Under the Sign of the Black Mark (1987) is a quintessential, raw first-wave black metal album by Bathory that defined the genre’s sound, featuring high-pitched shrieks, eerie atmospheres, and occult themes. It bridges early thrash with later, more melodic, and epic black metal influences, showcasing pioneering, dark, and often faster, more aggressive compositions.
Sub-Genre: Black Metal
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Musta Temppeli
Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaavne is the fourth full-length studio album by the Finnish black metal band Horna, released in 2005. The album title is a cryptic phrase that, when rearranging the letters (odd letters, then even letters backward), spells “Evangels of Satan”. Raw, old-school Finnish black metal with elements of “black ‘n’ roll” and doom-laden, cold atmospheres.
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Furrows of Gods
“Furrows of Gods” (Борозни Богів) is an atmospheric black metal track by Ukrainian band Drudkh, featured on their 2006 album Blood in Our Wells. It is characterized by melancholic, melodic guitar work, raw production, and lyrics adapted from a 1980 poem by Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko, reflecting on history and nature.
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Thorns of Crimson Death
“Thorns of Crimson Death” is the final, epic track on Dissection‘s 1995 album Storm of the Light’s Bane. It is a melodic black/death metal song characterized by haunting melodies, somber atmosphere, and lyrical themes exploring undead spirits, haunting landscapes, and the enduring, painful memory of past battles and tragedy.
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Thousand Swords
Graveland is a Polish pagan/black metal band formed in 1991 by Rob Darken. They are known for transitioning from raw black metal to a more epic, Viking-inspired sound, focusing on themes of Slavic and Norse mythology, nature, and war.
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Wild Autumn Wind
Caladan Brood is a Utah-based atmospheric/epic black metal duo formed in 2008, known for their 2013 debut album, Echoes of Battle. Heavily inspired by Summoning, they create fantasy-themed,, melodic black metal with orchestral keyboards, mid-tempo riffs, and clean, choir-like vocals.
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Ritual
Blasphemy is a pioneering Canadian extreme metal band formed in Vancouver in 1984, recognized as key founders of the “war metal” subgenre. Known for their chaotic blend of black and death metal
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A Witch is Born
Gehenna is a seminal Norwegian black metal band formed in Stavanger in 1993, known for a darker, more melodic, and symphonic sound compared to their peers. Often featuring slower, atmospheric, and mid-tempo compositions, they are a key act in the early Norwegian scene, producing notable albums like First Spell and Malice.
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Dies Irae
Released in 1988, Blood Fire Death is the fourth studio album by Swedish extreme metal band Bathory. It is considered a pivotal, transitional masterpiece that bridged their early raw black metal style with pioneering Viking metal themes. Featuring the iconic “The Wild Hunt of Odin” cover art, it showcases epic songwriting with songs like “A Fine Day to Die” and “Blood Fire Death.”