Ben's Forum Replies

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 12th to the 25th of July, 2024.

1. :NODFYR: (FALLEN, NORTH)

2. Nomadic Rituals (FALLEN)

3. Opera Diabolicus (FALLEN, GUARDIANS)

4. Ankor (GATEWAY) - requested by Andi

5. Banks Arcade (GATEWAY)

6. Berried Alive (GATEWAY, INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

7. Boris Sex Dwarf (GATEWAY, INFINITE)

8. Dime (GATEWAY)

9. Solence (GATEWAY)

10. Windwaker (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

11. Coronary (GUARDIANS)

12. Starscape (GUARDIANS)

13. Bloodrust (HORDE)

14. Celestial Swarm (HORDE)

15. Congealed Putrescence (HORDE)

16. Diskord / Atvm (HORDE, INFINITE)

17. Haiduk (HORDE, PIT) - requested by Storm_Lord

18. Hand of Kalliach (HORDE)

19. Infestment (HORDE)

20. Octoploid (HORDE, INFINITE)

21. Osiris (EGY) (HORDE, NORTH)

22. Polemicist (HORDE, NORTH)

23. Sněť / Sequestrum (HORDE)

24. The Revolutionary Vanguard Gorenoise Ensemble (HORDE)

25. Unflesh (HORDE)

26. Acrylazea (INFINITE)

27. Isgherurd Morth (INFINITE, NORTH)

28. Kwade Droes (INFINITE, NORTH)

29. Malconfort (INFINITE)

30. Noble Déchet (INFINITE, NORTH)

31. Outlander (INFINITE)

32. Vuur & Zijde (INFINITE)

33. And Now the Owls Are Smiling (NORTH)

34. As the Shadows Envelop Me (NORTH)

35. Awenden / Feminazgul (NORTH)

36. Beleriand (NORTH)

37. Devilgroth (NORTH)

38. Eisenwinter / Vothana (NORTH)

39. Endezzma (NORTH)

40. Evoking Winds (NORTH)

41. Hån (NORTH)

42. Moisson Livide (NORTH)

43. Pagan Forest (NORTH)

44. Sår (NORTH)

45. Sol Draconi Septem (NORTH)

46. Spear of Teuta (NORTH)

47. Udånde (NORTH)

48. Vampirska / Glemt (NORTH)

49. Vampirska / Wampyric Rites (NORTH)

50. Vorágine / An Ocean of Light / Last Man's Breath / The Depressick / Urantia / Sadness (NORTH)

51. Winter Eternal (NORTH)

52. Witch Club Satan (NORTH)

53. Depths of Hatred (REVOLUTION)

54. Divine Right (REVOLUTION)

55. Onewaymirror (REVOLUTION)

56. Our Hollow, Our Home (REVOLUTION)

57. The Voynich Code (REVOLUTION)

That depends if you’d rather take the opinions of four randoms from a website that has repeatedly proven its inadequacies in this department over your own brother’s informed position which generally reflects your own & comes from almost four decades of experience, doesn’t it? It also depends on whether you care for Xmas presents or not.

Added...as Non-Metal.

Ben, please add Vatreni poljubac's 1980 third album "To je ono pravo" under the Heavy Metal (Conventional) subgenre.

Should it not be added as Non-Metal and then voted on, given you're the only person that has voted it as Heavy Metal on RYM?

Feel free to tell me which albums you feel deserve a place and why. I understand that you think there should be around 12. What are they, and which artists followed in their wake? If it’s Liturgy or Oranssi Pazuzu, then I’m genuinely interested in other artists that have followed their lead. Learn me.

Here's the 27 I've got so far...

MOST INFLUENTIAL BLACK METAL RELEASES

1987 Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark (BLACK)

1990 Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom.... (WAR)

1992 Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (BLACK)

1993 Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (MELODIC)

1993 Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract (MELODIC)

1994 Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (BLACK)

1994 Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (BLACK)

1994 Mayhem - De mysteriis dom Sathanas (BLACK)

1994 Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (SYMPHONIC)

1995 Summoning - Minas Morgul (ATMOSPHERIC)

1995 Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (ATMOSPHERIC)

1995 Immortal - Battles in the North (BLACK)

1996 Burzum - Filosofem (ATMOSPHERIC)

1996 Cradle of Filth - Dusk and Her Embrace (SYMPHONIC)

1997 Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (SYMPHONIC)

1999 Agalloch - Pale Folklore (ATMOSPHERIC)

1999 Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (ATMOSPHERIC)

1999 Windir - Arntor (MELODIC)

1999 Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy (WAR)

2001 Silencer - Death - Pierce Me (DEPRESSIVE)

2002 Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning (DEPRESSIVE)

2003 Leviathan - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (DEPRESSIVE)

2007 Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (ATMOSPHERIC)

2010 Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (BLACK)

2010 Alcest - Écailles de lune (BLACKGAZE)

2013 Deafheaven - Sunbather (BLACKGAZE)

2015 Batushka - Litourgiya (BLACK)

I think it's a pretty decent list. Releases I'm not 100% sold on are (in order of uncertainty)

2015 Batushka - Litourgiya (BLACK) - I'm comfortable removing Batushka, as I'm not sure it's influenced that many bands.

1999 Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy (WAR) - Are Conqueror really doing anything that Blasphemy didn't do a decade earlier?

2003 Leviathan - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (DEPRESSIVE) - I don't feel we need both Xasthur and Leviathan, and since I see Xasthur as having more of the sound that represents depressive black metal, I'd be happy with that.

1994 Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (BLACK) - Enslaved were certainly different, but just how much did this album influence others? Not sure!

If I remove all of them though, I'd need to add 2 more releases.

Thoughts? Anyone?

I see no reason why there should be 12 influential conventional black metal releases as some sort of minimum. In fact I think that actually goes against what I would expect for the list. I would expect it would be bands that branched out and did something other than conventional black metal, and influenced others to come along for the ride in the process, that should go in above popular black metal releases that didn't do anything particularly new.

If you feel any of the other conventional black metal albums deserve a spot, please let me know why.

I currently have 27 releases that I've shortlisted, so rather than discuss any individual subgenres any further, let's throw that list together and you can tell me if you feel like anything should replace anything else.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 5th to the 11th of July, 2024.

