15 of my Favorite Atmospheric Black Metal Albums
I Hope You Like Long Songs
Ahh… Atmospheric Black Metal. If I had to pick an absolute favorite sub-sub-genre of music, this would probably be it. Why, you ask? Even though I discovered metal early on, I never really loved the most extreme and harsh metal. It got boring too quickly for me. I needed a dash of something else to keep interest. That something else was usually melodic or clean sections or atmosphere of some kind. Ever feel like music “transports” you somewhere else? I think atmospheric black metal really capitalizes on that feeling. Where it transports you will largely depend on your imagination. Even though there are often harsh vocals, most of this music is extremely calming and relaxing to me. It tends to be all-enveloping, like a weighted blanket, almost providing a “safe” feeling. Sometimes songs can be way too long or too repetitive for some people, but that’s part of the appeal to me!
This list is largely ambiguous because which bands are considered “atmospheric” will vary quite a bit from person to person. It’s also not in any particular order. You might notice a few bands are missing from this list — Agalloch? Alcest? Panopticon? Nope, not atmospheric black metal. But that’s just my opinion. There are certainly “degrees” of atmosphere, and it tracks closely with other similar genres in my view. Ambient black metal, folk metal, and “blackgaze” are a few, and I plan on making separate lists for them. I also have been discovering new artists and albums in this space rapidly. There is no way I could have a definitive list that doesn’t change within the next few months. About half of these I found in the last year or so.
Blut Aus Nord — Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars (France, 2009)
This is straight-up my third favorite album of all time and is the ultimate example of what an atmospheric black metal album can be. There are two major things happening in this album. First, Blut aus Nord has always been known for the dissonance in their music. I don’t just mean the general heaviness and “screaming” in black metal of course. They incorporate certain combinations of notes or chords that sound disharmonious and cause a very uneasy feeling. If you have heard their other albums, I’m sure you know what I mean. Certain notes sometimes sound out-of-tune or like the music is just melting. Up until this album, most of their work had that general sound with an industrial undertone. On this one though, they’ve added quite a bit of clean, atmospheric, instrumental segments. These can be extremely comforting, epic, and downright beautiful. The combination of these opposing attributes into one coherent album is nothing short of genius. It creates a very ethereal experience and there’s simply nothing else like it. Not even Blut aus Nord themselves have created an album like this before or since then. Although, Hallucinogen probably comes close.
Summoning — Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame (Austria, 2001)
Summoning was probably the first atmospheric black metal band I liked — before I knew it was cool. They make use of middle-earth themes, Tolkien-based lyrics, drum machines, and samples. Heavy keyboards, synths, and repetition are also used to build up an atmosphere. This was just much different and refreshing from the other metal I was discovering at the time. For the record, it’s really hard to pick my favorite Summoning album, but I think I’ve listened to this one the most.
Fen — Carrion Skies (England, 2014)
Fen is a band that quickly climbed to one of my absolute favorites when I discovered them. They’re slightly less atmospheric than some on this list, but those long instrumental passages and irresistible melodies get me every time. It’s also extremely hard to pick a favorite album.
Midnight Odyssey — Funerals from the Astral Sphere (Australia, 2011)
I know many consider this “ambient” black metal but as I mentioned earlier, there is a very thin line separating the two and it can be quite fuzzy. Considering this is a one-man band and this is his first proper full-length album clocking in at over two hours, I bet you’re impressed already. It’s absolutely flooded with keyboards and synths, and many of the atmospheric parts are exclusively that. If that sounds annoying to you, I’m sure you’ll hate this. There’s an obvious astral or cosmic theme, perhaps owing to the minimal, fairly repetitive, and lengthy songs here. It may sound like this album would be incredibly boring, but it’s honestly the opposite for me. The more I listen, the more I’m intrigued, and the cycle continues.
Сивый Яр — Из тьмы вымерших деревень / Sivyj Yar — From the Dead Villages’ Darkness (Russia, 2014)
This Russian one-man band may be one of my greatest discoveries from the last year or so. There are many long, atmospheric instrumental passages mixed in with heavier sections, which is my favorite thing in metal. I’d say there are a few folk influences and even a bit of depressive black metal in there with a strong sense of despair and hopelessness. It’s easy for that to come through from Russian bands though. There are some strings and keyboards mixed in, but nothing too crazy. The vocals are quite distant and shabby sounding, but I think it fits the music well. Despite all that — it really is quite melodic. I have collected three of his albums so far and there are three more to check out.
