[Skivs]

Insect Warfare are so poor...I don't understand the love.

[Tanya Parra]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

[LuCY sCoTT]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

Enslaved is my favourite, because they've evolved so much and stayed so good over the years.

EDIT: And no one's interested in my band recordings?

[Becky Palmer]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

Blasphemy

with Von and Beherit close behind.

[D IV]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band?

Thinking deeply about it. Id say Immortal, even though the early videos were pretty bad. I would say Venom but some people say they gave black metal a name even though they weren't actually a black metal band

[anna ley]

Thinking deeply about it. Id say Immortal, even though the early videos were pretty bad. I would say Venom but some people say they gave black metal a name even though they weren't actually a black metal band

What do their videos have to do with whether or not they're the best band?

[courtnay]

Well, personally I think metal is about more than just the music, its also the attitude and ambiance around a band. Really terrible presentation can kill a good song.

My Example:
Growing up as a GIANT KiSS fan I realise that KiSS wasnt the most technically sound or influential band. They are pretty vanilla musically (Great Riffs, and some more progressive stuff on "Songs from the Elder") but they dress it up in a way that KiSS becomes more than just a band. In contrast I was hugely into Dream Theatre a while back, and they were going to perform on VH1 so I got my friends together to show them how awesome the band was, but when they performed live the lack of lights, pyro, and energy totally killed a musically sound performance. We didn't even watch it all. A good band in my opinion should have great songs and great showmanship.

The old Immortal videos are really poor quality and very cheesy so that might be a detriment to them for some.

[Beat freak]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

I'm taking a huge liking to Masochist right now. Zyklon-B is a pretty close behind that.

Insect Warfare are so poor...I don't understand the love.

I don't listen to literally any grindcore besides IW, so I have no idea how they stand up to other stuff.

[Bethany Watkin]

Well, personally I think metal is about more than just the music, its also the attitude and ambiance around a band. Really terrible presentation can kill a good song.

My Example:
Growing up as a GIANT KiSS fan I realise that KiSS wasnt the most technically sound or influential band. They are pretty vanilla musically (Great Riffs, and some more progressive stuff on "Songs from the Elder") but they dress it up in a way that KiSS becomes more than just a band. In contrast I was hugely into Dream Theatre a while back, and they were going to perform on VH1 so I got my friends together to show them how awesome the band was, but when they performed live the lack of lights, pyro, and energy totally killed a musically sound performance. We didn't even watch it all. A good band in my opinion should have great songs and great showmanship.

The old Immortal videos are really poor quality and very cheesy so that might be a detriment to them for some.

So in order to be good, the band has to be super pretentious and theatrical? That's ridiculous. I agree that attitude is important, as was made evident by my blasting of Nargaroth because Kanwulf is an idiot. To me, the stuff you are talking about isn't attitude or ambiance, it's just silly stadium rock BS.

Most of the best metal bands have never even made a music video, and certainly aren't going to be shooting off pyrotechnics at their shows. I think you are really misunderstanding the spirit and attitude of metal...

[Mr.Broom30]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

I know a lot of people around here would disagree with me but I personally think Enslaved are the best, followed closely by Absu, Negur? Bunget, and Blut Aus Nord. Other great black metal bands that i would recommend are
Cobalt
Sear Bliss
Secrets of the Moon
Borknagar
Sirius
Shining
Dark Fortress
Altar of Plagues
Fen

As you can see I'm more into the progressive/experimental black metal.

Also, anyone else into Blitzkrieg? Been listening to them lately and I'm really liking their stuff.

[krystal sowten]

So in order to be good, the band has to be super pretentious and theatrical? That's ridiculous. I agree that attitude is important, as was made evident by my blasting of Nargaroth because Kanwulf is an idiot. To me, the stuff you are talking about isn't attitude or ambiance, it's just silly stadium rock BS.

Most of the best metal bands have never even made a music video, and certainly aren't going to be shooting off pyrotechnics at their shows. I think you are really misunderstanding the spirit and attitude of metal...

No you misunderstood me, and its OK. Like so many things in music its hard describe exactly what I mean. It doesn't have to be MTV-ed out stuff or even Pyro. Chuck Shuldiner was metal as hell in flipflops and a pair of sweatpants. I think what I want to say I connect to bands outside of the music as well as the music itself. If I go to a say a Black Metal show, Ill have fun no matter what, but Ill have more fun if there is barbed wire, fake blood, and pentagrams. So to me the best bands are the ones that make great music and also perform greatly. Did that come across better?