1. Autolith (FALLEN)

2. Batholith (FALLEN)

3. Corr Mhóna (FALLEN)

4. Demande à la Poussière (FALLEN)

5. Kadabra (FALLEN)

6. Thermohaline (FALLEN)

7. Vendel (FALLEN)

8. Aliene Ma'riage (GATEWAY) - requested by Pelle

9. Audiopsicotica (GATEWAY) - requested by Pelle

10. Bilmuri (GATEWAY)

11. Kerbdog (GATEWAY) - requested by Pelle

12. LeFT (GATEWAY) - requested by Pelle

13. Merva (GATEWAY) - requested by Pelle

14. Purity (GATEWAY)

15. Sumo Cyco (GATEWAY)

16. Aurelian (GUARDIANS)

17. Blacksword (GUARDIANS)

18. Hands of Goro (GUARDIANS)

19. Knight & Gallow (GUARDIANS)

20. Mean Mistreater (GUARDIANS)

21. Smut (GUARDIANS) - requested by Pelle

22. Beyond Grace (HORDE)

23. Deception (HORDE)

24. Gerogot (HORDE)

25. Headshrinker (HORDE)

26. Hysterorrhexis (HORDE)

27. Manifesting Obscenity (HORDE)

28. Martial Barrage (HORDE)

29. Miasmic (HORDE)

30. Michel Anoia (HORDE)

31. Sallow Moth (HORDE)

32. Snuffed on Sight / Corpse Pile (HORDE)

33. Yakisoba (HORDE)

34. No Oath (INFINITE)

35. Arazubak (NORTH)

36. Assassination (NORTH)

37. Cepheide (NORTH)

38. Cold Cell (NORTH)

39. Concilium (NORTH)

40. Curta'n Wall & Fugitive Wizard (NORTH)

41. Doedsvangr (NORTH)

42. Fosso (NORTH)

43. Genune (NORTH)

44. Impious Throne (NORTH)

45. Miasmata (NORTH)

46. Order (NORTH)

47. Stone, The (NORTH)

48. Killing (PIT)

I've spent the last week or so pondering how to handle the last remaining genre, being the top level Black Metal genre itself. I think this is by far the hardest to lock down, so Daniel and I had a lengthy phone call to produce the below shortlist. I think we agreed on most of them, with only a few included or excluded where our opinions differed. Let's start with some definites...

Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)

Yes, Bathory technically launched the black metal genre with 1984's debut album, but it was Under the Sign of the Black Mark that really influenced the upcoming Norwegian movement. Blood Fire Death was obviously also in our discussion, but for pure influence and origin, it has to be Under the Sign.

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992)

It goes without saying that A Blaze in the Northern Sky has to be on the list. While the band hadn't 100% let go of their death metal roots, their primitive ferocity, icy cold riffs, demonic vocals and all-round aesthetic took black metal to darker, more extreme territory.

Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (1994)

While it would be nice to only include one album per artist in this list, I feel Darkthrone has to be the exception. While it may have been tempting to include multiple albums for important artists such as Bathory and Burzum, only Darkthrone demand it due to their two hugely important albums influencing completely separate aspects of black metal. Transilvanian Hunger is responsible for the intentionally lo-fi production values and the relentless yet hypnotic sound that so many bands would pick up on from the moment it was released.

Mayhem - De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994)

It's incredible that recording for this album began in 1992. While I'm not going to state that Mayhem's masterpiece is the epitome of what true black metal is, I do think that De mysteriis dom Sathanas, with its strong production, complex song structures and impressive musicianship, paved the way for black metal being arguably the most popular metal genre today.

With those 4 albums out of the way, let's dive into some of the other releases that are at least worth discussing for the list. It would be great to get some opinions on any of these albums (or any others for that matter), so please let us know!

Sarcófago - I.N.R.I. (1987)

Arriving in the same year as Bathory's Under the Sign of the Black Mark, these Brazilian's brought high intensity thrashing madness out of South America. While this debut isn't a clear cut example of black metal, the techniques are definitely there, and both Fenris and Euronymous were very much influenced by it. You could argue that these guys were the ones to bring additional ferocity to the genre.

Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (1994)

It's not clear to me exactly how influential early Enslaved was, but what I do know is that it didn't sound like anyone else in the scene at the time. The band brought an epic aspect that, along with the Viking themes, could very well have led to the huge number of Viking-fused atmospheric black metal bands that exist today. The fact that the average track running time exceeds 10 minutes also fits the mould. My gut tells me Enslaved may have been a stepping stone rather than being influential enough for a list like this, but they're in the ballpark for sure.

Immortal - Battles in the North (1995)

This may come as a surprise, but bare with me. Pure Holocaust and At the Heart of Winter are undoubtedly more loved albums than this one, but that's not what this list is about. The fact is that Battles in the North brought unprecedented extremity to the genre. I recall laughing at how outrageously fast it all was back in the day, and yet there are countless bands that have gone down the same path since.

Satyricon - Nemesis Divina (1996)

Nemesis Divina is one of those releases that you could argue didn't bring anything new to the table, but it came at a time when black metal was making the transition from underground blasphemy to crowd-pleasing accessibility. It sits right in the middle, containing a fair portion of ferocity and complexity, while remaining for the most part quite accessible. Part of this is no doubt due to an increase in production that bands like Emperor and Satyricon were gaining access to, but whatever the reason, Nemesis Divina took off, and undoubtedly influenced other artists through sheer weight of popularity.

Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God (2003)

I (incorrectly) included this in my atmospheric black metal shortlist, but this is where it belongs. I personally feel that it's no coincidence that fellow countrymen Deathspell Omega's eventual sound (the one they're known for now) arrived on the scene a year after The Work Which Transforms God unleashed it's otherworldly warped dissonance onto unsuspecting listeners. I guess the question we have to ask is whether other bands were influenced by this release, or whether all the innumerable clones simply point back to Deathspell Omega. I feel it's likely the latter, but I wanted to include them for discussion nonetheless.

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)

I don't think it would have been incorrect to include this release in the definites list at the top of this post. That's how much of an influence I feel this band's sound has had on black metal overall. The only decision is which album to include. I think you could argue that Fas – Ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum was the band's first album to really nail down the sound, but the monumental popularity of Paracletus can't be ignored.

Mgła - Exercises in Futility (2015)

Daniel and I disagree on the inclusion of this release. While I would never argue that Mgła aren't a great band, and their popularity speaks for itself, I'm personally not convinced that they've brought anything new to black metal. I guess I included Satyricon for helping to bring in an increased accessibility to the genre while staying true to it's foundations, so I can see the argument for Mgła to be included on the same grounds. Anyone have an opinion on this one?

Batushka - Litourgiya (2015)

Bastushka sounded really fresh when this album dropped. They weren't the first to introduce chanting to black metal, but they were certainly the first to dive all in on it. The result was an atmosphere we hadn't really experienced before, and when you added in the mystery surrounding the the band members, this Polish band became a bit of a phenomenon. While I don't know of any bands that have gone down the exact path, I'm continually hearing aspects of Batushka's sound in other releases. Certainly enough to include them on this shortlist, but I'm not certain there's enough to warrant the final 25. Thoughts?

