Top 25 Black Metal Albums of 2015

This was the hardest list I have ever put together because this could have easily been a top 50. I took away albums I love, hopefully to just give you the top 25 of 2015. Now of course this is all subjective and you can have your own opinion about what was the best black metal album of this year but this list is mine and I am confident that these are the best black metal albums of this year. Again this was hard….there are a lot of great black metal bands out there releasing fantastic stuff on a weekly…sometimes daily basis. Sure…it may seem like we could be saturated with too much black metal at times but amongst doing this metal blog stuff for the past almost 5 years….I’ve grown to absolutely love this genre. I respect it. It’s emotional. It’s rebellious. It breaks the rules and it lights you on fire while flipping you off. Black metal is not a genre to take lightly but you can still be in a good mood while listening to this brooding…awful music. Of course there are some bad apples in the bunch…but for the most part this basket is fresh and ripe for consumption. So here is the top 25 black metal album of 2015:

25: Svarte – Wanderer Between the Light and Dark (Independent). If there was ever a release this year that you needed to listen to if you were in the mood for some Summoning it would be Svrte’s debut release. This epic atmospheric black metal release comes from Egypt, a land of wonder, history and magic in itself. Yet they pull from Tolkien lore, as well as use creativity of their own and add a little melancholy to the mix. Definitely a great listen.

24: Zgard – Totem (Svarga Music). Pagan black metal that used massive atmosphere as well as folk instruments and melodies to give us all something truly special. Hailing from the Ukraine, this band uses Heathen and Carpathian mythologies and tales that drives home this wondrous sound. Another wonderful atmospheric release, a must listen to!

23: Forgotten Winter – Vinda (SlowDriver Productions). Another great ambient/atmospheric black metal trip for you Summoning fans. This genre just keeps growing and growing and 2015 saw the rise of some great. Forgotten Winter deserves a spot on here for maintaining that epic feeling throughout the entire listen to the album, which is only 5 songs, but the music keeps on moving and the quest just keeps on going. Wonderful epic black metal moments found on here as well as great guitar melodies.

22: Deadspace – The Promise of Oblivion (Independent). The first depressive suicidal black metal band to appear on the list, Deadspace hails from the not so cold area of Australia, however their brand of black metal is chilling to the bone. Incredibly deep song writing, howling vocals that are emotional, atmosphere is dark and grim and The Promise of Oblivion is just dreadful no matter which track you choose. Very involved composure mixed with raw emotion. Incredible.

21: Drudkh – A Furrow Cut Short (Season of Mist). While I feel like this is a black metal release that played it safe, that doesn’t take away from how good the song writing is. It’s so damn catchy and I loved it from the moment I first heard it. Hailing from Ukraine, this band showcases how bringing specific melodies and making things catchy can pay off all without losing their black metal status and ‘kvlt’ sound.

20: Enslaved – In Times (Nuclear Blast Records). Enslaved needs no intro as you should already know of this band. Hailing from Norway, a band that began as straight up black metal has since evolved into something more…something with progressive nature while still engaged in full Nordic lore and tales. The singing and catchy song writing on In Times is undeniably fantastic. But don’t think this is some push over release as they can still churn out wicked black metal moments and screams. Hail Enslaved!

19: Akhyls – The Dreaming I (Debemur Morti Productions). Aggressive and unholy melodies trapped inside this atmospheric tormented music, The Dreaming I is something special in the way it represents itself and how the music is played out.

18: Leviathan – Scar Sighted (Profound Lore Records). Another band that needs no introduction. You’ve heard of Leviathan. One man band with a terrifying discog of depressive black metal. However, with Scar Sighted…we see a Leviathan more tormented than ever before with music and production that is just one gigantic nightmare. Blending several elements and mastering them within the darkened metal realm, we get a slab of music that is not only truly amazing but some of the best that this project has ever released. A must listen.

17: Mgla – Exercises in Futility (Northern Heritage Records). One of the most overhyped albums of the year but definitely well-deserved since it’s just filled with darkness, melody and pure black metal mastery. Mgla provided one of the essential black metal albums of the year and it’s something you just have to listen to.

16: Enisum – Arpitanian Lands (Dusktone). Very good soundscapes of black ambient and atmosphere coming from this project. Enisum was a late contender as I didn’t even listen to it until December but fell in love with it quickly due to how well written the music and atmosphere is. Truly a musical wonder to behold and experience.

