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.Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

2.Antimatter - Black Market Enlightenment

3.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

4.Hamferð - Támsins Likam

5.Riverside - Wasteland

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2018 was a great musical year for me as I finally had enough pocket money to satisfy my CD mania... It took me only three decades...

So here is my top 50 of 2018

Album count: 140
Average rating: 7.13

1.Ihsahn - Àmr

2.Skuggsjá - Hugsjá

3.Judas Priest - Firepower

4.At The Gates - To Drink From The Night Itself

5.Antimatter - Black Market Enlightenment

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Favourite albums of 2018 (including only those which I would rate 7+)

1.Deafheaven - Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

2.Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

3.Rolo Tomassi - Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It

4.Between The Buried And Me - Automata I

5.Berried Alive - Bearies Alive

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Good year but a lack of more awesome stuff compared to the decade.

1.Tribulation - Down Below

2.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

3.Suotana - Land Of The Ending Time

4.Necrophobic - Mark Of The Necrogram

5.Vanhelga - Fredagsmys

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1.Necrophobic - Mark Of The Necrogram

2.Aborted - TerrorVision

3.Bloodbath - The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn

4.Deicide - Overtures Of Blasphemy

5.Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods

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1.Yob - Our Raw Heart

2.Obscura - Diluvium

3.Horrendous - Idol

4.Imperial Triumphant - Vile Luxury

5.Behemoth - I Loved You At Your Darkest

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2018 albums repos

1.Tribulation - Down Below

2.Anna Von Hausswolff - Dead Magic

3.Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs

4.Therion - Beloved Antichrist

5.The Atlas Moth - Coma Noir

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1.Judas Priest - Firepower

2.Traitor - Knee-Deep In The Dead

3.Ashes Of Ares - Well Of Souls

4.Mantar - The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze

5.Anaal Nathrakh - A New Kind Of Horror

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No stars - Don't know yet
✮✮✮✮✮ - Incredible, possibly Album Of The Year
✮✮✮✮½ - Awesome
✮✮✮✮ - Solid release
✮✮✮½ - Good release
✮✮✮ - Not bad
✮✮½ - Shuffle material (probably boring as an album)
✮✮ - Disappointing

1.Barren Earth - A Complex Of Cages

2.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

3.Tribulation - Down Below

4.Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

5.Madder Mortem - Marrow

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1.Shining - X - Varg Utan Flock

2.Alkaloid - Liquid Anatomy

3.Tribulation - Down Below

4.Horrendous - Idol

5.Karg - Dornenvögel

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1.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

2.Vermilia - Kätkyt

3.Sulphur Aeon - The Scythe Of Cosmic Chaos

4.Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit

5.Tribulation - Down Below

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Everything I find worthy found of (but not necessarily in) 2018.
I'm not an eclectic person. I listen to extreme metal, underground pop, electronic music and weird stuff. Even better if it's lo-fi weird stuff. Don't expect to find much out of that line here.

List in constant progress
Enjoy... Or not

1.Lemmings Suicide Myth - St

2.Death Fortress - Reign Of The Unending

3.Zebulon Kosted & Stormhammer - The Murderous Kleptocrat Francisco Macias Nguema

4.Urbangarde - Ai To Gensou No Urbangarde

5.Tentenko - All You Need Is cat

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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

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