Liturgy - H.A.Q.Q. (2019)

I’ll admit that I’m not really into this sort of thing, so I’ll need some assistance / persuasion when deciding whether it deserves a place on the final list. One thing I do know is that Liturgy are hugely popular, and from the releases I’ve heard, brought an avant-garde madness to the genre that was otherwise missing. Speaking of avant-garde, Daniel and I discussed bands like Ved Buens Ende, Solefald, Dodheimsgard and Fleurety, but felt they either didn’t influence enough bands or weren’t quite black metal enough to warrant inclusion. Liturgy probably ticks both boxes, although perhaps it's too soon to truly call them influential?

Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi (2020)

This one’s all Daniel. I’ve never heard it, but he tells me it’s fantastic, and brings a psychedelic aspect to black metal that feels fresh and interesting. I can’t argue with its rating and popularity on RYM, but I wouldn’t personally know whether it has been influential or not. It’s only been out for 4 years, so it shouldn’t be difficult to pinpoint releases that came out from its shadow. Have you found that to be the case Daniel?

I'm putting forward the below list, but welcome anyone's opinion...

Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987)

Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992)

Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger (1994)

Mayhem - De mysteriis dom Sathanas (1994)

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (2010)

Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi (1994)

Immortal - Battles in the North (1995)

Batushka - Litourgiya (2015)

Thanks for the feedback Daniel / Xephyr.

I agree that The Work Which Transforms God is better to discuss under Black Metal rather than Atmospheric Black Metal, so that's off the list.

While it hurts me to do it, I think I also agree that Filosofem can't be excluded, so that's the Burzum album of choice for the list.

All of us agree that Ulver and Paysage d'Hiver need to be there, which is great.

I'm going to settle on the below list for now. I really don't know which of these releases will end up in the final 25, but I do feel the first three are locked in.

Burzum - Filosofem (1996)

Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995)

Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (1999)

Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995)

Agalloch - Pale Folklore (1999)

Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (2007)

I also get frustrated by the need to further sub-categorise metal genres, but I think in this instance it's a valid one. The influence that Deathspell Omega have had on black metal can't be overstated. There are many (admittedly) lesser known bands that are attempting to utilise a similar sound. I reviewed one here at Metal Academy not long back actually...

https://metal.academy/releases/23898

Bekor Qilish, Kvadrat and Skaphe are other bands that come to mind that are very obviously bringing Deathspell-like dissonance into their music. I do feel there's something quite distinct about the sound that was introduced by Blut Aus Nord's The Work Which Transforms God and Deathspell Omega's mid-2000s releases. They don't have traditional black metal riffs at all.

For anyone interested, I think these are good examples...

https://open.spotify.com/track/2eDaorhzqRSmuYdPFW7Jnu?si=728c5b45a7584f69

https://open.spotify.com/track/5FSASFBCaKkBYhH6iYq4kN?si=9f51be8b321a4f29

https://open.spotify.com/track/377pFq2o7qSZSU9wAo8oiI?si=635093e767b540a0

I'm all for Dissonant Black Metal. Let's give RYM a few months to sort itself out and then we'll implement it here.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 29th of June to the 4th of July, 2024.

1. Coffin Lurker (FALLEN)

2. Cross Vault (FALLEN)

3. Fōr (FALLEN)

4. Gold Spire (FALLEN, INFINITE)

5. Melvins / Boris (FALLEN)

6. Mesa (FALLEN, INFINITE)

7. Nadja / Disrotted (FALLEN)

8. Taxi Caveman (FALLEN)

9. Gridiron / Despize (GATEWAY, REVOLUTION)

10. No Terror in the Bang (GATEWAY, INFINITE)

11. Acero Letal (GUARDIANS, PIT)

12. Vatreni poljubac (GUARDIANS) - requested by Daniel

13. Abscession (HORDE)

14. Astral Decay (HORDE)

15. Bitter Loss (HORDE)

16. Cercenatory (HORDE)

17. Deconsecration / Re-Buried (HORDE)

18. Frog Mallet (HORDE)

19. Gore Dimension (HORDE)

20. Human Failure (HORDE)

21. Stench Collector (HORDE)

22. Thanatotherion (HORDE, NORTH)

23. Thy Darkened Shade / Amestigon / Inconcessus Lux Lucis / Shaarimoth (HORDE, NORTH)

24. Vomit Spell (HORDE)

25. AVRALIZE (INFINITE, REVOLUTION)

26. Mütterlein (INFINITE)

27. Vástígr (INFINITE, NORTH)

28. Alghol (NORTH)

29. Hanternoz (NORTH)

30. Jours Pâles (NORTH)

31. Kankar (NORTH)

32. Kasturn (NORTH)

33. Romuvos (NORTH)

34. Solitvdo (NORTH)

35. Syning (NORTH)

36. Zaratus (NORTH)

37. Zørza (NORTH)

38. Evilcult (NORTH, PIT)

39. Amygdala / Listless (REVOLUTION)

40. Kiowa (REVOLUTION)

41. Sleep Waker (REVOLUTION)

42. The Remnant (REVOLUTION) - requested by Andi

July 2024

1. Gaerea - World Ablaze (from World Ablaze, 2024)

2. Akhlys - Maze of Phobetor (from House of the Black Geminus, 2024)

3. Árstíðir lífsins - Nauð greyprs élreka (from Aldrlok, 2024)

4. Adversarial - Merging Within the Destroyer (from Solitude With the Eternal..., 2024)

5. Enslaved - I lenker til Ragnarok (In Chains Until Ragnarok) (from Blodhemn, 1998)

6. Warmoon Lord - Blazing Warrior Soul (from Burning Banners of Funereal War, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Whoredom Rife - The Beautiful End of All (from Den vrede makt, 2024)

8. Master's Hammer - Utok (from Ritual, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

9. Sólstafir - Hin helga kvöl (from Hin helga kvöl, 2024)

10. Critical Defiance - Full Paranoia (from The Search Won't, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Begotten - If All You Have Known Is Winter (from If All You Have Known Is Winter, 2020)

12. Saidan - Genocidal BloodFiend (from Visual Kill: The Blossoming of Psychotic Depravity, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Emperor - My Empire's Doom (from Wrath of the Tyrant, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Ætheria Conscientia - Endless Cycle (from The Blossoming, 2024)

15. Satanic North - Village (from Satanic North, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Amiensus - A Consciousness Throughout Time (from Reclamation, 2024)

17. Evilfeast - From The Northern Wallachian Forest… Tyranny Returns (from Elegies of the Stellar Wind, 2017)

18. Pestilent Hex - Chapter II: "Nature of the Spirit" (from The Ashen Abhorrence, 2022)

19. Summoning - The Passing of the Grey Company (from Minas Morgul, 1995)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 22nd to the 28th of June, 2024.

