Black Metal History Month -the Top 50 Black Metal Albums of All Time-40 to 31

Here we go further into the countdown of the top 50 black metal albums of all time. Before I sat down at my computer I confessed to someone that I do not know why I continue to subjecting myself to the work that goes into making these lists. You my faithful reader seem to like them as the numbers don't lie so in honor of Black Metal History month I will press on. Obviously when ranking these I am looking for what I have listened to the most. Many of these I owned long before I had a Last Fm page to help track what I listened to and going with my gut. Best is not the fastest. Best is not even the most satanic though that gets these bands more points than just relying on speed. What has stood the test of time and I continue to return to are the most important qualifications. So here we go...

40-Inquisition- "Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm"

My rule is when in doubt go with the album that got you into the band in the first place.Aside from the weird production choices on this album this rule stands pretty solid with these guys. It also is yet another black metal album from 2010. This album they kept the SATAN up front, they come across as an evil version of Immortal. Granted with the production on this album they are not as big and thundering as Immortal or as big and thundering as the albums that follow, but there is just something about these songs that earns it this spot.


 





 

39-Wolves in the Throne Room - "Black Cascade" 


 Here is another one where I have to go with my gut. The more organic guitar sound of this album, elevates it above the others. These guys have been known to get distracted by the atmosphere and wander away from their camp fire. There is atmosphere to this album and I think it occurs in the most natural way possible.

38-Ulver-Nattens Madrigal -


 Ulver might not be a black metal band now, but they once were. I prefer their mid-period where the two sides of the band were balanced, they also have many albums from this era where half the album is instrumental so picking what is best can be tricky, so with these guys there are a couple of album's I might have listened to more, but this is the black metal album I have listened to the most. For black metal the guitar solos on this one prove solos can work on a black metal album.

 37- Blut Aus Nord- "the Work Which Transforms God"

 These guys are similar to Ulver in the fact that they might have album's I am listened to more, but those album's are not black metal. So the rule is just because a band starts off as black metal doesn't grandfather later albums in by default. I think as far as their black metal albums goes this one is the best because it is so dark it borders on being depressive suicidal black metal. Their tendencies towards atmospheric experimentation are still firmly intact for this 2003 album and they set the bar for French black to follow them.


 

36- Hail Spirit Noir-" Oi magoi" 

 This Greek band takes a progressive approach to bringing their brand of darkness. The execution is flawless and they refuse to play by the rules.They do have the occasional blast beat, but sound like they are just as influenced by Deep Purple as they are Darkthrone. There are sections where it feels like they are wandering off into a jam, which is something you never hear in black metal.For a genre that is all about freedom and being a non-conformist, black metal all too often adhere to closely to playing in the confinements of being true rather than taking risks and this album celebrates the risks they take.



35- Lifelover-"Sjukdom"

 The band broke up after this album was released due to the overdose of their guitarist. They were not always black metal in the strictest sense by the time this album rolled around. I think the mood and the other influences brought to the table expanded what black metal could be. Like most of the depressive black metal, the emphasis is on an emotional heaviness. Sometimes this translates over into a metallic heaviness. Not burdened by an overabundance of blast beats, they sometimes veer into a more black n roll realm. I think this is a fitting picture of their full realized musical vision.

 


34-Twilight- "Monument to Time End"

 This supergroup made an astounding album of forward thinking black metal, when they tried to mess with the formula and bring Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth into the fold, things went sour. But this album is a monument before that time ended. The guitars on here bring a indie rock sensibility and layers of melody. It is an album that is as heavy sonically as it is metal.

 

33 Arckanum-"Helvítismyrkr" 


 One of the amazing things about this album is it was created by one person. While this is less uncommon in black metal due to the misanthropic nature of the artists who play it, this album feels very organic like it is four guys jamming in a room. The drums are just as well played as the guitar parts to there is not the uneven feel of programmed drums that sound too thin for black metal. This doesn't follow the blue print of most Swedish black metal and owes little to Dissection.

32 - Moonsorrow-"Varjoina_kuljemme_kuolleiden_maassa" .