15: Marduk – Frontschwein (Century Media Records). A black metal band that you should have definitely heard of by now. Frontschwein is a fiery return to an older sound of madness, anger and all out chaos. Very war driven and catchy song writing along side it. A big name band creating a big metal sound. Hails.

14: Panopticon – Autumn Eternal (Bindrune Recordings). This musical act has steadily been raising the bar when it comes to great atmospheric folk black metal, not only due to writing, feeling and overall production sounds but how creative some of these songs can be while still feeling traditional and cold. A wonderful release that I hope you did not miss. If you did, go listen to it right now.

13: Vallendusk – Homeward Path (Northern Silence Productions). A wildly brilliant atmospheric black metal release from a band hailing from Indonesia. This was one of those sleeper albums from me as I wasn’t expecting to just quickly become in love with what I heard once I pressed play. Even after countless listens, it’s charm and warm compositions still leave me in awe to this day.

12: Obsequiae – Aria of Vernal Tombs (20 Buck Spin). Medieval without feeling like a gimmick. Atmosphere without sacrificing melody. This was one of the most satisfying displays of black metal at it’s best while it displayed how majestic and wonderful it can be with just the instrumentation alone. A delightful endeavor.

11: Hæthen – Shaped by Aeolian Winds (Fallen Empire Records). A mature debut release of pure black metal inspiration and devotion. Something that sounds so rich yet maintaining a raw sensibility is rare, and the song writing holds on a dark feeling to it while remaining barbaric at any given moment. One of the most played black metal albums I had in my possession and it’s still something I can easily put on and drift away. Wondrous black metal writings are found within this release. An absolute must listen.

10: Aegrus – Devotion for the Devil (Drakkar Productions). This debut release is one of the most important pure raw, evil and kvlt driven albums to be released this year. Aegrus’ overall sound is just brimming with blasphemy and Satan worship while the instrumentation just drives home the epic feeling that the ground is going to open up at any given moment and just unleash Hell onto the world. Think of Satanic Warmaster but with Ghaal on vocals.

9: Сивый Яр – Burial Shrouds (Avantgarde Music). Simply beautiful atmosphere combined with harsh Pagan black metal conjuring, this release is enjoyable no matter what mood you’re in or what time of day it is. Watch it consume your soul as you listen. Enjoy the cold.

8: Macabre Omen – Gods of War – At War (Van Records). PURE BATHORY VIKING ERA EPIC BLACK METAL HEATHENISM FROM GREECE! This brand of pagan black metal just always makes me feel like I am about to ride into war with my army of men, with weapons at my side and the gods above to guide me to victory!!! Yes, it’s that good.

7: Kroda – GinnungaGap GinnungaGaldr GinnungaKaos (Purity Through Fire). One of the ultimate pagan folk black metal albums of the year has to be Kroda’s latest album, GinnungaGap GinnungaGaldr GinnungaKaos! A magical and just tough journey through raw blackened elements as well as melodic passages that are beyond what most bands are attempting to even pull off. A fantastic album indeed. A must listen. A must own.

6: Downfall of Nur – Umbras de Barbagia (Avantgarde Music). A black metal release so engulfed in folklore, paganism and with roots older than civilization itself, Downfall of Nur delivers a wonderful and unique experience into this genre with its profound usage of wind instruments to build a comfortable atmosphere within it’s cold and melancholic musical endeavor. Harsh vocal delivery covers the creative compositions and Downfall of Nur is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. A blissful experience of epic black metal.

5: Ghost Bath – Moonlover (Northern Silence Productions). Worshipped by some and torn apart by others….this band is sadly called a copycat of Deafheaven most of the time with the band themselves saying Ghost Bath stole/copied their sound (fuck off). Well to be honest, Deafheaven didn’t fucking create the genre and Ghost Bath is genuinely more enjoyable in my book. I also have more personal reasons as to why I enjoy this album. It’s catchy, depressing, uplifting, soul crushing and bi-polar compositions fit perfectly with my mental state last year after suffering a loss. Somehow….someway this album just called to me and Moonlover came into my life and took me apart piece by piece. From the dreadful melancholic writing to the sorrowful vocal style found within…heck even the final moments of the album where we hear the whistling gives me goosebumps. Funeral was good but Moonlover was just genius in my book.

