@ Jonpo,

I can't really explain why I have yet to pickup any Root albums, I've heard multiple tracks and enjoyed them all greatly, but I always end up looking for other things on eBay and I've never seen them in any local record stores. Same goes for Mystifyer, though I did see their latest album used recently, but didn't know what it sounded like compared to their old stuff so I didn't grab it. I'd bet it's still there, so if you say it's worth the buy I'll go back for it. Negative Plane is a band I heard while perusing this thread and I loved the track I heard from Stained Glass Revelations. This definitely gives me some good bands to start with, but I won't say no to more recommendations either.

@ Androdion,

I checked eBay yesterday and found a couple of copies of most of their releases, though the only copy of His Majesty was on vinyl and all of the copies of Everlasting Sins were pretty pricy, but I'll keep searching for them.

Mystifier's Profanus pretty much sounds nothing like black metal. Last I checked there were a few reviews that pinned it down pretty well. If you're looking for a first wave BM sound Profanus won't tickle that fancy, it's very clean and crisp, almost upbeat sounding in spots. There are still some great songs and riffs because Beelzebubth is just that good, but its kind of like their "party" album. I'd definitely sample a few songs before you commit any money to it. On the other hand the first three albums are nearly flawless and I'd say you could grab any of those without hesitation if the price feels right.

Industrial Black Metal? Any recommendations?

Mysticum, Aborym, Bloodline, Thorns, Blacklodge, Pavillon Rouge...

The band Roza from Nijmegen.

Iperyt

And if you're low on money, http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Va ... ods/341296

I'm looking for really "evil" sounding black metal with a funeral doom influence with lyrics that focus on Satanism/Norse mythology. I would like the lyrics to be semi-intelligible and the production to not be murky (nothing like Xasthur please!)

Infernum (Pol), Black Majesty (Nor)

Okay. I don't know how much help there even is to offer with this, but I want to try. There was a certain kind of black metal that was around in the 90s and seemed to stop in the 90s, unless I'm missing something big in this scene. It was clearly black metal-based, but it was usually quite melodic, had a good dose of keyboards and usually some sections of clean vocals.

Here are a few examples, the only examples of which I can think, as a matter of fact.

I know the last one's not metal, but DS are metal, and I swear I've heard a metal song by them before, but I just can't find it.

Krohm's "A World Through Dead Eyes" is one of my favorites.

@Headless420 - thanks matey!! Will check that out over the weekend

Any others you can recommend? Recently bought discographies by Lyrinx and Austere (used to listen to both of these years back on myspace and found them all at stupidly good prices recently).

Cheers!!

Does this do you any good? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCA0ZCeuLvM

I've only listened to first song but you might enjoy Dunkelheit (Pol) with only 1 demo, Godkiller (Mon) their EP, maybe Apolion's Genocide (Col)'s second demo.

What album would be the best introduction to Blut Aus Nord?

Vlad demos...

I'd say just go chronologically. It worked for me.

Let me ask it this way: what do Blut Aus Nord sound like? In what way have they changed (if there's been a change) over the years?

They've slowly evolved from raw and impossibly epic "cold" black metal to mechanical and dissonant predominantly mid-paced experimental BM. I personally prefer their stuff like Memoria Vetusta.

Fathers of the Icy Age is my favourite work of theirs too. By the way, can anyone recommed something in the vein of that one?

They weren't all that raw. "Ultima Thulee" is about equivalent to Behemoth's "Grom".

Vlad's Yggdrasil might not actually be that bad a place to start, honestly. While it doesn't reach the Olympian heights of Ultima Thulée or Memoria Vetusta I, it's a very solid piece of work and gives a valuable insight into the genesis of the band's vision. Still...maybe it's easier to appreciate in reverse context.

Colin, I think you might really dig Ultima Thulée as a starting point. As long as you're okay with ambient keyboard work, it should suffice perfectly. Just go into it understanding that it sounds virtually nothing at all like their latter-day work. Memoria Vetusta II might also serve as a nice entry point, as it encompasses the qualities of both the band's earlier and later eras in a glorious marriage.

