Top 10 Greatest Black Metal Songs

#10: “Quintessence” (1995)Darkthrone

It wasn’t at all uncommon for the careers of many modern black metal bands to get their start within the death metal sector. This was certainly the case with Norway’s Darkthrone, which began its life as an Autopsy-influenced death metal on both their demos and debut LP, “Soulside Journey.” Fast forwarding to 1995, however, and we have a Darkthrone that’s already firmly entrenched within their “True Norwegian Black Metal” era. “Quintessence” is a poundingly slow, methodical and hypnotic exercise in simplicity. The best kind, mind you: a single-minded goal to worship only a couple of riffs, but to hammer them into the listeners’ collective skull with ice-cold precision. It’s Darkthrone at their most gloomy.

#9: “Nightmare” (1987)

Sarcófago

We tried to be careful with regards to the inclusion of first wave black metal, since the status of bands like Celtic Frost, Sodom and Mercyful Fate is often up for debate with regards to genre. That said, we feel more than safe with Brazil’s Sarcófago on our list since they, alongside their countrymen in Sepultura and Mystifier, helped pave the way for black metal’s over-the-top visual aesthetic. “Nightmare” was a Sarcófago song that was omnipresent in their set, a killer cut from their demo era that never failed to elicit a fierce audience reaction. The bestial sound of black metal’s primordial past is alive and well on this track, juxtaposed against Sarcófago’s leather, spikes and proto-corpse paint.

#8: “Into the Pentagram” (1991)Samael

Whoever said that black metal needed to be performed at full blast all the time obviously never spent enough time listening to Switzerland’s Samael. This history of this formative group actually dates back to the late eighties, where Samael’s remarkably heavy sound found its plodding and thunderous groove. “Into the Pentagram” is another song that was first exposed to fans during Samael’s demo period, but it would go on to become one of the most covered tunes of its era, influencing generations of new bands. Samael’s intentionally slow to mid-paced attack would eventually give way to electronic experimentalism, but it was here where early black metal possibly saw its first true anthem.

#7: “King of a Stellar War” (1996)Rotting Christ

One of the most interesting aspects of black metal archeology is discovering how many different countries brought their own distinct styles to the party. This proved to be doubly true back in the late eighties and nineties, when bands like Varathron, Necromantia and Rotting Christ were pioneering a fresh Hellenic approach in their native Greece. “King of a Stellar War” was taken from the latter’s third LP and commercial breakthrough, 1996’s “Triarchy of the Lost Lovers.” The sound here was noticeably more melodic than Rotting Christ’s legendary “Non Serviam” or “Thy Mighty Contract” LPs, but no less engaging. This was thanks primarily to the enviable array of riffs on display; an embarrassment of riches that still enthralls us, so many years removed.

#6: “Mother North” (1996)Satyricon

The home video market was very much in effect back in 1996, with YouTube dominance not yet coming to pass. It was, as a result, something special for black metal fans in a pre-internet age to get their hands on viewable copies of videos the likes of “Mother North” by Satyricon. The genre was reaching a fever pitch of popularity around this time, and it was videos such as this one, “From the Cradle to Enslave” by Cradle of Filth and “Call of the Wintermoon” by Immortal that stoked the fire. “Mother North,” in the meantime, is nothing less than epic, a more traditional sounding song when compared to the hard rocking “Fuel For Hatred,” but all Satyricon is good Satyricon in our book.

#5: “I Am the Black Wizards” (1994)Emperor

If there was ever a true contender for a Black Metal National Anthem, then “I Am the Black Wizards” by Emperor is almost certainly short-listed in a top-tier slot. The song is indicative of black metal’s symphonic style, an expansive atmosphere that balances beautifully against the more primal elements of Emperor’s music. The term “art” has historically been thrown around a lot when it comes to black metal music, but the word fits Emperor’s creative world to a T. “I Am the Black Wizards” is basically perfect; an aggressive, haunting and otherworldly exercise that helped blaze a trail for black metal’s dominance in the nineties.

#4: “Where Dead Angels Lie” (1995)Dissection

Scandinavian black metal, like any other area, often saw different subgenres emerge within its fertile borders. Bands such as Sweden’s Dissection ushered in a sound that was more melodic than ever before, yet never forsaking that all-encompassing darkness of black metal’s hypothermic core. “Where Dead Angels Lie” was something of a “hit” single from Dissection’s second LP, the masterful “Storm of the Light’s Bane.” The song structure almost feels like that of a traditional power ballad, one where the classic heavy metal sound of bands like Iron Maiden gets enveloped within Dissection’s poetic black metal art. The band’s founder, Jon Nödtveidt, lived a troubled life, however, and decided to seek self-destruction after serving a prison sentence for being an accessory to murder.

#3: “Dunkelheit” (1996)Burzum

The controversial nature of black metal is one that still follows the genre today, particularly when it comes to the life and career of Burzum’s Varg Vikernes. On one hand, there’s no getting around the hard facts of Vikernes’ political views, nor his prison sentence for the murder of his former bandmate Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth in 1993. Yet, no list of black metal songs would be complete without the inclusion of Vikernes’ work with Burzum, particularly when it comes to the “Filosofem” album. The hypnotic beauty of “Dunkelheit” was engaging enough to earn its video clip some airplay on legitimate avenues like MTV and VH1, while Vikernes early work with Burzum would go on to inspire both worship and vitriol in equal measure.

#2: “Enter the Eternal Fire” (1987)Bathory

We mentioned earlier how reticent we were with regards to how much proto-black metal to include on this list. The case of Sweden’s Bathory feels so much different, however, since the sound of “Enter the Eternal Fire” couldn’t feel more removed from contemporary thrash or death metal of its day. The band’s mastermind, Quorthon clearly had his creative finger on the pulse of something special with Bathory, blazing a musical trail that was unlike anything else from the late eighties. This was the sound of real black metal, codified at the embryonic level, but with a focus for feeling, atmosphere and detail. Gone were the mimicked Venom and Manowar references, and in their place was Quorthon ascending to the throne of musical visionary.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Mourning Palace” (1997), Dimmu Borgir

Black Metal Enters the Mainstream

“Withstand the Fall of Time” (1999), Immortal

Icy Norwegian Black Metal Embraces Heavy Metal Tradition

“Ritual” (1990), Blasphemy

Canada’s Power-Lifting Skins Mess You Up with Satanic Might

“Nocturnal Evil” (1993), Beherit

Finland’s Most Bestial Sons

“Elizabeth Bathory” (1989), Tormentor

Formative Hungarian Black Metal Featuring Future Mayhem Frontman Atilla

#1: “Freezing Moon” (1994)Mayhem

Truth really was stranger than fiction when it came to the (literal) firestorm of controversy that followed black metal’s meteoric rise within the heavy metal underground. The Norwegian sound was shaped by a number of individuals, but perhaps none of them possessed as much far-reaching influence as Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth. His band, Mayhem, have become synonymous with the “True Norwegian Black Metal” sound, while songs such as “Freezing Moon” feel like utter black metal perfection in this regard. This is a song with multiple iconic moments, from that classic opening riff, to its varied pacing and a quirky, strangulated guitar solo from Aarseth. It’s black metal distilled to a crystallized essence; a set of schematics that just about everyone would follow for years.

What’s the actual first black metal band, in your opinion? How do you differentiate all of the different waves? Let us know in the comments.