I'm looking for black metal with keyboards like in early Emperor, Blut Aus Nords Ultima Thulée and Satyricons Walk the Path of Sorrow.
It has to be something with a lot of work and thought put into it. I've heard a lot of black metal bands lately, but there's always that little extra lacking that doesn't make me come back to it. So, I know that this is vague, but I would like something that truly stands out.

Thanks in advance.

Alternatively stuff like Mayhem's "De Mysteriis..." is also good.

I'm looking for black metal with keyboards like in early Emperor, Blut Aus Nords Ultima Thulée and Satyricons Walk the Path of Sorrow.
It has to be something with a lot of work and thought put into it. I've heard a lot of black metal bands lately, but there's always that little extra lacking that doesn't make me come back to it. So, I know that this is vague, but I would like something that truly stands out.

Thanks in advance.

I am searching for occult, melodic and headbangable black metal. Lots of riffs, thrashiness, melody and not going overboard on the brutality. Best if it is somehow heavy or thrash metal influenced. Some stuff I like is the lastest Rotting Christ album, Zemial, Kawir, Agatus, Filii Nigrantium Infernalium, early Moonspell, Decayed, Varathron, Necromantia, early Samael, Master's Hammer, Root - stuff of this accord. Alternatively stuff like Mayhem's "De Mysteriis..." is also good.

I am searching for occult, melodic and headbangable black metal. Lots of riffs, thrashiness, melody and not going overboard on the brutality. Best if it is somehow heavy or thrash metal influenced. Some stuff I like is the lastest Rotting Christ album, Zemial, Kawir, Agatus, Filii Nigrantium Infernalium, early Moonspell, Decayed, Varathron, Necromantia, early Samael, Master's Hammer, Root - stuff of this accord.

Negative Plane's debut album should be right up your alley. It sounds pretty much exactly like what you are looking for. Check out this sample song and see if you like it enough to buy the damn thing.

I am searching for occult, melodic and headbangable black metal. Lots of riffs, thrashiness, melody and not going overboard on the brutality. Best if it is somehow heavy or thrash metal influenced. Some stuff I like is the lastest Rotting Christ album, Zemial, Kawir, Agatus, Filii Nigrantium Infernalium, early Moonspell, Decayed, Varathron, Necromantia, early Samael, Master's Hammer, Root - stuff of this accord.

Also (assuming that you've never heard of them) check out Mortuary Drape. Very Occult, old-metal inspired black/death/thrash/heavy/whatever metal. Best starting point for you would be Secret Sudaria as it is their most metal-centric album. Very thrashy and full of headbangable riffs. Not quite as atmospheric as their other work, though (except for Mourn Path, which is fucking terrible and should be avoided).

Again, here is a song from Secret Sudaria. Do check it out.

There's all kinds of different bands you could look into but all I'm going to say is that you owe it to yourself to look into Inquisition. I'd start with either the first album (Into the Infernal Regions of the Ancient Cult) or the newest (Nefarious Dismal Orations). The vocals take some getting used to for some but I think the riffs and the drumming are both stellar. Dagon has a knack for writing stuff that manages to be catchy, headbangable, and still create some atmosphere.

I second this. Although as said earlier I am no black metal expert I find Inquisition to be both atmospheric, dark and pretty brutal and still retain that DMDS-style catchiness and headbangability.

I'm looking for some black metal similar to Fractal Possession or Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital. I've heard the style referred to as industrial-black metal but I've deliberately avoided attaching that title to avoid getting any Dodheimsgard type references. Ordo Ad Chao is another album that fits the style but I cant seem make it through more than a song or two before I get painfully bored

anybody?

Have you tried Code or Aborym yet? I don't know if either of those are exactly what you're looking for since Code has two members of DHG (and it shows), and Aborym typifies industrial-black, but then again I can't quite tell what you're looking for since I really see Fractal Possession as DHG worship...

From the samples I heard, I seem to recall Dodheimsgard being a bit to electronic for my taste, but maybe I should try them again. I know that Fractal Possession has a similar vibe at times but that's not what draws me to it. Fractal Possession (and especially Deleted Scenes) have a very dissonant and chaotic feel which is more what I'm looking for here.