This 2011 album is so epic even the band themselves could not touch it when they tried to follow it up five years later. While it could also be on the top 50 pagan or viking metal albums list...if I ever get around to doing it or am even able to think of 50 albums worth a damn from those sub-genres. This album is dark enough to earn it's place here. Epic has become an overused term when it comes to metal, but if I had to pick one album on this list to use it for it describes the cinematic quality of what is going on here. Often the vocals are the most black metal element on the battle field, but I think this incredible album pushes the boundaries of what black metal can be. The folk elements are very well done and add to the over all sound rather than being a Middle Earthen distraction.


 

31-Marduk- "Plague Angel"

When mentioning bands from the second wave of black metal these guys are in the big 4 along side Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor and Burzum. Sure they might have albums that are more cvlt, but the songs are what matter and here they come off of some of the more spastic bursts of aggression to throb with a darkness that carries a more convincing feeling.A little more of an intimate feel to this album than what would happen on "Wormwood" and everything that follows.


 

The Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2016

This could almost be the top 10 Hard rock albums of 2016, as many of these bands ride the line between what is metal and what is not. These are the band's you are much more likely to hear on your Sirrus Radio or any air waves that venture into metal like KNAC. Some of these are veterans who are back in fighting shape and the very fact that they are mainstream means they have already paid their dues in the clubs at the very least. These are no the kind of bands sites like Cvlt Nation would cover, but are more likely to be found in the few print sources at their so if you have still not figured out how we are defining mainstream then go back to sniffing glue, here are your top ten mainstream metal albums of 2016.


10-Flotsam and Jetsam -s/t

It's been a good year so far for the legends of metal, both Anthrax and Metal Church returned with strong albums lets see if Arizona's thrash lords can do the same. Granted their first three albums were their best, they did not have as long of a prolific run as Anthrax. Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner is on the throne for this one, but three of the original members are still intact. Eric AK's voice has taken some wear and tear. It's still powerful, but gone are the yodels that once rivaled King Diamond's upper range. King Diamond still has it so I expect to hear him attempt one. They can still thrash with authority on the opener and don't slow down for better or for worse

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/flotsam-jetsam-st.html

9-Daniel Lioneye- "Vol. 3"


The solo band of H.I.M guitarist Linde Lindstorm, takes out the bulk of the cheese that was stinking up the later H.I.M albums. Said to have been more influenced by black metal than his work with H.i.M, I'll say it's heavier but not black metal. The vocals are baritone croon, not far from what Vile did in H.I.M, just less gasped and over accented. It's right at the border of metal and hard rock for me. H.I.M often referred to their sound as "love metal" which was another way for saying we make music for girls and sissy boys. This is not as sissy boy as Linda former band, but if you are a regular reader here then chances are this won't cut it as metal for you regardless of how many times they opened for Cradle of Filth. Judged on it's own merits as hard rock, its pretty decent.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/daniel-lioneye-vol-3.html

8-Metal Church- "XI" 

The Metal gods of yesteryear are coming back strong this year.Things have changed since  Metal Church's electric steeple was held high. While well written I don't think "Killing Your Time" is actually metal and falls on more the the hard rock side of the coin. Chances are if this is your idea of metal you too have failed to change with the times. The strum of an acoustic guitar starts of the more aggressive attack of "No Tomorrow". When "Blessing in Disguise" came out the band as actually thrashing, but here they are only marginally heavier than W.A.S.P.
Mike Howe's voice sounds great. He has a good blend of grit and singing actual notes. His melody on the chorus of "No Tomorrow" couldn't be more solid. "Signal Path" has more of a classic metal vibe, that most of us think of us power-metal these days.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/metal-church-xi.html

7- Moonsorrow-" Jumalten Aika" 

 It's been five years since the Finnish overlords of pagan metal left us with "Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa". The album opens with folk instruments creating a ritualistic aura.After a  minute and a half of this they storm into the kinda of  larger than life metal you have come to expect from them. The black metal side of what they do is toned down on this album.They have more in common the more epic side of folk metal. Holding true to their mission statement this does have a commanding viking feel, without inspiring you to go into a jig with your drinking horn. They wait is in some part due to the ambitious production value this album was crafted with.  The drums have enough thunder to make Thor jealous. Production wise this might be their biggest drum sound yet. This drummer might have always been a monster, but this albums really shines a spotlight on the fact.

