Black Metal

Corpse paint. Blasphemy. Arson. What else could it be but black metal? The classic genre that concerned mothers everywhere desperately tried to dissuade their disenchanted youths from, black metal has prevailed as a prominent form of underground music since its very inception. According to a study done by the Heavy Metal Encyclopedia, it has the highest number of recognized bands in all of the metal subgenres, which is saying a lot. So what is it about black metal that amassed such a devoted and widespread following?

Taking huge influence from the speed metal band Venom and their occultish themes, the first wave of black metal (commonly referred to as "proto-black metal") took its initial steps in the early 1980s. A handful of bands rooted in the thrash metal sound began to utilize now-common black metal tropes such as lo-fi production, tremolo picked riffs, and more unorthodox vocal styles. This trend began with a band called Hellhammer, but quickly spread. Soon, bands like Tormentor, Master's Hammer, Sarcófago, and most notably Bathory began to pop up across the globe. Despite being labeled as black metal by underground sources at the time, the established sound and visual representation that folks associate with black metal today wouldn't appear until later.

Recommended 1st wave black metal listening:
1. Hellhammer - Satanic Rites (1983)
2. Sarcófago - I.N.R.I. (1987)
3. Bathory - Blood Fire Death (1988)
4. Tormentor - Anno Domini (1989)
5. Master's Hammer - The Mass (1989)

In the snow-covered forests of Norway, a new sound was forming. Building upon the groundwork laid by the proto-black metal bands, this new wave would up the ante in many ways: more fearsome, forlorn, shrieking vocals, faster, more sinister music, and a lifestyle based around the true black metal code. This was the second wave of black metal, known commonly as "raw" or "true" black metal. Many of the second wave bands were overtly Satanic, not stopping at simply using imagery or lyricism, but outright committing church burnings, with some even being involved in murders. The trend of wearing corpse paint during performances began here, and come showtime bands would often commit rituals or even sacrifices to up their black metal cred. Legendary bands like Darkthrone, Emperor, Taake, Satyricon, Burzum, and Immortal would arise from this movement, but it wasn't until one particular band that the genre would become (in)famous: The most notorious of the second wave black metal bands was undoubtedly Mayhem. When their vocalist killed himself, the bandmates took a picture of his corpse and used it for their next album cover. When disputes over property rights arose, the bassist stabbed the next vocalist twenty-three times in the chest. It was apparent that Mayhem meant business. With a sound heard from the pits of Helvete to the furthest reaches of the world, this new black metal style would continue to influence artists for decades to come.

Recommended 2nd wave black metal listening:
1. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992)
2. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)
3. Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)
4. Mayhem - De Mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994)
5. Immortal - At the Heart of Winter (1999)

Once the 1980s began to draw to a close, a new subspecies of black metal took form. War metal, known to some as bestial black metal, is a very niche style of underground music, drawing heavily from death metal and grindcore, but staying true to the standard raw black metal formula. As its namesake would imply, war metal ups the violent lyrical content, often turning to subjects like nuclear war and the Holocaust for inspiration. Musically, the style shares more similarities with the first wave of black metal, rather than the second. Bands like Blasphemy, Archgoat, Beherit, and Bestial Warlust kicked the style off, but the genre didn't actually end up gaining much traction until the 2010s, with bands like Teitanblood, Revenge, and Infernal Coil all releasing genre-defining albums.

Recommended war metal listening:
1. Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom... (1990)
2. Bestial Warlust - Vengeance War 'Til Death (1994)
3. Archgoat - Whore of Bethlehem (2006)
4. Teitanblood - Death (2014)
5. Revenge - Behold.Total.Rejection (2015)

The next subgenre of black metal to arrive in the scene was symphonic black metal. This style, as the name would suggest, introduced Western classical music, symphonic, and orchestral elements into the black metal sound, providing a grandiose, epic atmosphere. It was spearheaded by Emperor, one of the biggest and earliest second wave groups, and other bands like Summoning and Arcturus. Soon, however, the style gained major traction, producing some of the most popular bands in the scene today: Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, and Carach Angren.

Recommended symphonic black metal listening:
1. Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996)
2. Cradle of Filth - Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996)
3. Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)
4. Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997)
5. Summoning - Stronghold (1999)

Melodic black metal, or meloblack for short, is a style of black metal that first arrived around the same time that symphonic black metal did. Meloblack placed significantly more focus on melody, harmony, and clean production than raw black metal, though keeping the genre's characteristic cold atmosphere, evil lyrical themes, and musical ferocity. Bands like Dissection, Sacramentum, Dawn, and Rotting Christ were the originators of the style, but it has since branched out to influence other groups such as Windir and Melechesh.

Recommended melodic black metal listening:
1. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (1995)
2. Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers (1996)
3. Sacramentum - Far Away from the Sun (1996)
4. Dawn - Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) (1997)
5. Windir - Arntor (1999)

Atmospheric black metal, commonly referred to as ambient black metal or, later, cosmic black metal, is a style of black metal focusing heavily on drenching the listener in atmospheric, dreamy textures and soundscapes. The aggression of previous black metal styles may or may not be present in this genre, as the washy, reverb-laden sounds produced by layers of guitars and keyboards may depict a less oppressive and animalistic nature. Bands such as Burzum, Summoning, and Blut Aus Nord began the genre back in the early 1990s, but atmoblack has become arguably the most popular style of black metal in the 2010s with bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch, Deafheaven and ColdWorld.