1. Of Darkness (FALLEN)

2. Sons of Arrakis (FALLEN)

3. Graywave (GATEWAY, INFINITE)

4. Phantom Elite (GATEWAY, GUARDIANS, INFINITE)

5. Minas Tirith (GUARDIANS, INFINITE, PIT) - requested by Karl

6. Starlight Ritual (GUARDIANS)

7. Vision Master (GUARDIANS)

8. ALL YOU NEED IS KILL! (HORDE)

9. Baron (HORDE)

10. Krocophile (HORDE) - requested by ZeroSymbolic7188

11. MxMxM (HORDE)

12. Stenched (HORDE)

13. Submerged (HORDE)

14. Texas Ketamine (HORDE)

15. Vaticinal Rites (HORDE)

16. Faith (INFINITE, NORTH)

17. Leonov (INFINITE)

18. Mirar (INFINITE)

19. Curse (NORTH) - requested by Karl

20. Dungeon Steel (NORTH, PIT)

21. Gideon's Horn (NORTH)

22. Grinning God / Spider God (NORTH)

23. Houle (NORTH)

24. Kristallnacht (NORTH) - requested by Karl

25. Mørkriket (NORTH) - requested by Karl

26. Petracorensis (NORTH)

27. Seigneur Voland (NORTH) - requested by Karl

28. Sigrblot (NORTH) - requested by Karl

29. Tenebrosus (NORTH) - requested by Karl

30. Theotoxin (NORTH) - requested by Karl

31. Thule (NORTH) - requested by Karl

32. Venymysgourvleydh (NORTH)

33. Waidelotte (NORTH)

34. Doomsday (PIT)

35. Immortal Disfigurement (REVOLUTION)

36. Missing Link (REVOLUTION)

No need to apologise. I'm more than happy to prioritise adding requested bands over random bands that no-one is listening to.

I'm not sure that I have a favourite label, as I don't think I've paid attention to labels much since streaming took over.

That said, this discussion did remind me that I started Label Lists on the site a few years ago.

https://metal.academy/lists/3

I had fun doing that, and it was a good way to add underground bands that possibly never would have hit the site otherwise.

Totally agree. I really enjoy The Arcane Odyssey, but there's something special about Glory and Perdition.

The Remnant is a single.

Ah, OK. In that case it won't be added to the site. Thanks.

Ben, please add the Becoming the Archetype album The Remnant.

This release doesn't appear on Metal Archives or even Discogs. Are you sure it's an official release?

Note that I can't add releases that haven't been released yet, as I need to have clarity of what clan, genre and subgenre they should be added to. I generally wait until releases have had around 50 ratings on RYM, as the genres have usually been solidified by them.

You know you're in the right clans when you actually struggle to come up with 10 bands you truly love outside of them. Here's my shot at it...

Faith No More (Gateway)

Iron Maiden (Guardians)

Black Sabbath (Guardians)

Opeth (Infinite)

Arcturus (Infinite)

Mr. Bungle (Infinite)

Meshuggah (Infinite)

Godflesh (Sphere)

Ministry (Sphere)

Red Harvest (Sphere)

If someone listened to 2 albums a day, that would be 730 albums a year. At that rate it would take 19 years to listen to 13,825 albums, and that's without ever listening to an album twice.

I really liked Glory and Perdition when it was featured on here, but I haven't gone back to another Sear Bliss album yet. Looks like this one will be the test to see how quickly I go back to their other ones, I have zero clue about their overall consistency given it seems like they bring in a ton of guests for their albums. Looking forward to it.

If you really liked Glory and Perdition, your next stop should definitely be The Arcane Odyssey. That's the most similar in style and quality. Many consider it to be their best.

OK, it's time to move on to what has to be the biggest subgenre of black metal...

ATMOSPHERIC BLACK METAL

It's always nice when there's one standout band that simply cannot be excluded. In this case, that band is...

Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)

There will no doubt be opinions on whether the selected album should be Hvis lyset tar oss or Filosofem, but my personal opinion is that Hvis lyset tar oss came first, and ultimately laid down the platform that the genre is known for. That said, I could understand the argument that Filosofem was more influential on the sheer weight of popularity. Thoughts?

Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995)

It's true that Ulver only released one album that belongs to this subgenre, but Bergtatt has to be considered. This dark fairytale brought a dark folk element along with other non-metal aspects (such as acoustic guitar sections and clean vocals) while still retaining a strong connection to black metal. Arriving only a year after Hvis lyset tar oss, I feel like this album had a big impact on what was to come.

Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995)

One could argue that I only included this to piss off my brother, but that wouldn't be true. There's no doubt in my mind that Summoning took black metal in an entirely new direction, with it's focus on Tolkienesque imagery and atmosphere. While the horns, keyboards, sound effects and fantasy epic feel may on paper appear to go against what black metal is all about, the underlying riffs and vocals are 100% connected to the genre. Minas Morgul isn't the band's best album, but it was the first to take this path, and would set the groundwork for their subsequent releases as well as hordes of other Middle-Earth clones (such as Caladan Brood and Emyn Muil).

Agalloch - Pale Folklore (1999)

This is an album I include with some hesitation. There's no doubt that the band had a big impact on the scene, with their melding of black metal and folk. Of course, Ulver did that first, but the origins of the two bands (Ulver are from Norway, while Agalloch are from the United States) resulted in very different sounds. So why the hesitation? Well, Ulver felt like a black metal band bringing in folk aspects, whereas Agalloch feel like a post-metal band utilizing black metal techniques. While my personal opinion of an album shouldn't influence whether it's included on the list, I must state that I find the album to be poorly performed and not particularly compelling, while later releases (namely The Mantle and Ashes Against the Grain) that focus more on the post-metal aspect are far more convincing. Agalloch definitely had an influence on post-metal, but just how much influence did they have on black metal?

Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (1999)

While Burzum is an obvious influence on the style of black metal that Paysage d'Hiver's perform, and Darkthrone is likely the influence for the sound, this Swiss one-man band certainly brought something new to the genre. The band name means Landscape of Winter, and that's exactly what you get here.  The intentionally lo-fi production combined with the icy cold riffs and Wintherr's screams that seem to pierce through a blizzard make for a genuinely atmospheric album. One in which the major instruments (who cares about bass anyway) remain entirely audible despite the cacophonous environment. We obviously wouldn't have Darkspace without Paysage d'Hiver, and there are plenty of other bands (Trhä immediately come to mind) that have tried their hand at this sort of thing.

