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) #71 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #99 Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay (2017) #167
2	Sodom 1981, Germany Thrash Metal, Black Metal	Persecution Mania (1987) #138 Tapping the Vein (1992) #246 Code Red (1999) #314
3	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #27 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #119 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #431
4	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #88 Filosofem (1996) #456 Det som engang var (1993) #622
5	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #841 Stormblåst (1996) #1048 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1127
6	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #22 Chimera (2004) #1200 De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (2016) [Live] #1336
7	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #96 Demigod (2004) #288 Evangelion (2009) #291
8	Emperor 1991, Norway Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #41 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #441 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #1001
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #208 Stronghold (1999) #404 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #535
10	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #82 Redemption Process (2004) #585 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #835
11	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #357 Pure Holocaust (1993) #428 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #588
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	The Whole of the Law (2016) #285 Vanitas (2012) #298 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #503
13	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #460 Blood Fire Death (1988) #487 Hammerheart (1990) #1831
14	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Paracletus (2010) #489 Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #660 Kénôse (2005) [EP] #823
15	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #79 Antichrist (1996) #145 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #439
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #369 Scourge of Malice (2001) #754 Engraved in Black (2003) #4075
17	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #247 V - Halmstad (2007) #286 Livets ändhållplats (2001) #1695
18	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #237 Scenes From Hell (2010) #984 Scorn Defeat (1993) #1412
19	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #73 The Somberlain (1993) #1550 Reinkaos (2006) #5259
20	Agalloch 1995, United States Atmospheric Black Metal, Folk Metal	The Mantle (2002) #276 Ashes Against the Grain (2006) #473 Pale Folklore (1999) #699
21	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #635 Sunbather (2013) #752 From the Kettle onto the Coil (2014) [Single]
22	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #81 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2532 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
23	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2394 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video] Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered (1996) #3107
24	Arcturus 1991, Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	The Sham Mirrors (2002) #226 Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) #516 La masquerade infernale (1997) #1080
25	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Industrial Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal, Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #380 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #592
26	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #323 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #873 Age of Excuse (2019) #1232
27	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #381 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2004 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #2748
28	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronic	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1851 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #2163 Kveldssanger (1996) #2257
29	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #175 Triumvirát (2012) #209 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #407
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1070 Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #1731 Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #2597
31	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1235 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1596 The Shadowthrone (1995) #3006
32	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #533 Eld (1997) #790 Isa (2004) #2052
33	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #179 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #1164 Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer (2004) #1517
34	Chthonic 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	Takasago Army (2011) #608 賽德克巴萊 (2005) #2480 武徳 / Bú-Tik (2013) #3113
35	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #811 Born by Evil Blood (1987) [EP] Desecration (1989) [EP]
36	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #207 Pulver (2006) #1266 Erotik (2007) #2807
37	Blasphemy Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #724 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1042 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #1610
38	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	The Lost Tapes (2018) [Compilation] Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1573 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #1729
39	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #587 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #1296 Їм часто сниться капіж (They Often See Dreams About the Spring) (2018) #1496
40	Revenge 2000, Canada War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	Infiltration.Downfall.Death (2008) #383 Scum.Collapse.Eradication (2012) #537 Attack.Blood.Revenge (2001) [EP] #727

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