Can't be negative or depressing. Uplifting (+mysticalishness is a plus, but not required) atmosphere is mandatory. I realize this is subjective, but I am willing to be submitted to your subjectivity. I have some metal roots in BM but have as of late not really been in tune with the negative/misanthropic/dark/pessimistic/inserttypicalBlackMetaladjectivehere vibe and sound of much Black Metal.

I just listened to Vordven for the first time and what I'm hearing would fall into this category. Thats not to say what I'm asking for has to sound like Vordven.

And were off!

Coincidentally, I have a piece for you. It's also the only black metal song I can bear to listen to.

Skagos "Ast"

Skagos / Panopticon split

Panopticon "On The Subject Of Mortality", half of which is also on the Skagos split

Wolves In The Throne Room you probably already know, but anything by them should fit the bill

Anarchist black metal = uplifting? Only of your a crusty, unwashed, unemployed anarchist yourself. Otherwise it's one of the most off-putting, annoying things to happen to extreme music.

Happy black metal!!1

But nah, I've always thought that "Somehow..." by Woods of Desolation is actually quite optimistic because of how nostalgic it sounds. You should also check out "Vow of Vengeance" by Nazxul, which has an epic, triumphant sound to it.

that album for the most part is not all too uplifting. If you want an uplifting summoning album, try "Let Mortal Heroes Sing your Fame".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqliJCN3LSc

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

Bal-Sagoth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aObujoJsG3Y

It definitely doesn't have that dark of mood like other bands. The clean vocals often sound really goofy, which adds to the atmosphere.

Who said anything about albums? I was pointing out that song in particular.

But there are tons of great NS bands right. Shut the fuck up and stop being a hipster; their just a lyrical subgenres, no bearing on music.

Anyway, check out Drudkh and Skagos, maybe Srodek.

Mörk Gryning http://youtu.be/tT9kQCs2JrU

Riffs like the one from 0:23 onward is what you were looking for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApcptdtOejg

Dekadent. Exactly fits what you're looking for. Enjoy.

Summoning may sort of fit what I'm asking in some cases, but thats a band I've tried to get into time and time again, but just can't. It sounds like someone got a hold of a cheap 1980s Casio keyboard and went to Midi-town on it. I think its cool, but I just can't get into it.

I am very familiar with Skagos, Panopticon, WitTR, and Drudhk, and while I really enjoy these bands, its definitely not what I would call uplifting (here and there in some songs, maybe...but not overall). I can see where it would be to some, though. BM like this actually depresses me quite a bit, which sucks, because all of those bands are top-notch.

I love Bal-Sagoth. I can (maybe?) see where you would call that uplifting, but its not what I'm looking for. For me, Bal-Sagoth is more about getting my nerd on.

Mork Gryning is sort of halfway there. Its not bleak or anything, but not what I'm looking for either.

Dekadent is intriguing. This would definitely fall into what I'm looking for, and I'll be checking them out some more. Nazxul has some promise as well, to a lesser extent. The vocalist sounds like Gollum!

Thanks for the responses!

Correct.


Were I a hipster, I'd recommend Sleeping Peonies, Clair Cassis, Krallice, Liturgy, and the much coveted Dogs in the Bathroom. But I am not, so I don't.


Relax, it's just the internet.

True enough. To be honest, I don't think that this RABM thing sounds any different to 99.999% of other black metal; its no more uplifiting then other styles. In fact, I'd say that more NSBM is uplifiting (Fanisk II- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhgCpC9-Wwk). However, the principles behind it make it a touch depressing.

Obtained Enslavement are (imo) uplifting, very grandiose, melodic and still very powerful music; I'd advise their Witchcraft album, and this track seriously has several of the greatest riffs ever composed: Carnal Lust http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHnCDEmrpzA

I also think that Ulver, Nattens Madrigal, is uplifiting; despite being crudely raw, the melodies are fantastic- Of Wolf and Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceeglCi1cIY

Oh yeah, Black Lotus as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-hVPajQe5A

I'd say 1:30 onwards is pretty uplifting.

Killer recommendation!

Anything can be recommended hipsterishly.

OP, how about the newer Countess albums? They are upbeat (I think enough for your purposes), rockin' heavy metalized BM which may appeal to you since you don't seem to be much into the normal black metal "vibe" of grimness and coldness, etc. "Burning Scripture" is as good a one to start with as any.

Old releases by Forefather?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7m9bCEsSHA

Or new ones for that matter. Heard the new one and it's very reminiscent of latter day Running Wild.

Seconded.

A lot of Goatmoon's stuff has that uplifting and triumphant feel, especially on Death Before Dishonour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oIVo91y31w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTlCkg9tjEE&feature=related

The sound doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the lyrics, if one doesn't want it to (though, admittedly, I do avoid blatantly NS-bands). And only Panopticon are super explicit about their anarchism out of those bands- WITTR don't even associate themselves with the scene, though obviously they've got lots of fans in it. Though, evidently, as the OP said, it was not the sound he was thinking of, so that's that (to each one's own et al). And, I may be crusty and unemployed, but I do shower every couple of days, so I'm not always unwashed

It makes me happy to read an intelligent response, as opposed to the usual "fuck you, nazi scum roaaar...".
You may just cause me to broaden my horizons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUZtULEa8Ps

This is ridiculously uplifting, if you can make something out of this.