Weakling - Dead as Dreams (2000)

This is an album I only recently devoted enough time to fully grasp and appreciate, but it's generally considered to be the release that kicked off the U.S. black metal movement in the 2000s, just as the Scandinavian movement was stuttering after a glorious decade. That said, I can hear the influence a numerous predecessors on Dead as Dreams (strangely it's Emperor that enters my mind quite often), so I'm not sure it's musically as influential as it was to the region from which it originated. If anything, there's a very progressive approach to song structures that makes it unique, but not in a way that I can unquestionably link back to it. I may include this in my shortlist, but not with certainty that it will appear in the final list.

Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God (2003)

While Blut aus Nord's Memoria Vetusta series contains a much more traditional version of atmospheric black metal, that certainly can't be said for The Work Which Transforms God (which to be honest, I'm not really sure should be considered an atmospheric black metal album). This release sounded nothing like anything that came before it, combining incredibly warped riffs and unhinged vocals. The only question is whether or not other bands were influenced by this disturbing approach. Well I don't think it's a coincidence that fellow countrymen Deathspell Omega transitioned from a fairly typical old school black metal outfit into the highly dissonant and somewhat avant-garde entity they became in 2004. That band would in turn influence craploads of bands, so perhaps The Work Which Transforms God deserves an element of credit?

Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (2004)

This Ukrainian band is often labelled a Burzum clone, but that feels a bit unfair to me. Sure, Burzum is clearly an influence, but while Paysage d'Hiver took Burzum to the coldest environment imaginable, I feel like Drudkh introduced a warmth to proceedings that, along with the gentle folkish melodies and almost-but-not-quite-monotonous repetition, gives their music a very comforting effect. This is harmless yet effortlessly enjoyable music, which may or may not be what you personally want from your black metal (no need to comment Daniel). I'm not sure this distinguishment alone justifies calling Drudkh pioneering or influential though.

Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters (2007)

These guys fully admit to being highly influenced by Weakling, which straight off gives us a reason not to include them, but that would be doing this U.S. band a disservice. For whatever reason, Wolves in the Throne Room have been labelled a hipster band, but this likely has as much to do with the huge popularity they gained in a short period of time as it does with the band's anti black metal nice guys reputation. But while many elitist black metal fans seem to feel violated by the watering down of their beloved genre by skinny jeans wearing vegans that wear glasses they don't need, one listen to Two Hunters should make it clear that these guys really understand what makes great atmospheric black metal. I have no doubt that the band brought a lot of new fans to the genre, many of whom may have gone on to make albums of their own, but I'm not sure they're doing anything we hadn't heard prior to 2006 (I can hear a fair bit of Drudkh in their sound too).

You'll note that I haven't mentioned Panopticon. This is mostly due to me not having listened to them beyond a few tracks added to The North playlist. I do understand that they introduced a distinctively American folk aspect to their work (bluegrass etc.), but I'm not sure that sort of instrumentation has found its way into other artist's work (at least not yet). Please correct me if I'm off the mark here.

OK, so which of the above am I going to shortlist? I'll select three that I feel strongly about, and three that have potential. As always, please let me know your thoughts. I'm by no means set on any of this.

Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)

Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler (1995)

Summoning - Minas Morgul (1995)

Paysage d'Hiver - Paysage d'Hiver (1999)

Weakling - Dead as Dreams (2000)

Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God (2003)

I agree that depressive black metal only really became a thing anyone talked about in the early to mid 2000's. Could it be reasonable to state that the subgenre can be broken in half, being the warped sound that originated in Sweden (Silencer / Shining), and the more black metal focussed sound that came out of the United States (Xasthur / Leviathan), with most subsequent bands reflecting one or both of those movements?

If I assume the answer is yes, then I think Silencer's debut wins out over Shining for influence if not quality. I find it very difficult to split Xasthur or Leviathan though. Both brought loads of new fans to black metal and undoubtedly influenced lots of bands. My gut tells me that Xasthur is more important to the development of the subgenre despite the Leviathan album being the better release. I'm going to include both for now and ask that anyone that has an opinion on the matter raise their voice.

Silencer - Death - Pierce Me (2001)

Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning (2002)

Leviathan - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (2003)

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 14th to the 21st of June, 2024.

1. Ba'al (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. Blood Spore / Coagulate / Soul Devourment / Gutvoid (FALLEN, HORDE)

3. Bongzilla & Tons (FALLEN)

4. Grace Hayhurst (FALLEN, INFINITE)

5. Grat Strigoi (FALLEN, NORTH)

6. Sigil (FALLEN, NORTH)

7. Tyrannic (FALLEN, NORTH, PIT)

8. NECRONOMIDOL (GATEWAY)

9. Galactikraken & Jonathan Young (GUARDIANS)

10. Ironbound (GUARDIANS)

11. Azothyst (HORDE)

12. Cave Moth (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

13. Gnosis (HORDE, NORTH)

14. Gxllium (HORDE)

15. Liquid Viscera (HORDE)

16. Melting Rot (HORDE)

17. Nak'ay (HORDE)

18. Protosequence (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

19. Regurgitated Entrails (HORDE)

20. Siksakubur (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

21. Sperm of Mankind (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

22. Suppuration (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

23. Unearthly Rites (HORDE)

24. Vomit Ritual (HORDE)

25. Will 'O' Wisp (HORDE, INFINITE) - requested by Pelle

26. Atrocious Filth (INFINITE, SPHERE)

27. Anguis Dei (NORTH)

28. Bialywilk (NORTH)

29. Deceiver Legion (NORTH)

30. Destructo (NORTH, PIT)

31. Ehtëk (NORTH)

32. Gargoyle (ITA) (NORTH)

33. Korpituli (NORTH)

34. Magogaio (NORTH)

35. Moosegut (NORTH)

36. Oriflamme (NORTH)

37. Paisaunt (NORTH)

38. Sirpinmurtaja (NORTH)

39. Unknown Artist (NORTH)

40. Valdaudr (NORTH)

41. Μνήμα / Spider God (NORTH)

42. Burning Lord (PIT)

43. Desolus (PIT)

44. Carcosa (REVOLUTION)

45. Extinguish (REVOLUTION)

46. Nursing (REVOLUTION)

47. Pintglass (REVOLUTION)

48. Under the Pier (REVOLUTION)

49. Worst Doubt (REVOLUTION)

50. Dome Runner (SPHERE)

Ben, the Strid self-titled released was technically only a 7" single. Should it even be considered here?

I really only mention that release as it's generally considered the earliest example of the sound, which I'm interested in assessing. Do you have any feedback on any of the other releases or are we out of your wheelhouse?

