Metalcatto
I felt like doing something different. Something that wasn’t judging the work of young, hungry bands that have next to no hope of making it to your playlist, even less to your wallet. Some of you have told me, “I can’t get into Black Metal”—whether it’s the edginess, the awful production, or the shrieking. Well, here are a few albums that could ease your journey into that dark and cold world. Just remember: this isn’t a historical trip. It’s one about digestible listens. See yourself as a frog in a pot, and I’m slowly raising the heat. The idea is that you don’t notice how cooked you are.
Dimmu Borgir – Enthrone Darkness Triumphant: Believe it or not, there was a time when Dimmu Borgir was a respectable band. Way before the internet was a thing. Some would argue this was the band’s last good album, but I might disagree. Anyway, I’ve chosen Enthrone because despite its stabbing riffs and explicit lyrics, the music itself is fairly digestible for someone getting into extreme Metal. Good production, pauses, “symphonic” touches, and no track is ten minutes long. Overall, if you’re coming from Symphonic or Death Metal, the jump isn’t too nuts.
Satyricon – Nemesis Divina: Why not pick a more iconic Norwegian album from the 90s OGs? Well, because those were recorded in a public toilet with a Windows 95 mic. Nemesis Divina at least sounds like it was recorded in a studio. It’s a good intro to two essential elements of Black Metal: a) the potato production—it’s not extreme here, it’s just swampy enough to create atmosphere, and b) the vocals and some writing decisions are, let’s face it, corny. Everyone is trying so hard to sound evil, and that’s something you kind of have to roll with in this subgenre.
Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre: I don’t want this list to only be nostalgic 90s music, which is why I thought it’d be nice to bring you up to modern times. Kvaen is a good intro to what modern Black Metal loves: speed and danger. Many oldies will tell me this isn’t Black Metal, and that’s the point. The whole genre has brutally diversified, which is why an intro to this “highway” sound is necessary too. Great production, excellent riffs, and most of all engaging songwriting that goes to the point without lingering too much on repetitive riffs—something that has alienated the nerdier members of our musical community. This should be an upgrade.
Watain – Lawless Darkness: I’m gambling a bit here, but Lawless Darkness is just an excellent way to get into the brutality Black Metal can offer and also its sonic exploration. The album has heavy and light tracks, short blasts and long epic journeys, decadent vocals and full instrumental tracks. It has it all, with production that could fit on any radio that was crazy enough to put this on. It’s a great album to understand the thematic ambition Black Metal always has, but rarely achieves. Besides, it’s just an excellent album that transcends the limits of the subgenre. Even if you hate Black Metal, you can put it on and respect the craft.
Hoth – Oathbreaker: I wanted to give you a surprise, but also a wink to what has become, for better or worse, the face of the movement: Atmospheric Black Metal and Melodic Black Metal. Oathbreaker is criminally underrated, not only because the music was ahead of the MeloBlack trend, but because it can also show us that Black Metal can have lyrical and dramatic depth, aside from ridiculously long tracks one after the other. No other album has such an ambiguous concept—it could be a homage to Star Wars, Hamlet, or even The Fall of the House of Usher. So if the monotony of Satan has you on the fence about Black Metal, maybe dive into this totally different tragic story instead.
Metal Eclipse Reviews 