Black Metal History Month-The Decade's Top 10 Black Metal Albums

Black Metal is not thought of as the "problematic" genre of metal. At one time it was the cool new thing hipsters were pretending to be into with no clue what the genre was about aside from Urban Legend, corpse paint, and blast beats. Over the past decade, I have covered at least 300 Black Metal albums. By decade we are taking into consideration that we are only two months into 2024, so we are counting from  2013 to 2023. Many of these albums were overlooked or underappreciated by the mainstream metal press when they were released. I implore you to give them a listen if you have not heard them and a second listen if you have as you will hear how well they have held up over the years. They are ranked per how much I have listened to them, a thanks goes to Last FM for keeping track of this for me, it makes life easier. 

10-Noctambulist -"Eiegieen" 2021

This band from the Netherlands caught me by surprise. They expand their horizons past just the scathing buzz of black metal you are first hit with here. They share some common ground with Deafheaven sonically but are considerably darker.  They are very concise songwriters without leaving too much room to simmer in their atmosphere. Their atmosphere contributes to the sparkling melodies that are layered in here. This creates a range of emotion beyond the screams of the vocals which are much nastier than Deafheaven's more monotone snarl. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2021/02/black-metal-history-month-noctambulist.html

9-Inquisition-"Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar beyond the Celestial Zenith " 2016

The band's strongest work to date, finds them growing out of their earlier sound into a more melodic darkness. This is not to say the album is not rooted in who they are, as the way Dagon lets the chords ring out with such eerie dissonance you know who this is before being plugged into the throttling descent. Drummer Incubus marks himself as one of the best in the genre on this album as he brings some sinister grooves and really lays into his high hat. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/inquisition-bloodshed-across-empyrean.html

8-Nachtmystium- "The World We Left Behind" 2014

The fate of the band was in limbo when this album was made, as Judd was going through some personal issues that led him to seek out recovery. So this album carried the emotional turmoil of that time in his life and marks a new chapter for both Judd and the band. They took elements of classic metal and blended it with the more psychedelic black metal sound they made their calling card, to weave impressive songs from that stand as a powerful testament to what a great band they were. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/08/nachtmystium-world-we-left-behind.html

7-Chrome Waves - "Where We Live " 2020

This album proves black metal does not have to be hung up on blast beats . Black metal can also have some melodic vocals thrown in here and there. It might get called black gaze this time around, but the intent is still pretty mean and hard-driving despite the sonic texturing that leans in that direction. It has a depressive sound, so pretty much everything I might want from Black Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/chrome-waves-where-we-live.html

6-Satyricon- "Deep Calleth Upon Deep"  2017

These guys got mean again. This album grew on me as it throbs with darkness. It has a disdain more than anger to it. There is a groove and hints of melody. The drums are less produced than I expected. When I get into the winding riffs This album does have a rawer element than their previous work, with the guitar getting adventurous in its use of melody.  Great drumming provides the landslide for the corak of the vocals to ride triumphant upon. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/satyricon-deep-calleth-upon-deep.html

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5-Tombs - "the Grand Annihilation" 2017

Any questions regarding Tombs legitimacy as black metal is cleared the fuck up right from the first few notes. The guitar tone peels your face off and leaves a bloody stain on the wall behind you. If you thought the more post-punk elements were diluting the more metallic properties then make most mistakes this part of the album is up to you as metal as it gets. Then if your tastes fall more on the dark side as mine do then you have to hang on and you get that too.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/tombs-grand-annihilation.html

4-Kall- "s/t" 

Living former members of Lifelover returned to come at their legacy from a more post- black metal atmospheric direction while retaining every ounce of bleakness. Perhaps not as depressive as Lifelover, but that means the bar was very high. You get the message here without the dramatics of their former glory. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/12/kall-st.html

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3-Mayhem- "Esoteric Warfare" 2014

A band that needs no introduction as they are the un-godly fathers of the second wave of black metal. This lineup was helmed by   Necrobutcher, Hellhammer, and Attila board as well as the addition of newcomer Teloch from Nidingr on guitars. He has been playing with the band since 2011, but this is his first studio appearance. The latter helped keep the band's sound intact, as he had been playing their earlier material so knew how to blend it into the new stuff. They do not try to bank on former glory but take things in a new direction. It's important that Mayhem released this album rather than revisiting classic ground they have already tread,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/mayhemesoteric-warfare.html

2- Atriarch- "An Unending Pathway" 

The band's first album for Relapse Records did not find their sound dramatically altered. The biggest shift between this album and "Ritual of Passing",  is they are delving much further into the whole death-rock vibe. It's not your typical death rock where it's punk rock with a little Halloween to it, but an actual worship of death. This is black metal that just flew out of the Bat Cave. sounds like the guys in Atriarch are also not opposed to the post-Rozz Williams years of Christian death, as there is a similar serpentine slither writhing. This is a good case for darkness being just as heavy as metal. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/10/atriarch-unending-pathway.html

1-Watain- "The Wild Hunt" 

"the Lawless Darkness" is a perfect album, thus making them dig deep to write a follow-up to it. Rather than replicating what they did on that album Erik took chances and went in a darker more melodic direction that includes a dusky power ballad of sorts and a gothic haze over the less pounding moments. It is an album I returned to for the most repeat listens and endured the decade with

\ https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2013/08/watain-wild-hunt.html

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