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) #73 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #138 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #168
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #58 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #149 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #435
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #21 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1080
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #682 Stormblåst (1996) #1060 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1319
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #93 Det som engang var (1993) #670 Filosofem (1996) #743
6	Emperor 1991, Norway Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #41 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #399 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #1455
7	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #148 Evangelion (2009) #249 Demigod (2004) #339
8	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #271 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #280 Pure Holocaust (1993) #496
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #244 Stronghold (1999) #351 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #501
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Progressive Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	Portal of I (2012) #50 Urn (2017) #514 Citadel (2014) #542
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #109 Redemption Process (2004) #763 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1096
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #362 Vanitas (2012) #383 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #550
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #88 Antichrist (1996) #186 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #639
14	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #48 The Somberlain (1993) #1306 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
15	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #428 Scourge of Malice (2001) #596 Engraved in Black (2003) #5017
16	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #733 Paracletus (2010) #931 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1277
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #406 Blood Fire Death (1988) #509 Hammerheart (1990) #1302
18	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #206 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #427 X - Varg Utan Flock (2018) #2841
19	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2236 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video] Rom 5:12 (2007) #3770
20	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #64 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #205 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #846
21	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #115 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #706 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #992
22	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #105 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2860 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
23	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #183 Triumvirát (2012) #229 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #659
24	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #316 Age of Excuse (2019) #1448 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1796
25	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #386 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2011 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3249
26	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #367 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1000 In Somniphobia (2012) #1442
27	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #320 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #777
28	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #424 Eld (1997) #1222 Ruun (2006)
29	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1151 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1808 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4227
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1444 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #1756
31	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Atmospheric Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #666 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #915 Всі належать ночі (All Belong to the Night) (2022)
32	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	The Dwelling (1996) #1001 Envenom (1991) #1046 Born by Evil Blood (1987) [EP]
33	閃靈 (Chthonic) 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	高砂軍 (Takasago Army) (2011) #523 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #2956 武德 (Bu-Tik) (2013) #4874
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #230 Pulver (2006) #1577 Erotik (2007) #3165
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1226 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #887 Gods of War (1993) #999 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2505
37	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #416 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1353
38	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #2044 Theogonia (2007) #2219
39	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1162 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1800
40	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #681 Anomie (2017) #937 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1209
41	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1920 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2222 Rattenkönig (2005) #2379
42	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1618 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #1997 Thy Dying Light (1996) #3574
43	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	The Curling Flame of Blasphemy (2016) #1313 Altar of the Virgin Whore (2018) [EP] #1316 Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1423
44	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #952 Bethlehem (2016) #2465 Dark Metal (1994) #3106
45	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronic	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1905 Kveldssanger (1996) #2695 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #2696
46	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #439 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
47	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #292 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2658
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) #462 Sunbather (2013) #1098 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2775
50	Batushka 2015, Poland Black Metal	Литургия (Litourgiya) (2015) #281 Yekteníya VII (2015) [Single]

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