Hello folks, here I am going to discuss the best black metal bands of all time? As we all know, Black metal is a heavy, dark, and chaotic subgenre of heavy metal music. The genre typically features fast tempos, shrieking vocals, heavily distorted guitars, and double-bass drumming.
So, when you scroll up the page you will see the best & popular black metal bands of all time.
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12 Popular Black Metal Bands Of All Time
12 – Carpathian Forest
Carpathian Forest is a Norwegian black metal band, formed by Nattefrost and Nordavind in 1992. In late 1990, the band originally started under the name Enthrone by Nattefrost and Nordavind. Then In 1992, Enthrone renamed its name to “Carpathian Forest”. One of the popular Black Metal Bands of all time.
In 1998 the band released their first full-length album, Black Shining Leather, once more via Avantgarde Music.
11 – Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth is an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band’s melodic style developed originally from black metal to a cleaner and more “produced” amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic metal, and other metal genres.
The band consists of its founding member including,
- vocalist Dani Filth
- drummer Martin ‘Marthus’ Škaroupka
- bassist Daniel Firth
- guitarists Marek ‘Ashok’ Šmerda and Donny Burbage
- keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff
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10 – Satyricon
Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, formed in Oslo in 1991, and the main members of the band are Satyr and Frost. The band’s first three albums typify the Norwegian black metal style. Satyricon was the first Norwegian black metal band to join a multi-national record label (EMI). One of the popular Black Metal Bands of all time.
9 – Venom
Venom is an English heavy metal band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978. Venom’s first two albums, Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982), are considered major influences on thrash metal and extreme metal in general.
Also, the band was part of the early wave of the genre, along with Mercyful Fate and Bathory.
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8 – Enslaved
Enslaved is a Norwegian extreme metal band, formed by Ivar Bjørnson and Grutle Kjellson in Haugesund in June 1991. They are currently based in Bergen, Norway. One of the popular Black Metal Bands of all time.
The current lineup also includes:
- Lead guitarist Arve Isdal,
- Keyboardist/singer Håkon Vinje,
- Drummer Iver Sandøy.
7 – Immortal
Immortal is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, founded in 1991 by frontman and guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta. The pair worked with various drummers including Grim, Armageddon, and Hellhammer, and were later joined by current drummer Horgh Reidar Horghagen in 1996.
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6 – Bathory
Bathory was a Swedish black metal band, formed in Vällingby in March 1983. they are regarded as pioneers of black metal and Viking metal. Lords of Chaos conveyed Bathory’s first four albums as “the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal.”
5 – Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The band has been through multiple lineup changes over the years: vocalist Shagrath and rhythm guitarist Silenoz are the only original members who still remain, with lead guitarist Galder being a longstanding member.
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4 – Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen, formed in 1992 by guitarist Infernus. The band is named after the dead plateau of darkness in the land of Mordor from J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. One of the popular Black Metal Bands of all time.
3 – Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death.
In 1991 Darkthrone assumed a black metal type influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene.
Their first three black metal albums:
- A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992)
- Under a Funeral Moon (1993)
- Transilvanian Hunger (1994)
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2 – Emperor
Emperor is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991, considered as highly influential by analysts and emerging black metal bands.
The group broke up in 2001, but reunited from 2005 to 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours, and again reunited in 2013 to 2014. Founded by Ihsahn (guitar/vocal) and Samoth (then, drums).
1 – Mayhem
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Langhus in 1984. The band’s music is enormously influenced the black metal genre. Mayhem’s earlier profession was highly controversial, especially due to their infamous live performances, the 1991 suicide of songster Per Yngve Ohlin (“Dead”) and the 1993 murder of guitarist Øystein Aarseth (“Euronymous”) by former member Varg Vikernes (“Count Grishnackh”) of Burzum.
