If you're just starting out listening to black metal, or you think you know it all, here is a list of the very best, the classics, or just some of my personal favorite black metal albums. Grab your corpse paint and get to it!
1349- Beyond The Apocalypse
Abazagorath- Sacraments Of The Final Atrocity
Abhorer- Zygotical Sabbatory Anabapt
Abigail- Forever Street Metal Bitch
Abigor- Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom), Opus IV
Abruptum- In Umbra Malitiae Ambulabo In Aeternum in Triumpho Tenebrau
Absu- Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L., Tara
Absurd- Totenlieder
Abyssos- Fhinstanian Nightbreed
Addaura- Burning Of The Ancient
Agalloch- The Mantle, Pale Folklore, Ashes Against The Grain
Akercocke- The Goat of Mendes
Aldaaron- Supreme Silence
Alghazanth- Wreath Of Thevatat
Annthennath- States Of Liberating Departure
Anorexia Nervosa- Drudenhaus
Antaeus- Cut Your Flesh And Worship Satan, Blood Libels
Archgoat- The Light-Devouring Darkness
Arckanorum Astrum- Prozrenie
Arckanum- PPPPPPPPPPP, Kampen
Arcturus- Aspera Hiems Symfonia
Armagedda- Only True Believers
Asbel- Elgeist: Hymn For Lost Souls
Asgaroth- Trapped In The Depths Of Eve
Askival- Eternity
Astel Oscora- Eridian, Wormshire
Astriaal- Renascent Misanthropy
Aura Noir- Black Thrash Attack, Hades Rise
Averse Sefira- Homecoming’s March
Bathory- Bathory, The Return, Under The Sign Of The Black Mark, Blood Fire Death
Beastcraft- Into The Pit Of Burning Hell
Behemoth- As The Forests Dream Eternally, From The Pagan Vastlands, Grom
Beherit- The Oath Of Black Blood, Drawing Down The Moon, Engram
Behexen- By The Blessing Of Satan, Rituale Satanum, Blessed Be The Darkness Demo
Besatt- Hail Lucifer
Bethlehem- Dictius Te Necare
Black Funeral- Vampyr: Throne Of The Beast
Black Witchery- Inferno Of Sacred Destruction
Blut Aus Nord- Ultima Thulee, Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of The Icy Ages
Borge- Entraves de l’Ame
Borknagar- Borknagar, The Olden Domain
Bornholm- …On The Way Of The Hunting Moon
Burzum- Burzum, Aske EP, Det Som Engang Var, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Filosofem
Carach Angren- Where The Corpses Sink Forever
Carcharoth- My Father Was A Wolf Demo
Carpathian Forest- Journey Through The Cold Moors Of Svarttjern Demo, Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods EP, Defending The Throne Of Evil
Catamenia- Location: COLD
Celtic Frost- Morbid Tales, To Mega Therion
Ceremonial Castings- Into The Black Forest Of Witchery
Cor Scorpii- Monument
Covenant- In Times Before The Light, Nexus Polaris
Cradle Of Filth- The Principal Of Evil Made Flesh, Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein, Dusk… And Her Embrace, Thornography
Crimson Moon- To Embrace The Vampyric Blood
Cripta Oculta- Ecos Dos Dolmens Esquesidos, Sangue Do Novo Amanhecer
Cryptic Wintermoon- A Coming Storm, Of Shadows… And The Dark Things You Fear
Dark Fortress- Tales From Eternal Dusk
Dark Funeral- In The Sign, Teach Children To Worship Satan, The Secrets Of The Black Arts, De Profundis Clamavi Ad Te Domine
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult- Nocturnal March
Darkthrone- Soulside Journey, A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Under A Funeral Moon, Transylvanian Hunger, Panzerfaust
Destroyer 666- Unchain The Wolves, Phoenix Rising, Cold Steel…For An Iron Age
Diabolical Masquerade- Ravendusk In My Heart
Dimmu Borgir- Stormblast, Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Dissection- Storm Of The Light’s Bane, Somberlain, Reinkaos
Dodheimsgard- Monumental Possession, Kronet til konge
Dodsferd- Cursing Your Will To Live
Drowning The Light- Drowned
Drudkh- Forgotten Legends
Eikenskaden- The Last Dance, There Is No Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Embracing Carpathian Mourning- Promo 2008
Emperor- In The Nightside Eclipse, Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
Enslaved- Vikingligr Veldi, Frost, Eld, Blodhemn