None — Damp Chill of Life (United States, 2019)
This album by None takes the concept of atmosphere, especially a bleak and dismal one, to a completely new level. They’re another band merging the line between atmospheric and depressive black metal. Everything from the strained vocals, to the fuzzy guitars, to the elongated, disturbingly quiet sections really convey the most hopeless of human emotions. Now that I think of it, this could be the single most depressing album I own. I find it an achievement to even convey this intense emotion in music.
Sojourner — Empires of Ash (New Zealand/Sweden, 2016)
Sojourner produces a more epic/symphonic style metal, that is still very much atmospheric. It is very colorful and lush with piano, keyboards, flutes, and female vocals. It may be a tad too cheesy for some, but I quite like it.
Saor — Roots (Scotland, 2013)
Saor is a very nature-inspired atmospheric band with heavy folk influences. This album has the perfect blend of melody without being too cheesy. If you don’t think flutes belong in metal, this album will change your mind.
Wodensthrone — Loss (England, 2009)
Wodensthrone is a quality, somewhat folk-inspired atmospheric band. They might not do anything super unique, but this has been an early go-to favorite for quite some time. There are very prominent keyboards and they do use some unique instruments such as a mouth harp and tin whistle.
Ringarë — Under Pale Moon (United States, 2019)
This is one of the most atmospheric albums on this list. We’re talking thick layers of keyboards in the forefront, including long, stripped-down keyboard interludes. The vocals are distant and echoed, and the dark ambiance feels very consistent throughout. Even the heavier parts have more of a soothing feel than anything. This is an ideal example of what a good atmospheric metal album should sound like.
Tardigrada — Emotionale Ödnis (Switzerland, 2016)
This is a solid, powerful, and polished debut album from a band named after perhaps the most metal creature on earth — the
Aara — En Ergô Einai (Switzerland, 2020)
This is probably the most aggressive album on this list. I would still consider it atmospheric, just less so. There aren’t as many long atmospheric interludes that I usually cherish so much. But every time I listen to this album, I can’t believe how much I enjoy it. The melodies here are incredible. The vocalist is female, and she has insanely strong screeched vocals. There are some keyboards, but they don’t steal the show at all. This band is quite new on the scene having just formed in 2018, and they’ve already released three full-length albums. I see a very promising future ahead for them.
Spectral Lore — III (Greece, 2014)
This nearly 90-minute behemoth of an album can be a lot to process. It explores so many different ideas and movements and it’s never in a hurry to get through them. I’m not sure exactly how to describe the sound here. It feels different than most other bands in a strange and magical way. Perhaps there is more of an organic sound rather than the keyboard-laden over-processed stuff you can often find in this genre. Also, I’m pretty sure there’s a bunch of unconventional instruments like harp, fiddle, flute, and clarinet sneaking their way in here. This is my introduction to the band and I’m excited to start collecting the rest of their discography, but I need to do it slowly.
Ethereal Shroud — They Became the Falling Ash (England, 2015)
This is a little bit more on the doomy side but otherwise is an extremely atmospheric album. They utilize thick reverb, keyboards, and almost a wall of sound that envelops the listener. There are only three songs on this album but they’re ridiculously long — 24, 25, and 10 minutes. This all makes for an album that can never really be memorized and thus, never gets old.
Gris — À l’Âme Enflammée, l’Äme Constellée… (Canada, 2013)
This is one of the top new bands that I discovered in 2020, even though they’ve been around a little while. This album is also very long (80 minutes) and hard to absorb. Certain movements tend to “wander” around for a while — I bet you’re noticing that’s common in this kind of music. The metal sections here can get seriously harsh and the vocals piercing. The clean parts are crisp, delicate, and string-heavy with violin and cello in the mix. There are also plenty of places where both styles seamlessly meld into each other. The prominence of strings rather than keyboards make for a unique and refreshing sound.
I have continued this series with Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
