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) #70 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #107 V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein (1996) [EP] #166
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #40 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #110 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #406
3	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #523 Stormblåst (1996) #1110 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1415
4	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #24 De Mysteriis Dom. Sathanas (2020) [Boxed set] Chimera (2004) #1347
5	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #82 Det som engang var (1993) #513 Filosofem (1996) #627
6	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #253 Sons of Northern Darkness (2002) #269 Pure Holocaust (1993) #436
7	Emperor 1991, Norway Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #42 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #363 IX Equilibrium (1999) #1282
8	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #131 Evangelion (2009) #266 Demigod (2004) #351
9	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #289 Stronghold (1999) #402 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #503
10	Ne Obliviscaris 2003, Australia Extreme Progressive Metal	Portal of I (2012) #57 Urn (2017) #530 Citadel (2014) #507
11	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	Vanitas (2012) #435 The Whole of the Law (2016) #394 Hell Is Empty, And All the Devils Are Here (2007) #679
12	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #144 Redemption Process (2004) #870 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #1108
13	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #39 The Somberlain (1993) #874 Live Legacy (2003) [Live]
14	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #94 Antichrist (1996) #225 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #691
15	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Avant-garde Black Metal	Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #689 Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004) #1007 Paracletus (2010) #1173
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #430 Scourge of Malice (2001) #635 Engraved in Black (2003) #5557
17	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #339 Blood Fire Death (1988) #439 Hammerheart (1990) #1124
18	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #1844 Plague Angel (2004) #3093 Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video]
19	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	V - Halmstad (2007) #170 Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #518 Shining (2023) #2081
20	Cult of Fire 2010, Czechia Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान / Ascetic Meditation of Death (2013) #188 Triumvirát (2012) #252 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #763
21	Alcest 1999, France Shoegaze, Blackgaze, Post-Metal	Écailles de lune (2010) #71 Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) #203 Les voyages de l'âme (2012) #850
22	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #299 Age of Excuse (2019) #1276 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #1954
23	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #187 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #757 Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith (2016) #1082
24	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #484 In Somniphobia (2012) #1472 Scenes From Hell (2010) #1483
25	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #96 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #3516 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
26	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #373 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #640
27	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1197 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1852 The Shadowthrone (1995) #3789
28	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #978 Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #1671 Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #2006
29	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #483 Eld (1997) #1273 Ruun (2006)
30	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #377 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #2113 The Lunatic Chapters of Heavenly Creatures (2014) #3517
31	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #1332 The Dwelling (1996) #1565 Live at Asakusa Deathfest 2017 (2020) [Live] #1779
32	Archgoat 1989, Finland War Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal	The Light-Devouring Darkness (2009) #265 Whore of Bethlehem (2006) #1027 All Christianity Ends (2022) [EP] #1210
33	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Atmospheric Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #712 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #1306 Всі належать ночі (All Belong to the Night) (2022)
34	Deafheaven 2010, United States Post-Black Metal, Blackgaze, Shoegaze	New Bermuda (2015) #440 Lonely People with Power (2025) #732 Sunbather (2013) #990
35	閃靈 (Chthonic) 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	高砂軍 (Takasago Army) (2011) #558 百萬遍 (Endless Aeons) (2025) [Single] 賽德克巴萊 (Seediq Bale) (2005) #3174
36	Rotting Christ 1987, Greece Melodic Black Metal, Grindcore, Gothic Metal, Death Metal	Their Greatest Spells (2018) [Compilation] Thy Mighty Contract (1993) #2232 Theogonia (2007) #2351
37	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #235 Pulver (2006) #1640 Erotik (2007) #2942
38	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1265 New False Prophet (2000) [EP] Rattenkönig (2005) #2508
39	Blasphemy 1987, Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #1267 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #1707 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #1739
40	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1292 .- -... ... . -. -.-. . (2016) #1700 Vacuum Solution (2021) [EP]
41	Bethlehem 1991, Germany Depressive Black Metal, Death Doom Metal	Dictius te necare (1996) #835 Bethlehem (2016) #2610 Dark Metal (1994) #3791
42	Satanic Warmaster 1998, Finland Black Metal	Carelian Satanist Madness (2005) #2134 Aamongandr (2022) #4248 Strength and Honour (2001) #2814
43	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronica, New Wave	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1832 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #2689 Kveldssanger (1996) #2952
44	Lustre 2008, Sweden Atmospheric Black Metal, Ambient	Reverence (2023) [EP] A Thirst for Summer Rain (2022) #1851 The Ashes of Light (2020) #2864
45	Windir 1994, Norway Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal	Arntor (1999) #567 Valfar, ein Windir (2004) [Compilation] SognaMetal (2005) [Video]
46	Behexen 1996, Finland Black Metal	By the Blessing of Satan (2004) #451 Horna / Behexen (2004) [Split] The Poisonous Path (2016) #2850
47	Violet Cold 2013, Azerbaijan Blackgaze, Post-Rock	Noir Kid (2020) #730 Anomie (2017) #995 Desperate Dreams (2015) #1270
48	Judas Iscariot 1992, United States Black Metal	Heaven in Flames (1999) #1678 To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding (2002) #2089 Thy Dying Light (1996) #6051
49	Naglfar 1992, Sweden Melodic Black Metal	Diabolical (1998) #1572 Vittra (1995) #3368 Sheol (2003) #3456
50	Batushka 2015, Poland Black Metal	Литургия (Litourgiya) (2015) #239 Yekteníya VII (2015) [Single] Панихида (Panihida) (2019)

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