This request may be slightly ambiguous (and subjective) but I recently got some quality headphones and some albums have really come alive with the improved sound quality. What I'm looking for are albums that really take you away in one way or another, not necessarily atmospheric BM as a genre, though they can be.

I'll list some albums to show you what I mean, perhaps they'll serve as rec's for others:

Ruins of beverast - Rain upon the impure
Drudkh - Autumn aurora
Walknut - Graveforest and their shadows
Vlad Tepes / Belketre - March to the black holocaust
Mutiilation - Vampires of black imperial blood
Judas Iscariot - Distant in solitary night
Heptameron - Blessed by the name of the dragon
Varathron - His majesty at the swamp
Brown Jenkins - Angels eyes (more doom than black though)
Raventale - Long passed days

Also, non BM (just to give you an idea):
Evoken - Antithesis of light
Nile - In their darkened shrines
Morning Beloveth - The world that crawled (just that particular song)
Jeff Wayne - The war of the worlds (to leave metal entirely)

Again it's a subjective request because most of these bands don't have much in common by way of sound. But if you have any quality BM that sucks you into it's soundscape I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the quick replies, I'll check them out when I get home and let you know.

1. Jazz-influenced music, like Shining (from sweden) or Shining (from norway). The way Shining developed is quite fascinating if you look on black metals stilistic history so far. I would like to know, if there is more of this style. You may also think in bigger circles and include "avantgarde", like Dodheimsgard.

Not exactly in the same vein as Shining, but you may wish to turn your attentions to some of the older bands who pioneered the jazzy sound in black metal, like In The Woods... first album, perhaps early Forgotten Woods and bands like Ved Buens Ende. For a more modernised take, I'd suggest Klabautamann's latest album, 'Merkur'.

There are a lot of good BM scenes around their world. I would recommend 3 to you. The Czech, the Lithuanian and the Greek one.

The Czech BM scene existed from the early 90s and it has a lot of hidden gems. It has a lot of styles but Thrashy BM is its most characteristic product.

The Lithuanian scene is a much smaller but yet brilliant scene. It has quite a lot Pagan bands (Obtest, Poccolus, Ha Lela) but it also has some quite avan-garde bands that are bound to hold your interest if you're into experimental music (the almighty Anubi and the very interesting yet sadly now defunct project that goes by the name of Altoriu Seseliai). The last two are of course highly recommended.

The Greek scene now. I don't feel quite qualified to comment on the Greek scene because I'm a part of that scene so my comments would most likely be disregarded as subjective. What I can say though is that what is called Hellenic Black Metal (ie. the sound that Rotting Christ created back in 91 and was shaped and continued by Varathron, Necromantia and a lot of other bands and is still continue by a few bands) is my favourite BM sub-genre. The afore-mentioned Rotting Christ, Varathron, Necromantia along with Thou Art Lord, Zemial, Deviser, Disharmony, Darkest Oath, Jackal's Truth and a lot other bands of the 92-96 era are worth checking out. The sound is characterized by a warmer feeling and a lot of solos and melodic parts. Most of Hellenic BM bands are now defunct (with the exception of Rotting Christ of course) and the sub-genre is a lot less played these days.

Well, I hope I was able to help a bit. Cheers.

I don't really have a reference point for this, so I'm not sure how it popped into mind. But, does anyone know of some fairly raw/under-produced symphonic BM with no cheese? Bonus points if its from the 90's.

EDIT: right after I posted, lol. Emperor In The Nightside Eclipse is the most obvious answer, so don't fell obligated to mention that one lol. Anything else (even the most seemingly obvious), please throw at me!

Thanks

I don't really have a reference point for this, so I'm not sure how it popped into mind. But, does anyone know of some fairly raw/under-produced symphonic BM with no cheese? Bonus points if its from the 90's.

EDIT: right after I posted, lol. Emperor In The Nightside Eclipse is the most obvious answer, so don't fell obligated to mention that one lol. Anything else (even the most seemingly obvious), please throw at me!

Thanks

I've tried some depressive black metal and while I like the idea of it, the vocals never clicked with me. Any of these bands out there with as ''normal'' black metal vocals as possible? Not over the top, not too suffocated and with few/no effects used on them.