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Jolagachette
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:56 pm
Posts: 3
Location: France
PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2023 5:10 pm 
 

Hey folks,

So I've been a Black metal fan for more than 15 years as of now, and I basically had my young years listening to Darkthrone, Immortal, you know the lads, on repeat almost everyday. I basically had to rebuy some of too-used CDs and tapes, such as the first Emperor. But life went on, got myself married, the job and so on, and I almost stopped listening to Metal altogether.

But for the last few weeks, the passion grew back, I'm getting those records out, and I've been having a blast. So much that I didn't quite get out of my comfort zone, and I would like to know the landscape of Black Metal a little bit better, and get out of my classics.

I would basically appreciate any big bangers from the past five years (or a bit more), with the following list being my go-to records so you can get my taste:

- Immortal / Sons of Northern Darkness
- 1349 / Beyond the Apocalypse
- Marduk / Heaven shall burn...
- Emperor / Nightside Eclipse / Anthems (both at the same level to me)

I mostly love satanic or darky fantastic ambiances, and I must say I don't like depressing or suicidal ambiances at all.

Thank you all in advance, and have a great day!

Jolagachette

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Gemini 7 Rising
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:08 am
Posts: 729
Location: United States
PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2023 8:54 pm 
 

Hey there, Jolagachette.

I would continue on the Marduk path for starters. From where you left off, it's a wicked and diverse journey forward, and it's all stellar material for the most part. Maybe avoid La grande danse macabre, but everything after that (assuming you left off around 'Heaven Shall Burn...') is fantastic, particularly modern era Marduk starting with 2004's 'Plague Angel'. which brought current singer, Mortuus/Arioch on board. The music is as brutal and black as it gets. My favorites would probably be 'Rom 5:12', 'Wormwood', 'Serpent Sermon' and 'Viktoria', but again, they're all good.

Also maybe try the band Goatwhore (Black/Death/Thrash Metal). They have a vicious sound and write great music.

Oh, and then there's probably my favorite American Black Metal band of all time, Cobalt.



To do this justice, listen through great speakers or headphones. The best 3 albums by Cobalt are 'Gin', 'Slow Forever' & 'Eater of Birds'

All right, let me know if any of those do it for you. And I always find reading the reviews of said albums here on the archives only enhances the experience, seeing what others appreciate in the music.

Hope this helps and welcome back :headbang:
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Jolagachette
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:56 pm
Posts: 3
Location: France
PostPosted: Sat Apr 29, 2023 9:30 am 
 

Hey @Gemini,

Thanks a lot for your recommandations, I only answer now as I didn't have the time to listen to them. So to recap:

- On Marduk: I never caught up on Arioch arrival but damn, this guy is a beast on vocals! I listened to Plague Angel and was really enthusiastic about them. The ambiance surely changed from the first albums, but it's really good anyhow. Though I tried the last one, "Viktoria", but this one didn't catch me for the time being; I don't know if it's the cover, the production or the overall feel, but something is missing to me for the moment.

- Goatwhore: Musically, it's basically what I like, not a fan globally as it may lack some ambiance? I only listened to it for one hour or so, so I can't give a definite taste.

- Cobalt: Wow, now we're talking. I didn't know this band at all, and even though that wouldn't have been the kind of black metal that'd cross my mind in the first place, I was blown away by the whole ambiance. I listened to "Slow Forever" last night after listening to your title, and I felt really NOT at ease. It has a western/southern America wicked feeling that may work a bit too well on me, so that's a big YES. Definitely not what I was expecting but I'm conquered anyway. Never heard of this band in France to be honest.

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Gemini 7 Rising
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:08 am
Posts: 729
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2023 2:17 am 
 

Hey there, Jolagachette

Excellent, man- really cool you're liking Cobalt. I've always thought they were phenomenal and the people I've turned onto them have been blown away. Those tribal drums, killer guitars and vocals, they're amazing musicians, and yes, unsettling in the way you described. So I'm glad you're liking them and thanks for letting me know!

Also, yes, Arioch is a beast... I'd keep exploring that era of Marduk, there's some ferocious metal there.

And this Goatwhore album probably delivers the most ambiance, deeper in, as the album progresses, it gets downright hypnotic:

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into_the_pit
Veteran

Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:40 pm
Posts: 2948
Location: Hedonist Occupation Government
PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 12:34 pm 
 

I think some of the most impactful, and best, BM albums from the last years were mgla's two albums "with heart towards none" and especially "exercises in futility". if you want to do some catching up in BM, there's no way you'll get around this band. stunning material really.
another personal recommendation would be akitsa - credo.
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Zerberus
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:29 pm
Posts: 2325
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2023 9:41 am 
 

These are some of my less well-known or newer favourites.

Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime
Making big waves these days, I think you'd like them a lot as they're pretty similar to Emperor.

Entartung - Peccata Mortalia
Classic black metal but with a riffing style a bit on the unconventional side of things. Easily enjoyable.

Whoredom Rife - Dommedagskvad
Pretty close in sound and style to the Norwegian bands of the mid-to-late 90s, there's some really strong stuff on this album.

Skogen - I döden
Excellent riffs, not super close to any of the bands you mentioned though.

Afsky - Ofte jeg drømmer mig død
Also making big waves these days, some really enticing and memorable melodies incorporated into the tunes.

Ash Borer - Ash Borer
Very lengthy songs and very reliant on atmosphere rather than classic black metal song structure. Really cool to immerse yourself in.

Alcest - Kodama
Definitely more modern than any of the stuff you mentioned, but a great combo of highly listenable post rock and black metal.

Cultes des Ghoules - Henbane
Probably a bit of a stretch. I guess it's a little reminiscent of old Mayhem? Really raw, alchemical stuff, but super enthralling riffs.

Moldé Volhal - Into the Cave of Ordeals


Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä
Highly experimental, spacey weirdness, but with a core of black metal. Very far removed from the stuff you mentioned, but if you're looking to truly expand your horizon I would recommend checking it out.

Armagedda - Only True Believers
Just very classic black metal done super well.

Inquisition - Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
If you like Immortal, there's a decent chance you'd like Inquisition. The riffing style is rather peculiar though.

Limbonic Art - In Abhorrence Dementia
I don't know if you like symphonic black metal more melodic than Emperor, but Limbonic Art do it really well.

Mistcavern - Winds of Misery
Black metal with tons of atmosphere.

Ossaert - Bedehuis
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funeralravens
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2020 1:08 pm
Posts: 296
PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2023 8:20 am 
 

Zerberus, this is a little bit offtopic, but your Limbonic Art recommendation has solved my mystery. The part at 1:06 sounds like what I was remembering. It might have been either this or some other Limbonic Art song.

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Zerberus
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:29 pm
Posts: 2325
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Tue May 16, 2023 1:35 pm 
 

funeralravens wrote:
Zerberus, this is a little bit offtopic, but your Limbonic Art recommendation has solved my mystery. The part at 1:06 sounds like what I was remembering. It might have been either this or some other Limbonic Art song.


Ha, well happy to help even if I did so inadvertently
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Bird Bard
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:01 pm
Posts: 5
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun May 21, 2023 5:16 pm 
 

Hey Jolagachette,

I hope the other recommendations have given you a good starting place for the recent stuff, but I'd also like to throw a couple very recent bands on for your consideration.

Katharos (Sweden) is a pretty decent newer symphonic type of black metal, in the vein of classic Emperor. I don't know how much that appeals to you, but some of the riffing is pretty fun, like on this song "Those Hornclad":



It's not amazing, but there's some fun to be had with this band.

Another group that I think is a lot better is Abduction, a French band with a blackened/death sort of sound. Really good production quality here, great composition and pretty good clean and shrieky vocals. Songs are a little long, but pretty sweet stuff if you don't mind some proggy bits. "Aux marches de lorraine" is probably their best:



My last reccomendation is Desaster, from Germany. Really consistent blackened thrash here, fun songwriting and vocals, and they also lean into that (sometimes campy) Satanic element you mentioned. I've attached the song that actually got me into black metal, "Learn to Love the Void":



Folks have already mentioned Goatwhore, and I totally second that. Great modern black/death metal with some sweet riffs. Happy listening!

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Jolagachette
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:56 pm
Posts: 3
Location: France
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2023 12:33 pm 
 

Hey folks,

Thanks a lot for all the recommandations! I have not been able to hear them all since your messages, but it's already ongoing.

Discovering all those bands and the differents directions of Black Metal is really incredible, I'm impressed even by the more experimental stuff.

I'll give a feedback in some times, as some old fan like me may stumble on this thread and may learn from it.

Have a great day,

Jo

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Ravenlord266
Metalhead

Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:18 pm
Posts: 1515
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2023 9:12 am 
 

I'm not a huge black metal fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I second that Stormkeep album 100%. One my favorite releases from the past few years!
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