1.Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

2.Coroner - Punishment For Decadence

3.Hellhammer - Satanic Rites

4.Apocalypse - Apocalypse

5.Drifter - Reality Turns To Dust

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