Sorry to be behind the curve here but my quick 2 cents about Blackgaze:

It's definitely one of the smaller Black Metal subgenres that could be encapsulated by just Sunbather, but I think it deserves a bit more than that. I think the current resurgence of Shoegaze/Noise Rock in the indie spheres has been allowing Blackgaze to make some waves again, so limiting the subgenre to one example seems a bit harsh. I did some digging on early Blackgaze releases and of course Alcest and Deafheaven were the only ones to gain any notoriety, so I think we're covered on that. I'd agree that either Souvenirs d'un autre monde or Écailles de lune deserves a spot as Deafheaven doesn't end up where they are if Alcest wasn't a part of the equation. I couldn't find any specific interviews but as much as it's worth Wikipedia cites that Alcest was a pretty big collaborator and influence on Deafheaven before Sunbather released, so I think tracing back that path is worth it for the list. Then I think it's a question whether the list values the "prototype" (Souvenirs) or the stronger early example (Écailles) of Blackgaze. I'd personally go with Écailles if I was forced to choose, but I'm sure most people would see it both ways. 

I know pretty much nothing about Depressive Black Metal so I'll see myself out o7

Thanks Xephyr. I agree that Alcest has to be included. It's just a matter of which album.

Time for our next black metal subgenre. We’re down to the last few now.

DEPRESSIVE BLACK METAL

Now things get a little more challenging for me. While I’ve spent quite a bit of time with numerous popular releases in this subgenre over the years, I’m still not sure whether it really deserves to be its own thing. I do think there are distinct aspects of depressive metal, but rarely do they all come in one package. I can’t help feeling that the subgenre is often incorrectly applied due to suicidal-themed lyrical or visual content influencing the genre tagging.

Regardless, below are a bunch of potential releases, along with my personal feelings as to why they should or shouldn't be considered for the list. I’m not highly confident here, so I’m hoping to get some feedback from any experienced Academy attendees before settling on a couple of releases that could potentially make the list.

Strid - Strid (1994)

This release is generally considered to be a defining effort in the creation of what we now call depressive black metal. I can see why it's considered important, but I honestly don't think it was particularly popular until long after it was released. I could be wrong, but I think it's one of those releases for which its importance was only realised once the subgenre had well and truly advanced. I wasn't even aware of it until recent years, but that may have more to do with my listening habits than reality. Did it influence some of the early bands? Perhaps, but I'm not convinced enough to include it. Maybe someone else knows more about this?

Bethlehem - Dictius te necare (1996)

This album is labelled depressive black metal pretty much everywhere, but I personally feel that it's only really the vocals that truly represent the subgenre in question. The album doesn't otherwise venture far from the band's Dark Metal debut album, including sections of death doom. I don't hear much in the music that resembles the description applied to depressive black metal, so I wouldn't include it in the list.

Abyssic Hate - Suicidal Emotions (2000)

This release (from Australia) is often cited as a highly influential release for depressive black metal, and it’s easy to see why with the cover and lyrical content very much focussing on despair and suicidal thoughts. That said, there’s so much Burzum on display that it makes me wonder why this is considered depressive black metal while Burzum isn’t. Regardless, apart from an early riff that reminded me of a Lifelover track, I don’t hear anything particularly fresh here. It’s certainly enjoyable though!

Silencer - Death - Pierce Me (2001)

An infamous release for a number of reasons, not least of all due to the probably bullshit stories about vocalist Nattramn. But this is definitely an early example of the sound I equate to being depressive black metal, and I'd have to imagine highly influential. I thought that Silencer may have taken inspiration from Shining’s debut, Within Deep Dark Chambers, which was released a year earlier, but it seems Silencer were already recording Death - Pierce Me around the time that album was released. I therefore think this one is a candidate for the list.

Xasthur - Nocturnal Poisoning (2002)

First things first… I love this album, despite its flaws. Nocturnal Poisoning undoubtedly made a very big splash on release, but it’s questionable as to whether it’s a good representation of depressive black metal. It’s a fucking weird sounding album, and most certainly has a desperate melancholy to it, but so do lots of black metal releases. Regardless of what I think, this album helped kickstart the US depressive black metal movement and arguably an isolated one-man black metal epidemic as well. A lot of people appear to list Xasthur’s To Violate the Oblivious as a better representation of the depressive black metal sound, so perhaps that’s a better option to put forward?

Leviathan - The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (2003)

Another US band, Leviathan contains more hatred and black metal extremity than most bands labelled depressive black metal. I feel like a number of tracks on this release are straight up black metal, but I have to admit that when Wrest slows down, there are definitely comparisons to Xasthur’s highly emotional and melancholic work. It's difficult to decide whether Xasthur or Leviathan were more influential in the early 2000’s, but it would feel wrong to mention one without the other. I discovered them at around the same time too, as I think a lot of other black metal fans did.

Shining - IV - The Eerie Cold (2005)

Shining already had several releases that circled the depressive black metal wagons, but by the mid 2000’s, they’d added numerous other recognisable elements to that early sound. 2002's III - Angst - Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie was a top-notch album, but it would be their fourth release, The Eerie Cold, that would reach a larger audience and solidify their unique celebration of madness and suicide. Band leader Niklas Kvarforth is often cited as the instigator of the suicide encouragement motif that would, for better or worse, become a major part of the subgenre. The band's next album would increase their exposure to an unprecedented level, but I think the band’s sound and influence was already well and truly set by that point.

Anyone experienced in this area that has input here?

My three favourite Maiden albums are Seventh Son, Somewhere in Time and Powerslave, so my list of tracks would definitely have a lot of crossover with yours Karl.

OK, let's move forward with this project. It's time to focus on another subgenre of black metal that I'm by no means an expert on. I think I've heard most of the "big" stuff though, so I'll have a crack at it.

BLACKGAZE

I think it's safe to say that Alcest is the major player here. It's a question of which album. I think it's safe to say that their debut, Souvenirs d'un autre monde, was the one that kicked things off, but then there's the question of whether it's actually metal or not. I personally feel like it should be considered blackgaze. If it had the typical screamed vocals of other Alcest releases, I don't think there would even be a question about it, but maybe I'm wrong? Anyone got an opinion? If that album isn't blackgaze, then the follow-up, Écailles de lune, most certainly is.

There's no way that Deafheaven can't be on the list too, with Sunbather being one of the most popular metal albums in history (I still can't believe it has over 24,500 ratings on RYM, which is more than Filosofem!). I'm not sure there are any other releases than demand a spot on this list or even come into the conversation, but as always, please let me know if you feel I'm missing something.

Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde (2007) / Écailles de lune (2010)

Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)

Metal Academy is not a site where we want the "people who like Metallica are total posers" style comments. You're correct that everyone should feel free to not like things as passionately as they want, but there's simply no need to be offensive to others.

Whether or not the album is a great listen or not isn't really the point of this list. Blasphemy's debut album is objectively hugely influential to the subgenre, so I really have to include it.

Besides, a quick look at RYM suggests it's very much loved by war metal fans (albeit with far more ratings than Conqueror), so I don't feel the general consensus is that it's influential but not actually good.

Yeah, I've never noticed what Daniel's talking about with At the Heart of Winter too. It's one of those times that I'm happy to not be a musician so I can just enjoy something, totally oblivious to whether it's performed well or not.

At least Abbath knows that he's not a great player...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WKzrc2wcxA

Alright, let's move onto one I'm not massively knowledgeable about, although I might be just experienced enough to know the major influences. It's not exactly a subgenre filled with creativity and has remained relatively the same over the years, so I'm hoping this is pretty straightforward.

WAR METAL

Thankfully this subgenre has one very clear instigator, being Blasphemy from Canada. Their Fallen Angel of Doom.... album from 1990 is certainly the most influential release of this style. The big question is whether or not anything that has come after it has done enough with the blueprint or created enough of a stir to hit a most influential black metal release list.

Probably the only release I can come up with is Conqueror's War Cult Supremacy, which took things to an unprecedented level of destruction, undoubtedly encouraging others to pick up their instruments and try to obliterate the world with them.

Other possible bands are Beherit and Bestial Warlust, but I'm not sure if I could justify their inclusion in a list like this. I'm going with Blasphemy as a likely inclusion and Conqueror as a possible inclusion. Thoughts?

Blasphemy - Fallen Angel of Doom.... (1990)

Conqueror - War Cult Supremacy (1999)

Yeah, I've never noticed what Daniel's talking about with At the Heart of Winter too. It's one of those times that I'm happy to not be a musician so I can just enjoy something, totally oblivious to whether it's performed well or not.

It’s just a starting point. We might not end up including all of them. Just building a list that then gets dwindled down to 25.

I'm keeping my three selected releases for now. That may be one too many for a list of 25, but I guess we'll deal with that once I've gone through all the subgenres.

Let's go with another subgenre that has a very obvious influence...

SYMPHONIC BLACK METAL

Just as Dissection were an easy selection for melodic black metal, Emperor are just as clear cut for symphonic black metal. The Norwegian legends launched the sound on 1994's In the Nightside Eclipse. Other bands followed in the mid-90s, including Limbonic Art, Nokturnal Mortum and Obtained Enslavement, but I don't think any of these bands created a new sound and/or influenced others in any major way. I think the first band to have their own take on symphonic black metal that would most definitely influence stacks of other bands is Cradle of Filth. I would put forward Dusk and Her Embrace as the release, as I think that best represents the sound that had the most impact. We wouldn't have bands like Graveworm, Carach Angren and Agathodaimon if it weren't for Dani and his crew. The other band that needs a mention is Dimmu Borgir, although it could be said that their breakout symphonic black metal sound on Enthrone Darkness Triumphant was a direct result of Cradle of Filth's success. I personally feel that Dimmu Borgir themselves would most definitely influence loads of bands, so I'm going to include it as my third "maybe" choice.

Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)

Cradle of Filth - Dusk and Her Embrace (1996)

Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)

Keen to hear what others think. Disagree with any of these choices? Do you feel Dimmu Borgir's sound was enough removed from Cradle of Filth to justify inclusion? Should any other bands be brought into the mix?

I agree that Thy Mighty Contract isn't Rotting Christ's best album, and I wouldn't personally call it classic, but clones started coming out in 1994 (check out Thou Art Lord's Eosforos album), so it was clearly highly influential. The sound was formed immediately, so I'm actually comfortable including it above other Rotting Christ albums. Anyone else have an opinion?

OK, so it's clear that your concept for the list is to target releases that are "influential" rather than "essential" which is fine. I would still argue that the Greek melodic black metal scene shouldn't necessarily command a position in a list of just 25 black metal releases in terms of influence though as I think there are a few more significant melodic black metal releases that will miss out as a result (e.g. "Arntor" & "Far Away From the Sun"). Is it just that they appeared a little later on?

Arntor are very much in the discussion, and your comment has solidified my opinion that they probably should be. As for Far Away From the Sun, I have to disagree with that one. They basically took on Dissection's sound and were never as popular. Sure, some bands may have picked up the sound from Sacramentum, but I you'd have to agree that a lot more would have been inspired by Dissection.

If you're going for most influencial then you have to include Black Metal. Which IS a first-wave black metal album, and it gave the sub-genre it's name. Quite a lot of the first and second wave artists site it as a primary influence. 

Remember the first wave was little bit more relaxed in it's parameters than the second wave. Mercyful Fate is also considered a first-wave black metal band, and they are farther away than Venom from what became the "pure" template.

Quoted ZeroSymbolic7188

The difference is that the list is most influential black metal releases, not releases that were influential on black metal. If it was the latter, then Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate and Venom would be top of the list.

I'm sure you can find references online to Venom being labelled black metal (you can find anything online), but if the album doesn't actually contain the major components of black metal, then I see no reason to label it that way.

Essential: absolutely necessary; extremely important.

To me this should be a pretty small  list. 25 seams like more than just the necessities. I'd be thinking along the lines of 

1. Venom-Black Metal

2. Mayhem-De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

3. Bathory-Under the Sign of the Black Mark

4. Immortal-Battles in the North

5. Darkthrone-Transylvanian Hunger.

Something like that looks about right to me. Essential to me, implies sparsity. There are other albums that are very good, but I feel like this is the bare minimum I can give a person to leave them with a strong idea of what the sub genre is.

That's a very limited view of what black metal is (plus it has to be said that Venom isn't black metal at all). There is so much variety to be found within the genre, and not including any of the subgenres would be doing a disservice to it.

To be clear though, I'm specifically putting together a most influential black metal releases list. It would be near impossible to collaborate on a best black metal releases list, as that's purely subjective. As an example of this, my list would likely contain numerous albums that you've given 2 or less stars (such as Hvis Lyset tar Oss, Dark Medieval Times, In the Nightside Eclipse and Heart of the Ages).

I agree that Thy Mighty Contract isn't Rotting Christ's best album, and I wouldn't personally call it classic, but clones started coming out in 1994 (check out Thou Art Lord's Eosforos album), so it was clearly highly influential. The sound was formed immediately, so I'm actually comfortable including it above other Rotting Christ albums. Anyone else have an opinion?