Here's a quick chronological course:

Early sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-IwJvZIaR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9xfojDv ... ure=relmfu

Mid-period:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHAj0fl_ ... re=related

Mid-latter period:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBTIoxAgLo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLS8aohg7yQ

More recent work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reGYgw8Y ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoRDCeIzF1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7CbRjDjDvI


Listening to What Once Was...Liber I this morning, I'm again struck by how incredible it is. It's got an intense amount of death metal influence, even a preponderance over the black metal elements. Anyone that's more on the death metal side of the fence might use this album as the perfect entry point for discovering BAN's world of wonders.

@venegefulgoat: I've been wondering the same thing for a long while myself, but I just don't think it's going to happen... Truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. MVII and Ultima Thulée are pretty much all you've got.

So what's a solid, straight up Black Metal band with a good sized discography? I'm open to lot's of stuff but please use my Last.Fm to cross reference your recommendations.

Since your top band is Darkthrone, I can easily recommend Blackdeath (Rus). Very Darkthroneish, monstrous riffs on every album, several albums each with a unique sound, all uniquely good. I recommend starting with either the first or most recent, but they're all great.

Another thing to try might be Ceremonial Castings, since you seem to appreciate a wide variety of metal sounds, their "style" is a smooth hybrid of pretty much every kind of true black metal presented in a perfectly modern (but not "progressive") context. "Salem 1692" has a nice mix of black/death, symphonic black, retro black and black'n'roll sounds so I think that's a great place to start. And they have many albums to keep you exploring for a while.

Or how about Corpus Christii from Portugal? I don't know much about them, but I feel like the Portagiz Black Metal scene is hiding something good *somewhere*...

Aw yeah, I've seen Cerimonial Castings like five times now but still haven't given them a solid listen. I guess I should do that, I'll check out the others as well but I'm already familliar with Corpus Christii.

iAm, have you checked out Katharsis. Excellent, scathing and monstrous black metal.

I'll also recommend Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult. Pretty damn intense stuff, with not a bad album.

Have more but gotta go now...

Could someone recommend albums similar to Goatmoon's Death Before Dishonour and Satanic Warmaster's Strength and Honour? I love the guitar tone, the catchiness of the riffs, the vocals, and the production. For whatever reason I also really like the "pots and pans" sound of Goatmoon drumming. So I guess I'm looking for bands with any one of these qualities, but the more similarities the better!

I'm not entirely familiar with Katharsis. Perhaps I should look into them more.

Skagos, Panopticon, and Falls of Rauros? Maybe Altar of Plagues as well? Might be a bit too Agalloch-esque, but the 4 of these bands are more similar to the likes of WITTR in my opinion. Anyway, check em out.

Ok I have been on a major Craft kick those last three weeks or so. I'm looking for something similar or at least has that driving Black N Roll sort of vibe. I'm very aware of the Satyricon (Rebel Extravaganza and later releases) and Thorns influence in their music, so don't bother with that.

I've noticed that many draw comparisons to mid-period Darkthrone, and I'm honestly not familiar with that period of Darkthrone so feel free to direct me to any of those albums.

Not interested in 1349 or early Carpathian Forest, in case you think they're similar.

"Gin" From Cobalt is very similar to the latest Craft. I don't think either are good examples of black n roll (or at least, are representative of a strain of black n roll I don't care for).

Armaggedon is very similar to earlier Craft.

Eater Of Birds more so than Gin. Gin probably has more strange moments like the beginning of the song Void, but Eater of Birds has more straight forward blunt force black metal riff battery. Cobalt is more blasty and flowing than Craft.

Slam Black Metal, does it exist?

Nope.

Then I shall attempt to create it and, in the process, become more powerful than you could ever imagine.

Don't. Please.

I don't care.

For something like Death Before Dishonour, maybe some Ildjarn like Forest Poetry and s/t album.

Strenght & Honour: old Graveland (The Celtic Winter & Carpathian Wolves).

Thanks for both of these rec's, especially Graveland! I had never heard anything from them before.

Looking for something similar to Emperor's Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk. More specifically "With Strength I Burn." That sorta epic, highly melodic, gripping black metal.