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.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

2.Burzum - Filosofem

3.Burzum - Det Som Engang Var

4.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

5.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

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(Easiest choice for number one so far)

Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Deicide - Legion (Death)
Candlemass - Chapter VI (Doom)
Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction (Heavy)
Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark (NWOBHM)

Non-Metal mentions:
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (Rap)

1.Alice In Chains - Dirt

2.Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ

3.Obituary - The End Complete

4.Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

5.Holy Moses - Reborn Dogs

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1.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

2.Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

3.Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

4.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

5.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

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1.Death - Spiritual Healing

2.Slayer - Reign In Blood

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

5.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

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1.Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

2.Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

3.Running Wild - Pile Of Skulls

4.Alice In Chains - Dirt

5.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

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1.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

2.Iron Maiden - Killers

3.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

4.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

5.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

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1.Paradise Lost - Gothic

2.Tiamat - Wildhoney

3.Dissection - The Somberlain

4.Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory

5.Deicide - Deicide

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1.Paradise Lost - Gothic

2.Tiamat - Wildhoney

3.Dissection - The Somberlain

4.Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory

5.Deicide - Deicide

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1-5: Amazing Albums
6-10: Good Albums
11-13: "Meh..."
14-16: Shit

1.Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon

2.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

3.Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger

4.Darkthrone - Panzerfaust

5.Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance

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10 essential Black Metal albums, that every self-respecting Black Metal fan should own. Well, that's my opinion.

1.Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

2.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

3.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

4.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

5.Ulver - Nattens Madrigal - Aatte Hymne Til Ulven I Manden

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1.The Bug - London Zoo

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Sarcófago - I.N.R.I.

4.Cheshyre - Cheshyre

5.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

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1.Converge - Jane Doe

2.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Faith No More - Angel Dust

5.Slayer - South Of Heaven

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stupid list. I'll change it all next week

*cough* make that, next year. now is the time to re-assess priorities

and because no-one reads this regardless, here's some priorities for later:
Nuclear | Deception | Duskmachine | The Outside | Rex Mundi | Respawn
Wampus Cat and some other Amps, and others near end o W on MA | PlaS

1.Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill

2.Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

3.Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

4.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

5.Pantera - Far Beyond Driven

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Weird year. The top 3 are without a doubt some of the best albums ever made. The rest is mostly good, some great. But I have to say there's a lot of overrated albums on the list.

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

3.Devil Doll - Sacrilegium

4.Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

5.Burzum - Burzum

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