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) #75 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #124 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #166
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #42 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #151 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #410
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #24 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1469
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #546 Stormblåst (1996) #1098 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1368
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #89 Det som engang var (1993) #562 Filosofem (1996) #707
6	Emperor 1991, Norway Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #51 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #309 IX Equilibrium (1999) #1426
7	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #140 Evangelion (2009) #253 Demigod (2004) #299
8	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #247 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #270 Pure Holocaust (1993) #376
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #254 Stronghold (1999) #386 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #529
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Extreme Progressive Metal	Portal of I (2012) #52 Citadel (2014) #492 Urn (2017) #501
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #125 Redemption Process (2004) #801 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1126
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #375 Vanitas (2012) #393 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #575
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #99 Antichrist (1996) #212 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #675
14	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #39 The Somberlain (1993) #919 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #779 Paracletus (2010) #928 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1358
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #421 Scourge of Malice (2001) #628 Engraved in Black (2003) #5293
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #355 Blood Fire Death (1988) #449 Hammerheart (1990) #1154
18	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2089 Opus Nocturne (1994) #3101 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video]
19	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #197 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #444 X - Varg Utan Flock (2018) #2967
20	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #132 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #731 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #1038
21	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #71 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #206 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #795
22	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #326 Age of Excuse (2019) #1411 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1639
23	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #103 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2988 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
24	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #192 Triumvirát (2012) #243 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #684
25	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #419 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1041 In Somniphobia (2012) #1500
26	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #390 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2064 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3412
27	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #331 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #815
28	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1088 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1614 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4235
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #411 Eld (1997) #1271 Ruun (2006)
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1219 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #1692
31	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #842 The Dwelling (1996) #891 Live at Blokula (1995) [Live] #1753
32	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #696 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #797 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) #3081 武德 (Bu-Tik) (2013) #5125
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #238 Pulver (2006) #1618 Erotik (2007) #3316
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1276 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #1040 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1590 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2577
37	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #1728 Theogonia (2007) #2285
38	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #435 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1408
39	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1199 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1846
40	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #709 Anomie (2017) #974 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1256
41	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #479 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
42	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #896 Bethlehem (2016) #2539 Dark Metal (1994) #3300
43	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1376 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2229 Rattenkönig (2005) #2442
44	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1668 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2048 Thy Dying Light (1996) #3750
45	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #427 Sunbather (2013) #844 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2482
46	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1487 The Enemy of Virtue (2006) [Compilation] Profanatitas De Domonatia (2007) #2532
47	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronica, New Wave	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1955 Kveldssanger (1996) #2831 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #3007
48	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #287 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2758
49	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)
50	Belphegor 1992, Austria Death Metal, Black Metal	Conjuring the Dead (2014) #1752 Necrodaemon Terrorsathan 2020 (2020) [Single] The Last Supper (1994) #4615

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