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) #79 Dusk... and Her Embrace (1996) #110 Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay (2017) #181
2	Darkthrone 1987, Norway Black Metal, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992) #30 Transilvanian Hunger (1994) #94 Under a Funeral Moon (1993) #362
3	Burzum 1991, Norway Black Metal, Ambient	Hvis lyset tar oss (1994) #90 Filosofem (1996) #489 Det som engang var (1993) #574
4	Sodom 1981, Germany Thrash Metal, Black Metal	Persecution Mania (1987) #149 Tapping the Vein (1992) #241 Code Red (1999) #378
5	Dimmu Borgir 1993, Norway Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997) #788 Stormblåst (1996) #969 Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia (2001) #1060
6	Behemoth 1991, Poland Black Metal, Death Metal	The Satanist (2014) #98 Evangelion (2009) #270 Demigod (2004) #338
7	Mayhem 1984, Norway Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994) #22 De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (2016) [Live] #1251 Live in Sarpsborg (2017) [Live]
8	Emperor 1991, Norway Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	In the Nightside Eclipse (1994) #48 Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997) #498 Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise (2001) #940
9	Anorexia Nervosa 1995, France Symphonic Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal	Drudenhaus (2000) #80 Redemption Process (2004) #539 New Obscurantis Order (2001) #783
10	Summoning 1993, Austria Atmospheric Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	Dol Guldur (1997) #222 Stronghold (1999) #447 Old Mornings Dawn (2013) #460
11	Immortal 1991, Norway Black Metal	At the Heart of Winter (1999) #340 Pure Holocaust (1993) #413 Battles in the North (1995) #802
12	Anaal Nathrakh 1999, United Kingdom Industrial Black Metal, Grindcore	Vanitas (2012) #266 The Whole of the Law (2016) #298 Hell Is Empty, and All the Devils Are Here (2007) #449
13	Bathory 1983, Sweden Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Viking Metal	Blood Fire Death (1988) #333 Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) #368 Hammerheart (1990) #1620
14	Deathspell Omega 1998, France Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Paracletus (2010) #336 Fas- Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum (2007) #544 Kénôse (2005) [EP] #771
15	Gorgoroth 1992, Norway Black Metal	Pentagram (1994) #69 Antichrist (1996) #122 Under the Sign of Hell (1997) #406
16	Graveworm 1992, Italy Melodic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	As the Angels Reach the Beauty (1999) #334 Scourge of Malice (2001) #709 Engraved in Black (2003) #3863
17	Shining 1996, Sweden Depressive Black Metal, Black Metal	Within Deep Dark Chambers (2000) #231 V - Halmstad (2007) #262 Livets ändhållplats (2001) #1601
18	Sigh 1990, Japan Black Metal, Avant-garde Metal	Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) #263 Scenes From Hell (2010) #703 In Somniphobia (2012) #1596
19	Dissection 1989, Sweden Melodic Black Metal, Death Metal	Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) #74 The Somberlain (1993) #1827 Reinkaos (2006) #4971
20	Agalloch 1995, United States Atmospheric Black Metal, Folk Metal	The Mantle (2002) #361 Ashes Against the Grain (2006) #564 The White (2008) [EP] #697
21	Sad Legend 1997, Korea Melodic Black Metal	Sad Legend (1998) #81 The Revenge of Soul (2009) #2203 Promo 1997 (1997) [Demo]
22	Deafheaven 2010, United States Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal	New Bermuda (2015) #634 Sunbather (2013) #970 From the Kettle onto the Coil (2014) [Single]
23	Shade Empire 1999, Finland Melodic Death Metal, Industrial Death Metal, Symphonic Death Metal, Black Metal	Anti-Life Saviour (2017) [Single] Omega Arcane (2013) #325 Poetry of the Ill-Minded (2017) #521
24	Arcturus 1991, Norway Progressive Metal, Avant-garde Metal, Symphonic Black Metal	The Sham Mirrors (2002) #213 Aspera Hiems Symfonia (1996) #386 La masquerade infernale (1997) #1020
25	Marduk 1990, Sweden Black Metal	Blood Puke Salvation (2006) [Video] Panzer Division Marduk (1999) #2880 Rom 5:12 (2007) #2937
26	Mgła 2000, Poland Black Metal	Exercises in Futility (2015) #295 With Hearts Toward None (2012) #808 Age of Excuse (2019) #1123
27	Dark Mirror ov Tragedy 2003, Korea Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	The Lord ov Shadows (2018) #356 The Pregnant of Despair (2009) #1893 Encaptured by the Shadow (2019) [Live]
28	Cult of Fire 2010, Czech Republic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान (2013) #169 Triumvirát (2012) #204 Čtvrtá symfonie ohně (2014) [EP] #809
29	Ulver 1993, Norway Black Metal, Ambient, Electronic	Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995) #1681 Nattens madrigal: Aatte hymne til ulven i manden (1997) #2086 Kveldssanger (1996) #2183
30	Dark Funeral 1993, Sweden Black Metal	The Secrets of the Black Arts (1996) #1073 Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (2009) #1631 Vobiscum Satanas (1998) #2499
31	Satyricon 1991, Norway Black Metal	Nemesis Divina (1996) #1278 Dark Medieval Times (1993) #1505 The Shadowthrone (1995) #3107
32	Enslaved 1991, Norway Black Metal, Viking Metal, Progressive Metal	Vikingligr veldi (1994) #448 Eld (1997) #1081 Isa (2004) #1937
33	Lifelover 2005, Sweden Black Metal, Depressive Rock	Konkurs (2008) #195 Pulver (2006) #1186 Erotik (2007) #2636
34	Chthonic 1995, Taiwan Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal	Takasago Army (2011) #596 武徳 / Bú-Tik (2013) #2658 賽德克巴萊 (2005) #2858
35	Mütiilation 1991, France Black Metal	The Lost Tapes (2018) [Compilation] Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul (1999) #1483 Vampires of Black Imperial Blood (1995) #1629
36	Blasphemy Canada War Metal, Black Metal	Gods of War (1993) #680 Fallen Angel of Doom (1990) #948 Desecration of São Paulo - Live in Brazilian Ritual Third Attack (2016) [Live] #1526
37	Inquisition 1988, Colombia Black Metal	Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2010) #183 Nefarious Dismal Orations (2007) #1380 Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith (2016) #1814
38	Sabbat 1984, Japan Black Metal, Thrash Metal	Envenom (1991) #700 Satanasword (2000) #1663 Karisma (1999) #1708
39	Drudkh 2002, Ukraine Black Metal	Autumn Aurora (2004) #541 Кров у наших криницях (Blood in Our Wells) (2006) #1542 Їм часто сниться капіж (They Often See Dreams About the Spring) (2018) #1991
40	Mesarthim 2015, Australia Atmospheric Black Metal	The Great Filter (2016) [EP] #1055 .- -... ... . -. -.-. . (2016) #1354 Isolate (2015) #2398

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