Recommended atmospheric black metal listening:
1. Burzum - Filosofem (1996)
2. Agalloch - Pale Folklore (1999)
2. Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells (2006)
3. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (2007)
5. ColdWorld - Melancholie² (2008)

Pagan black metal, also sometimes referred to as folk black metal or simply Pagan metal, is a style of black metal that exemplifies elements from traditional folk music. This usually consists of utilizing regional instrumentation such as the violin or hurdy-gurdy, and focusing on Pagan themes and visuals. This genre is tied closely to folk metal as well as atmospheric black metal. Started by bands such as Primordial, Ulver, and Kampfar, Pagan black metal takes the black metal sound in a much more meditative route; focusing on naturalistic and simplistic Pagan elements rather than the disassembly of modern organized religions.

Recommended Pagan black metal listening:
1. Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995)
2. Primordial - A Journey's End (1998)
3. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (2004)
4. Negură Bunget - OM (2006)
5. Moonsorrow - Jumalten aika (2016)

Depressive black metal, known also as depressive suicidal black metal (DSBM), is essentially black metal with a doom metal attitude. Focusing on the dreariest, most drab aspects of existence, DSBM wallows in self-pity and despises every moment of its miserable collective life. Lyrical themes tie into exactly this, with an atmospheric wall of sound placed over forlorn shrieks and sobs as vocal styles. Needless to say, the genre is small and very niche, but its fanbase is dedicated to the craft. The genre carries an aura of mystery and vagueness to it, particularly in the grotesque appearance of the genre's posterchild, Nattramn from the band Silencer.

Recommended depressive black metal listening:
1. Bethlehem - Dictius te necare (1996)
2. Silencer - Death... Pierce Me (2001)
3. Leviathan - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (2003)
4. Shining - V: Halmstad (2007)
5. Gris - Il était une forêt... (2007)

In the new millennium, black metal has seen itself undergo a few different incarnations apart from established subgenres. Bands like Enslaved have introduced progressive metal elements into their sound with albums like Below the Lights. Classic bands like Immortal and Taake continue to release great slabs of classic-sounding black metal. Bands like Thorns come along to introduce electronic and industrial metal elements into the mix. Weakling boasts a very particular type of atmosphere, and Darkspace takes atmosphere to near ambient music levels. Falkenbach combines with Viking metal, Deströyer 666 with thrash metal, and Deathspell Omega with avant-garde metal. Oranssi Pazuzu introduces psychedelic rock elements. Even after all of these stylistic offshoots, new black metal bands continue to write interesting and engaging music in a more classic style, such as Inquisition, Batushka, and Mgła. This proves that black metal is not simply a niche of its own, but can find a place in nearly every other musical niche in which there is to experiment, directly contributing to its longevity.

Recommended '00s & '10s black metal:
1. Weakling - Dead as Dreams (2000)
2. Enslaved - Below the Lights (2003)
3. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)
4. Mgła - Exercises in Futility (2015)
5. Batushka - Litourgiya (2015)

One of the most unorthodox pairings that black metal found itself in is a subgenre called black 'n' roll. Hearkening back to the simpler, power-chord based playing of the first wave of black metal, black 'n' roll bands take influence from classic hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal bands. Classic black metal bands such as Darkthrone, Satyricon, and Impaled Nazarene began the style through experimentation and evolution of their sound, and before long there were bands such as I, Khold, Zeal & Ardor, Chapel, and Kvelertak performing the sound as well.

Recommended black 'n' roll listening:
1. Khold - Phantom (2002)
2. Satyricon - Volcano (2002)
3. I - Between Two Worlds (2006)
4. Vreid - I Krig (2007)
5. Kvelertak - Kvelertak (2010)

The most recent style of black metal is what is commonly referred to as blackgaze, post-black metal, or hipster black metal. This sound takes a significant departure from the genres of the prior years, instead opting for a brighter, dreamier sound. As an offshoot of atmospheric black metal, wall of sound production and huge, reverby guitars are an absolute must. Some bands like Deafheaven and An Autumn for Crippled Children prefer to create a brighter, post-rock influenced sound. Others such as Alcest and Lantlôs dwell in a more shadowy, shoegaze-based sound.

Recommended blackgaze listening:
1. Alcest - Écailles de lune (2010)
2. Lantlôs - .neon (2010)
3. Woods of Desolation - Torn Beyond Reason (2011)
4. Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)
5. An Autumn for Crippled Children - Try Not to Destroy Everything You Love (2013)

Across all of its varying incarnations, anywhere from Teitanblood's oppressive battering ram of a sound to the dreamy textures of Deafheaven, black metal has undeniably shaped and influenced both metal culture and societal counterculture since its inception. Its rebellious, DIY aesthetic draws upon the primal urge for youthful arrogance, similarly to what punk rock had done in prior decades. The scope of inspiration to be drawn from black metal is immense, and will continue to inspire the dark, cold, and eerie corners of the mind for years to come.