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) #66 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #111 Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay (2017) #168
2	Sodom 1981, Germany Thrash Metal, Black Metal	Persecution Mania (1987) #140 Tapping the Vein (1992) #246 Code Red (1999) #317
3	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #33 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #144 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #450
4	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #102 Det som engang var (1993) #614 Filosofem (1996) #673
5	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #23 Live in Sarpsborg (2017) [Live] De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas - 25th Anniversary Box Set DMDS XXV (2020) [Boxed set]
6	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #638 Stormblåst (1996) #1092 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1217
7	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #109 Evangelion (2009) #311 Demigod (2004) #318
8	Emperor 1991, Norway Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #42 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #453 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #1084
9	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #362 Pure Holocaust (1993) #447 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #461
10	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #255 Stronghold (1999) #430 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #564
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #94 Redemption Process (2004) #647 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #927
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #297 Vanitas (2012) #334 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #553
13	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Blood Fire Death (1988) #465 Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #519 Bathory (1984) #1503
14	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Paracletus (2010) #650 Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #706 Kénôse (2005) [EP] #915
15	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #81 Antichrist (1996) #154 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #545
16	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #189 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #279 Livets ändhållplats (2001) #2057
17	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #302 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1082 In Somniphobia (2012) #1407
18	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #400 Scourge of Malice (2001) #728 Engraved in Black (2003) #4790
19	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #68 The Somberlain (1993) #1480 Rebirth of Dissection (2006) [Video]
20	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #517 Sunbather (2013) #684 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #3330
21	Agalloch 1995, United States Atmospheric Black Metal, Folk Metal	The Mantle (2002) #438 Ashes Against the Grain (2006) #533 Pale Folklore (1999) #774
22	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2236 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video] Rom 5:12 (2007) #3437
23	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #83 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2473 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
24	Arcturus 1991, Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	The Sham Mirrors (2002) #208 Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) #655 La masquerade infernale (1997) #1123
25	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #348 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1160 Age of Excuse (2019) #1246
26	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Industrial Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal, Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #353 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #752
27	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronic	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1884 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #1928 Kveldssanger (1996) #2227
28	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #163 Triumvirát (2012) #200 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #417
29	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #421 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #1763 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #2838
30	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #178 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #745 Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith (2016) #1043
31	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1180 Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #1859 Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #2226
32	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #513 Eld (1997) #1014 Ruun (2006)
33	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1423 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1863 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4046
34	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Atmospheric Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #492 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #924 Їм часто сниться капіж (They Often See Dreams About the Spring) (2018) #1657
35	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #697 Born by Evil Blood (1987) [EP] Desecration (1989) [EP]
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #629 Gods of War (1993) #1027 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #1749
37	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #230 Pulver (2006) #1263 Erotik (2007) #2653
38	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1177 They Awoke to the Scent of Spring (2012) #2034 A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #2160
39	Chthonic 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	Takasago Army (2011) #674 賽德克巴萊 (2005) #2756 武徳 / Bú-Tik (2013) #3635
40	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	The Lost Tapes (2018) [Compilation] Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1754 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #1801
41	Revenge 2000, Canada War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	Infiltration.Downfall.Death (2008) #382 Behold.Total.Rejection (2015) #1028 Scum.Collapse.Eradication (2012) #1236
42	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #232 Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #966 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live]
43	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1238 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] .- -... ... . -. -.-. . (2016) #1776
44	Moonsorrow 1995, Finland Folk Metal, Viking Metal, Black Metal	Voimasta Ja Kunniasta (2001) #900 Suden Uni (2001) #1465 Kivenkantaja (2003) #1546
45	Toxic Holocaust 1999, United States Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, Black Metal	An Overdose of Death... (2008) #676 Conjure and Command (2011) #2486 Primal Future: 2019 (2019) #3610
46	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #493 Bethlehem (2016) #2427 Dark Metal (1994) #2819
47	Darkspace 1999, Switzerland Ambient Black Metal, Dark Metal	Dark Space I (2003) #696 Dark Space III (2008) #1455 Dark Space ll (2005) #2415
48	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #304 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] Rituale Satanum (2000) #2401
49	Samael 1987, Switzerland Black Metal, Industrial Metal, Electronic	Passage (1996) #1829 Solar Soul (2007) #2349 Ceremony of Opposites (1994) #2705
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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