6- Red Fang - "Only Ghosts"


 In the past when I heard them I thought they were a little derivative of Kyuss. While they are not re-inventing the wheel here, and are arguably taking more inspiration from the more hooky direction Torche went in back in 2008 on "Meanderthal", the songs are well written and by the time the vocals switch over into the hook, I am enjoying myself.  The riff to "Cut It Short " owes more to Devo's "Girl You Want" or Kiss' "Rocket Ride" than any Black Sabbath song. Ross Robinson did a good job here. I like the production on the vocals and there is a great bass tone this album. I am not sure this is what I would call metal as is rocks about as hard as the Foo- Fighters or Queens of the Stone-age.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/red-fang-only-ghosts.html

5-Deftones- "Gore" 

 The Deftones are the last nu-metal band standing that changed in their house of flies enough to remain relevant as the years have passed them by. Sergio Vega from Quicksand continues to fill in on bass making this his 3rd album with the band. The album opens with the moody "Prayers / Triangles" that benefits from one of Chino's smoother melodies that fits like a velvet glove on the groove. A more trip hop layer of  atmosphere leads into "Acid Hologram". It swells into a Mogwai like drone. With very emo tinged vocals giving a fey croon that sounds like something more fitting of My Chemical Romance or Coheed & Cambria. The heavier "Doomed User" is the second single from the album. It is much more in your face metal, with a riff that reminds me of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Chino's vocals are all over the place on it until finding a smoother hook. The intro "Geometric Headdress" fakes like they are taking a darker turn until the more chugged riff comes. Chino throws in some his old screams. It feels like Slipknot getting more melodic and if it wasn't for the way the riff resolves itself then I would think this is an April Fools joke and someone slipped some Mudvayne in on me. It's unapologetic nu-metal. They earn their place, bu still writing some good songs and being heavier than expected. 

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/deftones-gore.html

4- Alcest- "Kodama"

 It seems the French purveyors of what was once hailed as black gaze have decided to at least try to be a rock band. The title track has more of a Pink Floyd like jangling drone to it. While this is far from black metal it is a more suitable extension of growth than their previous album which had little in the way of balls to it. They do flirt with blast beats on the second song, but it smooths out into the more fey touched indie rock. In some ways this is closer to what they once did than the title track, however my initial impression is that the title track is better even though harshly screamed vocals re-surface.  I respect this since between Opeth and the Used, this seems to be something many singers are unwilling to re-visit, which I think is as much of a cop out as only relying on screaming.There are some pretty awesome guitar tones on this album. While there is little by way of soloing, I think the tones are impeccable. They do have plenty of the older shoe gazey epic guitar lines soaring over the fairy forests for you. I don't need Alcest to re-make their first two albums. I just want to hear that they are still the band that I used to love and not abandon their metal roots altogether, along with writing good songs. This album tends to fall within those bounds. They do eventually revert back to almost full blown black metal, the only thing keeping them from it is the guitar sticks to dreamier sonic scope.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/alcest-kodama.html 

 

3-Rob Zombie- "Electric Warlock Acid Witch" 

 I love me some White Zombie, I was on for the ride the more Stooges like "Make them Die Slowly" so when "La Sexcisto" came out I was confused as to why they sounded like Metallica. The band hit their stride during the peak of my drug summer when "Astro-Creep" came out. I have caught Rob a few times live since the band broke up, but never caught on with his solo work cus I wanted White Zombie, the last of the Demons Defeated "Satanic Cyanide/ the Killer Rocks On" slows down and has more rock to it than the more electronic thump I associate with his solo work. Overall the songs can become rather infectous here if you are just on for some big dumb fun, much like his movies.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/rob-zombie-electric-warlock-acid-witch.html

2- Katatonia- 'the Fall of Hearts" 

