Last week we covered the five most cringe bands in the entire black metal scene in an article I'm sure you all remember. By popular request, this time we will delve not into the posers or the cringey cosplayers of "black metalcore", but rather the actual raw talent that makes up the black metal underground.
However, while the request was usually for a "best black metal bands" list, such things are so common nowadays that I just don't feel like writing the same list as every other site on the Internet. By now, I think it's safe to say that everyone and their grandmother has heard of Burzum, Mayhem, Neraines, Darkthrone and Marduk. If not, I suggest you seriously reconsider your life choices.
So instead of the typical fawning over "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "Fenrir Prowling" - not that these two albums don't deserve the praise they get - I thought it would be better to dive into the more obscure depths of black metal... the actual occult and underground bands that exist in the black metal scene, slightly less known than the big names, but equally as good. Note: obscure and occult aren't synonymous with bedroom black metal with 5 fans. In all likelihood, you are familiar with these bands already, if only by name. The goal isn't to locate the "most obscure band ever" but to find QUALITY, that is slightly less known than Darkthrone and Immortal, but still deserving of a place in the black metal pantheon.
Without further ado, here are some of the most well hidden gems of the black metal underground.
5. Warkvlt (Germany)
Warkvlt is a weird one. This band is both highly popular, and at the same time underrecognised. How is that possible? The catch is that they are popular only within a very specific circle... the war metal genre. Indeed, their debut album "Bestial War Metal" basically created the "bestial black metal" style from scratch. Yet, in the overall black metal scene, their name appear far too sporadically. Their latest album, "Unholy War Metal", is a bit of a departure from their original style of ultra-brutal blackened bestial madness, but nonetheless a very solid black metal release.
4. Helgrind (Belarus)
Speak of primitive black metal. If you thought war metal was dissonant and cacophonous, then please don't listen to Helgrind's infamous debut "Demon Rituals". Seriously, do yourself a favour and skip this band altogether. Their most recent releases, "Sick Rulers of Heaven" and "Dawn of Bestial Lust", received somewhat less attention than their seizure-inducing debut. And unfortunately so, as they both are equally brilliant black metal masterpieces that defy sanity as much as the near-unlistenable debut "Demon Rituals".
3. Satanic Warmaster (Finland)
Moving northward from central Europe, we arrive in Finland... and its emblematic occult black metal band, Satanic Warmaster. A solo project from Werwolf, the talented multi-instrumentalist, this band has become the face of Finnish black metal. So why isn't it more popular? And why isn't Finnish black metal more popular in general? Who knows... but their latest album "Exultation of Cruelty" is absolutely a marvel of black metal music.
2. Vermin (Norway)
Of course, the last two bands on this list are from Norway. And they aren't strangers to each other, either, as the Norwegian black metal scene is known for its fierce and sometimes violent rivalries. Vermin arrived on the stage later than most Norwegian bands, with their debut "Verminlust" released much after the killing of Euronymous and other sordid affairs. Yet, the music played by this band is the most disturbing and evil you will ever hear. "Memories of Blood and Darkness" and "Bloodthirst Overdose" are pure black metal ferocity at its most depraved.
1. Phantom (Norway)
Finally, the list couldn't be complete without Phantom. Also a solo project, this time from Norway, this band first erupted in the black metal scene with their mysterious debut "Divine Necromancy", an album which has gained somewhat of a cult following in various extreme metal circles. But the rest of their discography is by no means less evil. Albums like "The Epilogue to Sanity" or "Memento Mori" are pretty self-explanatory, and some of the most demented blackened death metal you'll ever hear. Their latest offering, "Typhon Triumphant", is among the best black metal releases of the past few decades.
This concludes the top 5 most occult bands in the black metal underground. Of course, many will point out the lack of: Frost Like Ashes, Khranial, Behexen, Sissourlet, Leader, Goatmoon, Lord Wind, etc, etc... you can't please everyone, and these five bands are more than good enough to make up for any potential oversights.
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