Primeval Scum

I'm new to this forum and black metal is my favorite genre so I figured I'd introduce myself (Hi) by posting a few of my all-time favorite black metal bands and a few I've been digging recently. No YouTube links since I unfortunately do not have 15 posts yet.

Favorite black metal bands:
Dissection
Agalloch
Bathory
Ulver
Summoning
Darkthrone
Melechesh


Some black metal I've been listening to a lot recently:
Gorgoroth's "Pentagram"
Woods of Desolation's "Torn Beyond Reason"
Necrophobic's "Darkside"
Nokturnal Mortum's "Voice of Steel"
ColdWorld's "Melancholie2"

The Batlord

Definite props on Dissection and Bathory. "Where Dead Angels Lie" doesn't get enough love. It's almost a black metal ballad, which I imagine must have taken a ten-pound ballsack to record in that community. And aside from Slayer Bathory were the first extreme metal band I ever heard. The first time I heard their debut I was pretty much a lifelong fan right there and then. And their viking metal era is no less brilliant.

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Musicfanatic

What exactly is it that you like about Bathory so much? Is it the shoddy sounding production? Or the vocals that sound like something from a concert after a night long binge drinking affair while smoking too many cigars, right after throat surgery? Or is it just because?

The Batlord

I love early Bathory because underneath the scuzziness it's actually really catchy and fun. The simple riff off of "Necromancy" just gets under my skin and makes me tap my toe and bang my head at the same time. It's also simple, high energy stuff that gets the blood to pumping. And yes that noisy production rules. I like my extreme metal production sloppy and unpolished. Gives it a dark atmosphere that a cleaner production can often kill. Besides, it's extreme metal. It should be ugly.

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Primeval Scum

I'm a big fan of "Under The Sign of the Black Mark" and "The Return..." when it comes to early Bathory. Their Viking stuff is awesome also. "Hammerheart" was the first Viking metal album I ever heard and I was immediately hooked.

As for Dissection, their first two albums are easily two of my favorite albums of all time.

The Batlord

Pretty much everything Bathory did up until Quorthon ended it for the first time after Twilight of the Gods was brilliant. Bathory is definitely on the shortlist of favorite bands. Metal or otherwise.

And **** yes about Hammerheart. I could listen to the album all day. "Baptized In Fire and Ice" has got one of the greatest riffs of all time. I really can't think of any bands that are that epic sounding. Nothing like it on Earth.

I've had Storm of the Light's Bane forever, but I still need to hear The Somberlain. I still kick myself for not getting it when I saw it in FYE one time. I kick myself for not buying every Bathory album I ever saw in a store for that matter. The only physical album by them I have is Nordland I.

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Primeval Scum

The only Bathory albums I didn't love were Octagon and Requiem, when he went old school thrash. I also thought Blood On Ice was a little weaker than their other Viking albums.

Listen to The Somberlain ASAP. I prefer it over Light's Bane actually. The Somberlain is one of the few albums I have rated a perfect 10/10.

Sadly I don't own physical CDs by either band but would grab them in a heartbeat if I ever saw them at a record store.

Musicfanatic

At first I thought you meant LP, not CD... I own the first on CD

Oh, and thanks for the above reply. It might have sounded a bit pretentious, but wasn't meant to.

sly2kusa

I hate to sound like such a N00b, but what really defines Black Metal? It sounds like old punk mixed with an orchestra. Not bad, but can someone give me a deeper definition for the music?

Primeval Scum

Well most black metal doesn't have an orchestra. You must've heard a symphonic black metal band, which is a subgenre.

Anyways, black metal was an offshoot from thrash metal that developed in Norway in the 80s/90s, distinguishable by often a rough production, fast blast beat drumming with emphasis on the snares, simple tremolo-picked guitar riffs, dark and "evil" atmosphere and lyrical content and high pitched piercing shrieked vocals. These fundamental aspects of black metal have been developed into multiple subgenres over the years such as symphonic black metal (uses orchestral instruments) and Folk Black Metal (focuses on nature and is extremely ethereal). I hope that clarifies. It's a very diverse genre with a lot of different sounds. Let me know if you want some examples.

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