 The gloomy Swedes have pretty much become a prog band at this point. The Opeth like cadence that builds the opener when the distortion is stomped on makes sense considering the acrobatics the guitars have already engaged in leading up to that point. "In Absentina" ear Porcupine Tree might also come to mind. This is not to say there is not plenty of the band's own DNA all over this song. Jonas' vocals are unmistakable.The album is very crisp from a production stand point, which lightens the shade of gray cast over these songs. Jonas doesn't have the same melancholic desperation fueling his vocals, yet he doesn't stray from his style. He sounds more hopeful, though lyrically the same themes seem to be present. The guitar work on this album is stunning. I am not sure how much of that owes thanks to Roger Ojersson from Tiamat who is another new addition to the band. If you are going to do prog-rock, this is the way to go as songwriting and melody have more value than showcasing chops or trying to create some kind of obtuse sonic puzzle. Their new drummer Daniel Moilanen, does't make me go "Damn, Daniel", but he does play very tastefully around the more progressive part to create more jazz influenced passages. This is a surprise knowing he comes from Heavydeath and other more extreme Swedish acts.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/katatonia-fall-of-hearts.html

1- Anthrax- "For All Kings"

 Anthrax used to be one of my favorite bands and to this day "Among the Living " is without a doubt one of the best metal albums ever with "Spreading the Disease" not too far behind. I hung tough with the band for the first six albums, even liking Jon Bush's first album. Then we grew apart.  "Worship Music"  saw the return of singer Joey Belladonna, but I never gave it a shot. I am giving them a chance here and while Belladonna might be 55, but I just reviewed the new David Bowie, and he is 69 so no body is slipping by due to age. Age might have helped Anthrax here , because with age Belladonna's voice is lower than even on "Persistence of Time" , but it gives him more aggression, which might have helped on albums like the almost too happy "State of Euphoria". There is younger blood injected in the band as Jonathan Donais from Shadows Fall is now in the band. They a surprisingly melodic section into the middle of the opener before thrashing back into it. They do not let up on the heavy with "Monster at the End", though it has a smoother groove allowing Belladonna's vocals to coast into a hookier chorus. A little less thrash and closer to mainstream metal, it's still a solid headbanger .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/anthrax-for-all-kings.html

Moonsorrow : " Jumalten Aika"

It's been five years since the Finnish overlords of pagan metal left us with "Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa". The album opens with folk instruments creating a ritualistic aura.After a  minute and a half of this they storm into the kinda of  larger than life metal you have come to expect from them. The black metal side of what they do is toned down on this album.They have more in common the more epic side of folk metal. Holding true to their mission statement this does have a commanding viking feel, without inspiring you to go into a jig with your drinking horn. They wait is in some part due to the ambitious production value this album was crafted with.  The drums have enough thunder to make Thor jealous. Production wise this might be their biggest drum sound yet. This drummer might have always been a monster, but this albums really shines a spotlight on the fact.

 They have found the right balance of melody and muscle. More clean vocals abound, most are handled in a choral manner. There is something about one of the riffs leading into the verse reminds me of Deep Purple . The harsh vocal has more snarl to it than I remember from their previous work. The tone to this song starts off triumphantly brighter by a few degrees with the double bass really propelling it.As dynamic as the previous two albums it ebbs and flows in a similar manner. There might be more of the clean vocals chiming in from the background. Guitar wise to say they have achieved a fuller sound would be an understatement. The layers are well woven around one another.

"Suden Tunti" might find them slowing down, but they also get more aggressive. At seven minutes this song is a return to a more stripped down straight up metal sound, even with some of the folk elements that crop up between some of the punches. The gang chanting almost inspired a dwarven circle pit, unless you make successful savings throw against enchanted moshing. This is one of the album's most powerful songs. Speaking of savings throws, often the length of these guys songs has made them a band to use as back ground music for D&D nights, rather than something that got heavy rotation on my iPod. However I think these guys are one of the few bands that really make every minute count. Except for the sound effects that ends the album, few seconds are  wasted on droning or indulgent noise. Their indulgences as pretentious as they might seem to someone not really into this kind of epic pagan metal, are well played and take me away to icy battlegrounds.

