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) #74 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #120 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #164
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #42 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #152 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #421
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #25 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1464
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #546 Stormblåst (1996) #1095 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1363
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #97 Det som engang var (1993) #648 Filosofem (1996) #753
6	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #138 Evangelion (2009) #251 Demigod (2004) #299
7	Emperor 1991, Norway Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #51 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #321 IX Equilibrium (1999) #1421
8	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #248 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #265 Pure Holocaust (1993) #373
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #252 Stronghold (1999) #387 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #528
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Extreme Progressive Metal	Portal of I (2012) #52 Citadel (2014) #490 Urn (2017) #501
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #121 Redemption Process (2004) #798 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1125
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #372 Vanitas (2012) #394 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #573
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #98 Antichrist (1996) #214 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #674
14	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #44 The Somberlain (1993) #1084 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #778 Paracletus (2010) #927 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1354
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #416 Scourge of Malice (2001) #626 Engraved in Black (2003) #5252
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #389 Blood Fire Death (1988) #491 Hammerheart (1990) #1153
18	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2086 Opus Nocturne (1994) #3088 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video]
19	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #194 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #441 X - Varg Utan Flock (2018) #2955
20	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #129 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #730 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #1032
21	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #70 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #205 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #792
22	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #102 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2976 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
23	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #190 Triumvirát (2012) #243 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #683
24	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #331 Age of Excuse (2019) #1498 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1635
25	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #415 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1036 In Somniphobia (2012) #1493
26	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #399 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2058 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3393
27	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #329 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #812
28	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1085 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1609 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4209
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #407 Eld (1997) #1270 Ruun (2006)
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1218 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #1688
31	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #839 The Dwelling (1996) #889 Live at Blokula (1995) [Live] #1750
32	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Atmospheric Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #694 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) #547 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #3068 武德 (Bu-Tik) (2013) #5086
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #237 Pulver (2006) #1613 Erotik (2007) #3297
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1274 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #1035 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1584 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2572
37	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #1724 Theogonia (2007) #2278
38	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #432 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1404
39	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1198 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1845
40	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #706 Anomie (2017) #973 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1255
41	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #894 Bethlehem (2016) #2532 Dark Metal (1994) #3282
42	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1371 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2218 Rattenkönig (2005) #2436
43	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1665 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2040 Thy Dying Light (1996) #3727
44	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #476 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
45	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1480 The Enemy of Virtue (2006) [Compilation] Profanatitas De Domonatia (2007) #2525
46	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronica, New Wave	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1950 Kveldssanger (1996) #2821 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #2996
47	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #287 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2748
48	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)
49	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #423 Sunbather (2013) #896 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2476
50	Belphegor 1992, Austria Death Metal, Black Metal	Conjuring the Dead (2014) #1749 Necrodaemon Terrorsathan 2020 (2020) [Single] The Last Supper (1994) #4585

Best Alternative Metal Bands	Best Atmospheric Black Metal Bands	Best Atmospheric Sludge Metal Bands
Best Avant-garde Metal Bands	▶ Best Black Metal Bands	Best Brutal Death Metal Bands
Best Crossover Thrash Bands	Best Death Doom Metal Bands	Best Death Metal Bands
Best Deathcore Bands	Best Deathgrind Bands	Best Depressive Black Metal Bands
Best Djent Bands	Best Doom Metal Bands	Best Drone Metal Bands
Best Folk Metal Bands	Best Funeral Doom Metal Bands	Best Glam Metal Bands
Best Goregrind Bands	Best Gothic Metal Bands	Best Grindcore Bands
Best Groove Metal Bands	Best Hard Rock Bands	Best Heavy Metal Bands
Best Industrial Metal Bands	Best Mathcore Bands	Best Melodic Black Metal Bands
Best Melodic Death Metal Bands	Best Melodic Metalcore Bands	Best Metalcore Bands
Best Neoclassical Metal Bands	Best Nu Metal Bands	Best Power Metal Bands
Best Progressive Metal Bands	Best Sludge Metal Bands	Best Speed Metal Bands
Best Stoner Metal Bands	Best Symphonic Black Metal Bands	Best Symphonic Metal Bands
Best Technical Death Metal Bands	Best Technical Thrash Metal Bands	Best Thrash Metal Bands
Best Trance Metal Bands	Best Trancecore Bands	Best Viking Metal Bands
Best War Metal Bands