4: Misþyrming – Söngvar elds og óreiðu (Terratur Possessions). Incredibly atmospheric and tormented fiery black metal from Iceland. Something that no one predicted or foresaw but surely everyone who listened to this couldn’t deny that this release was just simply brilliant on all fronts. “Songs of Fire and Chaos” is the translation of the album title and it couldn’t be more appropriate. That blatantly states what you will be getting and they bring it 100%. Be prepared for 9 songs that just bring forth pure fire and chaos. Listening to this will challenge you, it’s creativity will blow your mind and it will forever warp your expectations and transform your thoughts as to what good atmospheric black metal should be. Oh I forgot to mention that this is the bands DEBUT RELEASE. They definitely raised the bar high with it as well.

3: Mesarthim – Isolate (Independent). Incredibly synth/keyboard heavy ambient black and atmospheric black metal hailing from the lone isle of Australia. The album is massive and this bands debut release spawned one of the coolest sounding black metal albums of the year. Sure, it’s very very light on the black metal front with usage of normal drums and guitars being not as apparent or used as often as one would like, but the ambient/atmospheric sections created by Mesarthim are mind bending out of this world quality stuff. Another space themed release but they hit the nail on the head with it’s atmospheric sounds and writings that would lead you to believe that you are heading to the void and the isolation that you will feel is endless. I cannot express how much imagination and creativity must have went into this project. It’s so damn good.

2: Darkeater – Иней чёрного рассвета (Independent). When darkness and depression meets with quality musicianship and atmospheric wonder then you get this DEBUT release from Darkeater. I cannot express how motivating, inspiring and thought provoking this release is. The use of synth at moments is some of the best I’ve heard, but then Darkeater can churn out some wretchedly dark black metal moments as well as some wildly mournful post-black work that just had me gravitate towards it so easily. Seriously mind expanding stuff that I still listen to on a regular basis, even after jamming this thing consistently for year now. Darkeater is special, it’s unique and it’s a must listen to. Another fine black metal product from Russia, one of the best countries to produce this type of wonderful sound.

1: Drowning the Light – From the Abyss (Dark Adversary Productions). The term “holy shit this is amazing” or even “best black metal album of the year” cannot even come close to what I want to say about this release. The artwork alone is one of the best cover art work of 2015 but then you press play and the music sent me into oblivion. An album my consciousness just absorbed and couldn’t let go, leaving me in a daze for the rest of the year and I just praised this album for the rest of the year. Sure, a lot of great albums came out in 2015 but once I heard this in early Feb I just became rather addicted to the music coming from this abyss. This release had everything from unholy black metal workings to absolutely breathe taking atmospheric moments which just left me in awe each and every time. Songs that still hold interest after multiple listens and catchy enough at times to get stuck in your head. A little something for every black metal fan can be found on this release and that is why it’s #1 this year for this genre. The back and forth between the hectic and the calm compositions are so seamless and it just helps create a steady flow of great music. My favorite album of the year by far and I hope you have listened to this. If not, make it your number one priority today.

LINKS:

25: Svarte https://youtu.be/_gNAJJid9gY
24: Zgard https://youtu.be/SyMGQsgfk-I
23: Forgotten Winter https://youtu.be/cRRytiLp4AQ
22: Deadspace https://youtu.be/eppeC6DkLBM
21: Drudkh https://drudkh.bandcamp.com/album/a-furrow-cut-short
20: Enslaved https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjisyX2qHI8
19: Akhlys https://youtu.be/m_SK1Gn63f0
18: Leviathan https://youtu.be/pyZ0RxUVYQE
17: Mgla https://youtu.be/TvGPAVTYfXI
16: Enisum https://youtu.be/1jdd3ZloB5Q
15: Marduk https://youtu.be/JDlbOnqMwVU
14: Panopticon https://youtu.be/r7xAPWklfJw
13: Vallendusk https://youtu.be/iFzH3tMwlNs
12: Obsequiae https://youtu.be/FaFIDnsWCQQ
11: Haethen https://youtu.be/uU6EWqWYaGs
10: Aegrus https://youtu.be/SN3SM6NW6_c
9: Sivyj Yar https://youtu.be/KY-Y81V4Daw
8: Macabre Omen https://youtu.be/f7WOng8p24Y
7: Kroda https://youtu.be/W6_nU18SVNM
6: Downfall of Nur https://youtu.be/4sCMsVrQu1I
5: Ghost Bath https://ghostbath.bandcamp.com/album/moonlover
4: Misthyrming https://youtu.be/fxprS6tKQSI
3: Mesarthim https://youtu.be/pTjE9IB0F4g
2: Darkeater https://youtu.be/mk6cHd2IUBs
1: Drowning the Light https://youtu.be/SyWMutBpDrw