[Louise Andrew]

No you misunderstood me, and its OK. Like so many things in music its hard describe exactly what I mean. It doesn't have to be MTV-ed out stuff or even Pyro. Chuck Shuldiner was metal as hell in flipflops and a pair of sweatpants. I think what I want to say I connect to bands outside of the music as well as the music itself. If I go to a say a Black Metal show, Ill have fun no matter what, but Ill have more fun if there is barbed wire, fake blood, and pentagrams. So to me the best bands are the ones that make great music and also perform greatly. Did that come across better?

This I can understand. I think it really depends on the band though. Some bands work well with theatrics and others do not. I'd be disappointed to see Black Witchery without the bones, fire, and overall presentation...but the same type of thing would feel out of place when I saw Samael (before they became a lame electronic band...), both bands are black metal, but only one of them work with the stage show.

[emma sweeney]

Thinking deeply about it. Id say Immortal, even though the early videos were pretty bad. I would say Venom but some people say they gave black metal a name even though they weren't actually a black metal band

i think the horrible videos where actually kinda badass in a funny way along with the dimmu borgir videos but in terms of quality dark funeral has some pretty good videos

[Eoh]

The only decent thing Dark Funeral did was bootleg a Von demo.

[Susan]

oh come the "my funeral" video was good

[Penny Flame]

I stand by my statement.

I guess their Von cover wasn't the worst either.

[Chris BEvan]

Best black metal band, ey? Phew, that's a tough one. The Chinese come to mind most of the time; Zuriaake, Yn Gizarm and Varuna. Melechesh, Negura Bunget, Lord Belial, Fen, Altar of Plagues, Enmerkar (just one EP), Destr?yer 666, Dark Funeral, Wodensthrone, Marduk, Chthonic, Carach Angren, Absu, Agalloch, Abgott also come to mind. Then I have bands from which I really love certain albums but just like others, such as Shining's V - Halmstad is just plain awesomeness as well as Funeral Mist's Maranatha. Although the aformentioned Chinese bands also just have either one album and/or an EP. Looking through my media player for some of my favorite BM got me quite a list of bands, at least more than I thought. I have to note though, that from Carach Angren, Altar of Plagues, Wodensthrone and Abgott I only have one album; Death Came Through a Phantom Ship, White Tomb, Loss (do Wodensthrone and Altar of Plagues even have more albums?) and Artefact of Madness, respectively.

Some other BM I've recently begun to listen and also starting to like:
Beherit
Root
Inquisition
Deathspell Omega
Some Von, I guess, although not as good as the above mentioned ones.

Yeah, I guess this sums it up... I like more BM, just so you know, but I'm not sure if I should put them high on my list, so to speak.

[Tania Bunic]

Enslaved is my favourite, because they've evolved so much and stayed so good over the years.

EDIT: And no one's interested in my band recordings?

Sorry! I thought I'd posted about it yesterday but I must have got distracted. I really like them, pity they're so short. Tell me when you get them improved recordings up, I think I'll enjoy them.

[Gisela Amaya]

EDIT: And no one's interested in my band recordings?

Needs more bass. I like the vocal effect. The Sunn O)))/Electric Wizard sound is definitely noticable. If you do any more recordings, please post them. I want to hear some progress.

[SaVino GοΜ]

Best black metal band? Can I say Summoning?

[Teghan Harris]

what do you guys think is the best black metal band

Emperor.

[sharon]

I know a lot of people around here would disagree with me but I personally think Enslaved are the best, followed closely by Absu, Negur? Bunget, and Blut Aus Nord. Other great black metal bands that i would recommend are
Cobalt
Sear Bliss
Secrets of the Moon
Borknagar
Sirius
Shining
Dark Fortress
Altar of Plagues
Fen

As you can see I'm more into the progressive/experimental black metal.

Also, anyone else into Blitzkrieg? Been listening to them lately and I'm really liking their stuff.

some nice stuff here. liking Secrete of the Moon :thumbsup:

Edit: my favourite black metal band is probably Shining

[c.o.s.m.o]

Ugh...Shining...

You all should check out Fallen Christ. Their album Abduction Ritual is killer.

[Katie Pollard]

Favorite Black Metal eh? It's a tough choice. At the moment I could say Peste Noire. Been listening to Ballade [censored]re lo Anemi francor a lot over many months. Over all, it stands between Bathory, Silencer and Burzum. Manierisme and Enslaved deserves an honorable mention.

[Dj Matty P]

Hmm.. favorite black metal band? I guess I'd have to say Darkthrone. Transilvanian Hunger is pretty great. On the other hand Deathspell Omega is pretty good too...