"Mimisbrunn" does really take viking metal to a lushly orchestrated extreme. This soaring fifteen minute piece is the most melodic song on the album. In places it feels like the intensity is being compromised by beauty and then they hit you with a smack of blast beats. The double bass that sweeps in gives the needed aggression. This album might take them another step closer to progressive metal in the constantly expanding arrangements. They are relentless in hitting you with riffs that are as catchy as they are majestic. The clean guitar guitar passages allow the bass to come from out of the layers of drums it sometimes finds itself buried under. One thing these guys have going for them here is the fantasy element many bands of this ilk take on gives you the feeling their are bards telling a story they are detached from. Moonsorrow might be telling a story, but they dig into their souls and  spill a great deal of  emotion into the music.

They return to another stripped down metal riff to open "Ihmisen Aika" , but this is short lived as it builds back up into well... what this band does best. The bass is more present in the mix on this song as well. There are less thematic shifts in the first five minutes, but they come by way of a melodic break down that explodes into a much heavier section that finds it's way into something resembling black metal. There is a very symphonic lushness to song's third act that is well layered with textures of guitar and vocals. I'll round this up to a 9.5. They achieve perfection when they don't turn things into an opera. The more grandiose moments, are just not something I see putting into as  heavy of a rotation as I once did, unless it snows an here in the states the chances or March snow are slimming down. This might be the perfect album if massive viking symphonies are what you listen to on a regular. For what this is they are the best at what they do, surpassing Enslaved and Borknagar on the epic scale, though those two bands have a some what different and more mainstream take on what they do.

Black Metal History Month

It's that time of year again, so grab your corpse paint and lighter fluid as we head to the nearest church and start this weenie roast. If you are a regular reader here it's no surprise that black metal is the one subgenre that gets a whole month dedicated to it even if it's the shortest month of the year. If you think it is unfair that I give the genre a whole month when I never give christian metal a shot, then that is a case of too fucking bad, since this is my blog and I write whatever I damn please here. On other blogs I might be a little more placating , but not here. Though I'll never cover christian metal on another blog either because, it sucks ...if for no other reason that what makes black metal great. Christian metal has no balls or back bone because it doesn't have the evil sounding under current that makes metal ....well metal, ever since Black Sabbath hit the tri-tone, it's been a marriage made in hell.

I've been a fan of black metal for 29 years. But it hasn't been around that long you tug at beard and scream. 29 years ago was when I bought my first Mercyful Fate cassette. Then shortly after came Celtic Frost & Venom. Black metal had more in common with death metal, until there was a blaze in the skies of the north and now it's thought of as blast beats and tremolo picking.If we look back at my top ten black metal albums of last year there was no clear cut trend though more progressive and traditional albums took up 40 percent of the years best. Despite what so may claim the Anglo current of northern Europe accounted for 40 percent of those albums, but the US came in second with 30 percent and warmer countries like Portugal, Italy and Greece bringing up the rear. The trend of no trend just a diverse mix seems to not let up in the coming year with releases from Urgehal, Destroyer 666, Mortis, Moonsorrow and Cobalt all looming. of those the Moonsorrow is the album I am most anticipating, though it's been a minute since we have heard anything from Urgehal. Black metal has now touched every genre of metal as the blackened tag is becoming redundant. I think this might dissipate a little in the coming year with grind core a genre on the rise showing more touches of black metal than doom or death metal bands this year.


 I am vowing to review no less than 28 black metal albums this month, I already have a head start as I just reviewed a Scottish black metal project, so 27 more will be an easy feat if I can double the number and do 58, that would impress myself , but at that volume the blast beats would all bleed together. This is not to say if an important album like that Graves at Sea drops , I won't cover it, black metal is going to be the focus. If you are a band submitting stuff and you are not black metal then you might have to wait til March before I get to you. Like last year I'll dig back into the graves and see how older albums by King Diamond, Celtic Frost and Bathory have stood the test of time.