I love Kvist (bought the CD back in 1996), but I've never thought of it as influential. I guess with Windir there are bands that have clearly lifted their sound from them (just go listen to Mistur's Attende album for an obvious example), whereas I've never listened to an album and thought "these guys have definitely been listening to Kvist".

I agree Sonny. It's definitely a more objective process, but it also requires some level of knowledge. I've been thinking about what my black metal list would look like, and I thought it might be interesting for others to understand how I came up with certain choices as I make them. To be clear, this isn't because I think my process is the correct one or that I'm more knowledgeable than anyone else. I just thought it might be interesting.

A black metal list needs to cover all it's major subgenres, not just pure black metal. This means it's going to include some that I personally might not listen to much, such as Blackgaze and War Metal. That said, I do think there are some subgenres that contain so few releases that it's difficult to argue that any of them have been particularly influential on the genre as a whole (such as Black 'n' Roll and Black Noise). If they were really influential, there would be a lot more releases in those subgenres; at least that's how I view it. So for my black metal list, I want to make sure I include influential releases for Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal, Blackgaze, Depressive Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Pagan Black Metal, Symphonic Black Metal and War Metal.

MELODIC BLACK METAL

Let's start with Melodic Black Metal, as it has a really obvious launching point...1993. There were two major sounds that came to the fore in that year, being the Greek (or Hellenic) form of melodic black metal and the Swedish one. Dissection is the obvious choice for the Swedish sound, as their influence is massive (Dawn, Sacramentum, Naglfar, Dark Funeral etc.). It's not as clear cut on the Greek side though, with both Varathron and Rotting Christ releasing albums in 1993 with a similar sound. I have to say that it's stunning to me that RYM has Varathron's His Majesty at the Swamp as a pure Black Metal release and not Melodic Black Metal, as it sounds incredibly similar to Rotting Christ's Thy Mighty Contract. Varathron's album was released in August while Rotting Christ's was released in November, but are either of these albums the most influential release when it comes to the Greek Melodic Black Metal sound? I could argue that Rotting Christ's 1996 album is better received, but since numerous other bands had popped up with the same sound in the intervening years (Thou Art Lord are the most obvious example), I think my answer is Thy Mighty Contract. There's really only one other band I can come up with that has a sound not particularly related to the aforementioned bands that might have had a big enough influence to enter the conversation and that's Windir. It could be argued that their more epic viking-themed approach moved things in a different direction, but did they directly influence enough other bands? That's a little out of my listening zone, although I do like Windir. I'll include them as a potential for now, but I might need some convincing.

Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (1993)

Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract (1993)

Windir - Arntor (1999)

Anyone have any thoughts at this point? No reason we can't formulate the list collectively. Please don't start throwing around suggestions for other subgenres just yet. I'd like to put my ideas out there without influence and get reactions.

I have to say by the way that I am 90% that Lurker of Chalice is a band name generated here: https://www.metalbandnamegenerator.com/

It's also a fantastic album. One of my favourites.

It all depends on how you define Essential. Does that mean the best albums that everyone should hear, or does it mean the most important albums that either formed an important aspect of black metal or pushed it in a new (and also important) direction? Without defining that, it's difficult to assess.

The inclusion of albums like The Principle of Evil Made Flesh and Burzum's debut suggests it's based on importance / influence, but then I fail to see how Sons of Northern Darkness, Rebel Extravaganza or Sworn to the Dark could be considered particularly ground-breaking or important.

Hmmm...I might throw together my own personal top 25 most important black metal list and see what it looks like.

Always wanted to play a D&D campaign. Never had any friends that were into it.

I can confirm that it was Neuropath that made me appreciate just how awesome Hammer Smashed Face is when experienced live. No matter how little time I've devoted to Cannibal Corpse over the years, their approach is great in a live environment.

Welcome Karl! Happy to hear that you're finding the site interesting. Let us know (using the request threads in the forums) if you want me to add any bands / releases to the site.

The following bands have been added to Metal Academy from the 7th to the 13th  of June, 2024.

1. Oldest Sea (FALLEN, INFINITE)

2. Potion (FALLEN)

3. Amethyst (GUARDIANS)

4. Markgraf (GUARDIANS, NORTH)

5. Abscesspool (HORDE, REVOLUTION)

6. Bottom Surgery (HORDE)

7. Crownshift (HORDE)

8. Disembodiment (HORDE)

9. Ephemerald (HORDE)

10. Expression of Pain (HORDE)

11. Feculent (HORDE)

12. Frightful (HORDE, PIT)

13. geronimostilton (HORDE)

14. Hatalom (HORDE)

15. Horns of Domination (HORDE, NORTH)

16. Incarceration (HORDE, NORTH)

17. Maggot Vomit Afterbirth (HORDE)

18. Melting Flesh (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

19. Mental Apraxia (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

20. My Plague (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

21. Nihil Obstat (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

22. Nunwhore Commando 666 (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

23. Pigtails (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

24. Retch (HORDE) - requested by Pelle

25. Suffering Sights (HORDE, PIT)

26. Total Isolation / Sedimentum (HORDE)

27. Urged (HORDE)

28. A.M.E.N. (INFINITE)

29. Acolyte (INFINITE)

30. Empire Bathtub (INFINITE)

31. IONS (INFINITE)

32. Jarun (INFINITE, NORTH)

33. Ara (NORTH)

34. Arde (NORTH)

35. Black Spirit (NORTH)

36. Blade and Bath (NORTH)

37. Ceremonial Torture (NORTH)

38. Gnipahålan / Evilfeast (NORTH)

39. Gravpel (NORTH)

40. Hellbutcher (NORTH, PIT)

41. Le Prochain Hiver (NORTH)

42. Lust Hag (NORTH)

43. Naxen (NORTH)

44. Nocturnal Wanderer (NORTH)

45. Pâlemort (NORTH)

46. Parfaxitas (NORTH)

47. Sangue de Bode (NORTH, REVOLUTION, PIT)

48. Secrets (NORTH)

49. Sieta (NORTH)

50. Tvær (NORTH)

51. Zeegang (NORTH)

52. Convictions (REVOLUTION)

53. Darker by Design (REVOLUTION)

54. Ryota Kozuka & Toshiki Konishi (SPHERE)

Hidden tracks are NEVER a good idea. Thankfully they were related to the length of CDs, so hopefully are gone now.

I rarely ever enjoy cover tracks, unless they match the feel of the rest of the album. On that note, I dislike tracks that have a really different production to the rest of the album too.

Plus Daniel's right that cowbells have no place in metal.

I must say Zero, your hatred for female vocals or non-metal instrumentals seems very passionate. I really enjoy both of those elements if they're done well.