Enthroned- Toward The Skullthrone Of Satan
Evilfeast- Mysteries Of The Nocturnal Forest
Forest- Like A Blaze Above The Ashes
Forgotten Tomb- Songs To Leave, Springtime Depression, Love’s Burial Ground, Negative Megalomania
Forgotten Woods- As The Wolves Gather
Gehenna- Seen Through The Veils Of Darkness (The Second Spell)
Gnaw Their Tongues- All The Dread Magnificence Of Perversity
Goatmoon- Death Before Dishonour, Finnish Steel Storm
Gorgoroth- Anti-Christ, Pentagram, Under The Sign Of Hell, Incipit Satan
Graveland- Carpathian Wolves, Thousand Swords
Gris- Il était une forêt, A l’Ame Enflamme A l’Ame Constelle
Hecate Enthroned- Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters), Dark Requiems and Unsilent Massacre
Hellhammer- Satanic Rites Demo, Apocalyptic Raids EP, Demon Entrails Compilation
Horna- Sanojesi äärelle
I Shalt Become- Wanderings
Immortal- Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, Pure Holocaust, Battles In The North, At The Heart Of Winter
Impaled Nazarene- Nihil, All That You Fear, Pro Patria Finlandia
Imperial Crystalline Entombment- Apocalyptic End in White
In The Woods- Heart Of Ages
Inquisition- Invoking The Majestic Throne Of Satan, Into The Infernal Legions Of The Ancient Cult, Magnificent Glorification of Lucifer
Isengard- Hostmorke, Vinterskugge
Keep of Kalessin- Through Times Of War, Armada
Leviathan- The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide, Howl Mockery At The Cross, Tentacles of Whorror
Limbonic Art- The Moon In The Scorpio
Lord Belial- Enter The Moonlight Gate, Unholy Crusade
Lunar Aurora- Andacht
Manegarm- Nordstjarnans Tidsalder
Marduk- Dark Endless, Those Of The Unlight, Opus Nocturne, Heaven Shall Burn… When We All Are Gathered
Mayhem- Deathcrush, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Live In Leipzig, Dawn of The Black Hearts, Chimera
Mercyful Fate- Melissa, Don’t Break The Oath
Moonspell- Under The Moonspell
Morbid- December Moon EP
Mortuary Drape- All The Witches Dance
Mutiilation- Vampires Of Black Imperial Blood, Remains of A Ruined, Dead, Cursed, Soul
Mysticum- In The Streams Of Inferno
Naglfar- Vittra
Nargaroth- Herbstleyd
Necromantia- Scarlet Evil Witching Black
Nekrokrist SS- Suicide
Nocturnal- Unholycraft: Blood For The Glory Of Satan
Nokturnal Mortum- Goat Horns
Nyktalgia- Nyktalgia, Peisthanatos
Obtained Enslavement- Witchcraft
Odal- …Wilde Kraft
Old Man’s Child- In Defiance Of Existence, Vermin
Old Wainds- Scalding Coldness
Opera IX- The Call Of The Wood
Ragnarok- Blackdoor Miracle, Arising Realm
Revenge- Triumph. Genocide. Antichrist.
Rotting Christ- Thy Mighty Contract, Non Serviam
Sacramentum- Far Away From The Sun
Sarcofago- INRI
Sargeist- Let The Devil In, Satanic Black Devotion
Satanic Warmaster- Strength and Honor, Opferblut, Carelian Satanist Madness, Nachzehrer
Satyricon- Dark Medieval Times, Nemesis Divina, Shadowthrone
Seigneur Voland- Final Stand (Compilation)
Setherial- Hell Eternal
Shining- V: Halmstad
Silencer- Death- Pierce Me
Striborg- Mysterious Semblance, Nefaria/A Tragic Journey Towards The Light
Strid- Strid
Sturmkaiser- Veni, Vidi, Vici
Summoning- Dol Guldur
Taake- Nattestid Ser Porten Vid, Over Bjoergvin Graater Himmerik, Hordalands Doedskvad
Tartaros- The Grand Psychotic Castle
Thorns- Thorns
Thou Art Lord- Eosfaros
Tulus- Pure Black Energy
Twilight- Twilight
Ulver- Bergtatt, Nattens Madrigal
Varathron- His Majesty At The Swamp
Veles- Black Hateful Metal
Venom- Welcome To Hell, Black Metal
Vesperian Sorrow- Psychotic Sculpture, Stormwinds of Ages
Vintersorg- Till Fjalls
Vlad- In The Mist Demo, Yggdrasil Demo
Vlad Tepes & Belketre Split- March To The Black Holocaust
Watain- Lawless Darkness, Sworn To The Dark
Weakling-Dead As Dreams
Windir- Arntor, 1184
Winterfylleth- The Mercian Sphere, The Threnody Of Triumph
Wolves In The Throne Room- Black Cascade, Two Hunters
Xasthur- Nocturnal Poisoning, Subliminal Genocide, Telepathic With The Deceased, To Violate The Obvious
