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) #112 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #155
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #44 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #142 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #406
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #24 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1541
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #544 Stormblåst (1996) #1183 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1368
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #91 Det som engang var (1993) #561 Filosofem (1996) #702
6	Emperor 1991, Norway Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #50 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #313 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #1497
7	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #246 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #269 Pure Holocaust (1993) #401
8	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #125 Evangelion (2009) #254 Demigod (2004) #309
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #255 Stronghold (1999) #410 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #532
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Extreme Progressive Metal	Portal of I (2012) #52 Citadel (2014) #493 Urn (2017) #503
11	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #374 Vanitas (2012) #422 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #573
12	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #127 Redemption Process (2004) #803 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1114
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #88 Antichrist (1996) #213 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #675
14	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #37 The Somberlain (1993) #780 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #694 Paracletus (2010) #931 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1359
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #417 Scourge of Malice (2001) #630 Engraved in Black (2003) #5352
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #350 Blood Fire Death (1988) #412 Hammerheart (1990) #1147
18	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2109 Opus Nocturne (1994) #3126 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video]
19	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #200 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #514 Shining (2023) #2810
20	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #133 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #737 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #1035
21	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #71 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #208 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #797
22	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #320 Age of Excuse (2019) #1277 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1641
23	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #102 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #3020 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
24	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #193 Triumvirát (2012) #290 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #683
25	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #415 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1040 In Somniphobia (2012) #1282
26	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #365 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2080 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3441
27	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #354 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #819
28	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1156 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1620 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4287
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #430 Eld (1997) #1262 Ruun (2006)
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1125 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #1693
31	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #844 The Dwelling (1996) #953 Live at Blokula (1995) [Live] #1752
32	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #699 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #799 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) #546 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #3109 失竊千年 / Timeless Sentence (2014) [Compilation]
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #240 Pulver (2006) #1624 Erotik (2007) #3342
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1266 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #1375 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1593 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2602
37	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #1727 Theogonia (2007) #2310
38	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #434 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1409
39	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1191 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1854
40	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #718 Anomie (2017) #980 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1243
41	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #523 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
42	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #1096 Bethlehem (2016) #2562 Dark Metal (1994) #3329
43	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1373 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2254 Rattenkönig (2005) #2465
44	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1670 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2059 Thy Dying Light (1996) #3785
45	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronica, New Wave	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1942 Kveldssanger (1996) #2864 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #3039
46	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #426 Sunbather (2013) #932 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2500
47	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1484 The Enemy of Virtue (2006) [Compilation] Profanatitas De Domonatia (2007) #2557
48	Batushka 2015, Poland Black Metal	Литургия (Litourgiya) (2015) #286 Yekteníya VII (2015) [Single]
49	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #308 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2792
50	Naglfar 1992, Sweden Melodic Black Metal	Diabolical (1998) #1900 Sheol (2003) #3278 Vittra (1995) #3293

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