Best Black Metal Bands

Rank	Band / Formed / Genres	Albums
1	Cradle of Filth 1991, United Kingdom Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	Cruelty and the Beast (1998) #76 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #118 Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay (2017) #163
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #42 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #154 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #408
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #25 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1468
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #543 Stormblåst (1996) #1092 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1369
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #90 Det som engang var (1993) #560 Filosofem (1996) #714
6	Emperor 1991, Norway Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #50 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #312 IX Equilibrium (1999) #1427
7	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #241 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #271 Pure Holocaust (1993) #374
8	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #140 Evangelion (2009) #256 Demigod (2004) #303
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #257 Stronghold (1999) #388 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #527
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Extreme Progressive Metal	Portal of I (2012) #52 Citadel (2014) #491 Urn (2017) #500
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #126 Redemption Process (2004) #798 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1123
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #373 Vanitas (2012) #393 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #572
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #100 Antichrist (1996) #213 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #678
14	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #39 The Somberlain (1993) #824 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #776 Paracletus (2010) #927 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1360
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #419 Scourge of Malice (2001) #627 Engraved in Black (2003) #5307
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #355 Blood Fire Death (1988) #447 Hammerheart (1990) #1153
18	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2097 Opus Nocturne (1994) #3105 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video]
19	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #200 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #509 X - Varg Utan Flock (2018) #2977
20	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #132 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #729 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #1036
21	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #71 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #209 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #792
22	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #327 Age of Excuse (2019) #1412 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1639
23	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #104 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2996 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
24	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #193 Triumvirát (2012) #244 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #686
25	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #417 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1038 In Somniphobia (2012) #1500
26	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #359 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2071 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3418
27	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #332 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #813
28	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1082 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1614 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4245
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #432 Eld (1997) #1266 Ruun (2006)
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1213 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #1692
31	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #841 The Dwelling (1996) #947 Live at Blokula (1995) [Live] #1750
32	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #698 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #794 Всі належать ночі (All Belong to the Night) (2022)
33	閃靈 (Chthonic) 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	高砂軍 (Takasago Army) (2011) #545 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #3085 武德 (Bu-Tik) (2013) #5135
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #239 Pulver (2006) #1618 Erotik (2007) #3319
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1271 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #1375 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1591 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2586
37	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #1726 Theogonia (2007) #2295
38	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #437 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1409
39	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1193 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1844
40	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #708 Anomie (2017) #974 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1249
41	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #477 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
42	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #1103 Bethlehem (2016) #2547 Dark Metal (1994) #3305
43	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1374 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2240 Rattenkönig (2005) #2448
44	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1668 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2051 Thy Dying Light (1996) #3753
45	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronica, New Wave	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1954 Kveldssanger (1996) #2844 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #3014
46	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #427 Sunbather (2013) #843 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2486
47	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1485 The Enemy of Virtue (2006) [Compilation] Profanatitas De Domonatia (2007) #2541
48	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #309 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2771
49	Naglfar 1992, Sweden Melodic Black Metal	Diabolical (1998) #1894 Sheol (2003) #3253 Vittra (1995) #3269
50	Njiqahdda United States Atmospheric Black Metal, Psychedelic Rock	False Legends (2013) [EP] the Path of Liberation from Birth and Death (2012) Nji. Njiijn. Njiiijn. (2008)

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