I've noticed that black metallers seem significantly more hostile towards RABM than NSBM. Someone around here is even walking around with a sig indicating the lower level of respect. Frankly, I see a lot more complaining about people putting casual NSBM fans to the coals for implicitly supporting that stuff than I see people putting casual NSBM fans to the coals for implicitly supporting that stuff.

Would you care to rephrase? I honestly can't even sightly tell what your words mean.

Honestly, my disdain for RABM isn't even on a political level (hell, I consider myself an Anarchist). It has to do with the fact that its just a sorry "movement", on par with so-called "transcendental black metal", started by a bunch of edgy hipsters and those crusties who I like to call "authoritarian anarchists". I think politics in general should be kept out of black metal. And yes, I do listen to some "NSBM", but the bands I listen to who are labeled as such are not so blatantly politically minded and focus on the more common subject of romanticism of pre-Medieval, pagan tradition and ancestral purity.

When I want to listen to politically minded music that suits me I listen to crust and grind. Its much more fitting and I see no reason to go dragging it into black metal.

Maybe Satanic Warmaster - Eaten By Rats?

Petrychor is sounding good. A little repetitive, but I'm digging it. I will say that its very close to falling into the same theme (sonically) as some of the naturey(tm) BM that I find depressing at times, but I do dig it. I'm real intrigued by the thin line between uplifting and depressing that I draw with this sort of BM.

Ulver is very familiar to me. I very much enjoy pretty much everything they've done. Perdition City is my favorite album. Nattens Madrigal's,and Bergtatt's awesomeness aside, not quite what I'm looking for.

Goatmoon was pretty cool, but not what I would call uplifting.

Forefather is one of my favorite "folk"/black metal bands. No doubt its uplifting, but what I'm looking for here is the more 'conventional' black-metal, sans folkiness.

Black Lotus was a band I actually checked out for the first time very recently, say 2 months ago. Some parts have an uplifting sound, but for the most part, its the other end of the spectrum...for me anyway.

I'm beginning to think I'm super picky in this department, really hard to please, or (more likely) this is just one of the more subjective realms of metal, and Black Metal more specifically.

Faninsk, ideologies aside, I definitely enjoyed. It came within the realm I am seeking out here. I actually really enjoy another album by a reputed NSBM band, Mjolnir. I try to disregard any politics with this odd political sub-genre, and usually you can't understand what they're saying anyway, so its not in your face disgusting. Still kind of tragic that creativity like this is clouded by a mindset of negativity and conflict, but I digress...

Obtained Enslavement - definitely looking further into them. It fits the more mystical sort of uplifting.

Thanks again for the recommendations!

October Falls (you HAVE to check this one out)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGfQLf_0rcQ

Arcana Coelestia (don't let the funeral doom bits scare you off, its slightly melancholy in a very nonabrasive way, but I'd call it slightly uplifting)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4gbo_xrgNI

I'd also say At the Heart of Winter is one hell of an uplifting album, as is Sons of Northern Darkness.

I find Ne Obliviscaris very uplifting. Especially the song "Tapestry of the Starless Abstract"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EidBzGM-AM

The lyrics are also really uplifiting towards the end of the song.

"Symphony for the pilgrim… Intrinsic wake.... Opulent discordant soul...My arabesque
Setting sail from paradox lost to a paradise found..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heH_Ckvojzg
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3phA9IpzVQ
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mp4RF8-phM

Moonblood - Shadows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNrFiFfRoqs

I personally prefer the rehearsal version but this one kicks ass too, and the rehearsal is harder to find on youtube. This song perfectly captures a kind of galloping 'adventure' feeling that so many fruitier bands gay up on a regular basis. There are some dark and grim sections but the triumphant parts hold the balance of power, and if anything shine brighter by contrast!

Nitberg - Nagelreid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pFBGacU ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_g5kc81 ... re=related

This album is my #1 pick of 2010 and I listen to songs from it almost every day (BLACK METAL POWERLIFTING!!!!) The brutality of Nagelreid is hard to find parallels with in black metal, the precision of the musicianship (particularly the drumming, check out the intro of the first link!) and clarity of production creates a feeling of acutely sharp and visible violence. All the carnage and wrath is visible under a laughing sun! The uplifting part is that the music enlists you among the ranks of the proud and strong! As far as the 'mystical feeling' goes, I would say Nagelreid has a balanced relationship with nature, not enslaved by beauty nor hostile to it. I wish I knew what the lyrics were.

Try Myrkgrav. The best song they have is Om Å Danse Bekhette. This has an epic atmosphere to it. Definitely not depressing and sort of uplifting.
Also Land of the Dead by Summoning. It's not completely uplifting but it's definitely not depressing and is similar in atmosphere to Myrkgrav.

"Uplifting" is easily one of the most cringe-worthy terms known to man. I don't know what you mean by "Uplifting Black Metal". Something with happy lyrics that inspire you to do your homework or something? Apart from being a blatant oxymoron, those words put together just sound ridiculous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG8iXb-CwTA

You're an idiot. Uplifting does not automatically equal happy. Triumph is a feeling that is uplifting, and happens to be quite prevalent in much of black metal.

Cool, go listen to some and feel the triumph. Jump up and down after each track. Go to Hillsong and be reborn, for all I give a fuck.

the band Liturgy.

Spite Extreme Wing's album 'Vltra' may fit the bill. They describe themselves as anti-depressive black metal. I think songs like this (and simalarly their song 'V') have a very uplifting atmosphere to them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QejP-e0MEv0