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) #77 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #141 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #182
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #46 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #168 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #433
3	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #25 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #985
4	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #717 Stormblåst (1996) #1036 Abrahadabra (2010) #1340
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #92 Det som engang var (1993) #603 Filosofem (1996) #832
6	Emperor 1991, Norway Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #42 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #394 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #1491
7	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #120 Evangelion (2009) #246 Demigod (2004) #334
8	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #237 Stronghold (1999) #348 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #491
9	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #324 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #397 Pure Holocaust (1993) #567
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Progressive Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	Portal of I (2012) #45 Citadel (2014) #468 Urn (2017) #501
11	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #106 Redemption Process (2004) #749 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1060
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #353 Vanitas (2012) #370 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #529
13	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #87 Antichrist (1996) #236 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #621
14	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #430 Scourge of Malice (2001) #577 Engraved in Black (2003) #4829
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #745 Paracletus (2010) #773 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1241
16	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #65 The Somberlain (1993) #1412 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #486 Blood Fire Death (1988) #496 Hammerheart (1990) #1258
18	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #192 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #416 X - Varg Utan Flock (2018) #2751
19	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #61 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #194 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #780
20	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2477 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video] Rom 5:12 (2007) #3648
21	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #103 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2768 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
22	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #180 Triumvirát (2012) #193 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #634
23	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #321 Age of Excuse (2019) #1494 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1719
24	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #139 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #690 Black Mass for a Mass Grave (2020) #967
25	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #335 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #765
26	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #359 Scenes From Hell (2010) #973 In Somniphobia (2012) #1396
27	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #389 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #1817 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3161
28	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1399 In the Sign... (2000) [EP] Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #1685
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #606 Eld (1997) #1191 Ruun (2006)
30	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1276 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1730 The Shadowthrone (1995) #4072
31	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Atmospheric Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #649 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #899 Всі належать ночі (All Belong to the Night) (2022)
32	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #1018 Born by Evil Blood (1987) [EP] Desecration (1989) [EP]
33	閃靈 (Chthonic) 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	高砂軍 (Takasago Army) (2011) #559 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #3026 武德 (Bu-Tik) (2013) #5053
34	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #228 Pulver (2006) #1812 Erotik (2007) #3389
35	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1196 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP] Arrival (2023)
36	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #782 Gods of War (1993) #1055 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #2418
37	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #455 Black Mass XXX (2020) [Live] Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1306
38	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	The Ashes of Light (2020) #1127 Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1888
39	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #821 Anomie (2017) #830 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1179
40	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1856 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #2146 Rattenkönig (2005) #2298
41	Profanatica 1990, United States Black Metal, Death Metal	The Curling Flame of Blasphemy (2016) #1268 Altar of the Virgin Whore (2018) [EP] #1271 Disgusting Blasphemies Against God (2010) #1378
42	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #969 Bethlehem (2016) #2382 Dark Metal (1994) #3012
43	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronic	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1837 Kveldssanger (1996) #2606 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #3112
44	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #1934 Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού (2013) #2746
45	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)
46	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #440 Sunbather (2013) #902 Ordinary Corrupt Human Love (2018) #2464
47	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #307 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] Rituale Satanum (2000) #2349
48	Batushka 2015, Poland Black Metal	Литургия (Litourgiya) (2015) #280 Yekteníya VII (2015) [Single]
49	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1571 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2091 Of Great Eternity (1997)
50	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #556 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]

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