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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyaricus" data-source="post: 3493470" data-attributes="member: 35678"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />Do I!Here's the thing: there is a big difference in the sound of "troo" black metal and it's more popular bands. True black metal is distinguished by it's raw production, and has a bleak and angry feeling to it, whereas most of BM's popular bands (Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir pop to mind) have a very different sound.Nargaroth - this is a german BM band, and I have to say that their album Black Metal Ist Krieg (A Dedicated Monument) is a fantastic piece of work. It features a compilation of covers and original work all about BM, and has a fantasic flow to it all. Recommended Tracks:  'Amarok - Zorn Des Lammes III', 'Pisen Pro Satana (Root cover)', 'I Burn For You (Lord Foul cover)'.Burzum - this is Varg Vikernes' band. He's the guy that killed Euronymous, guitar player for Mayhem, which is argueably BM's most infamous band. While the man himself is obviously not a nice guy, I've listened to a variety of his work, and it's amazing what he's done. May I suggest the album Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, which opens with the epic 14 minute long tack 'Det Som En Gang Var', an amazing mix of synth, guitars and keyboards. Did I mention Varg plays all of his own instruments?Gorgoroth - while I can't call myself a raving fanatic about this band, I do have the album 'Under the Sign of Hell' and I can say it's a solid piece of BM work, with some decent tracks like 'Krig' (a personal favourite of mine), 'Blood Stains the Circle' and 'The Rite of Infernal Invocation'.Impaled Nazarene - the one album I have by them, 'Suomi Finland Perkele', has a few solid tracks as well, though I'd recommend Nargorath or Gorgoroth over this one. Tracks of note: 'Let's <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />ing Die', 'The Oath of the Goat', and 'Blood is Thicker than Water'.------As for the more popular bands of the genre, Cradle of Filth is not only one of my favourite bands, but they are also BM; thus I can say a lot about them.CoF has greatly changed their sound over the years. They've almost always had a certain gothic/symphonic bit going on, what with orchestra-inspired intro tracks on most of their albums and a keyboardist in the band for most (all?) of their career, but they have undeniably evolved as a band. Their newest album (Thornography) can best be described as not black metal, but a particular sub-genre is also hard to come by - I'd shoot for blackened melodic groove metal with black and death metal influences, but as I said, it's hard to define.In any case, they have slews of fantastic work, what with a decade and a half as a band under their belt.I'll do a Chronological play-by-play for the albums I own:Dusk and Her Embrace (1996) - Not missing much if you don't have this album; it had a few so-so tracks, but most are largely forgettable - much like the album itself. I do like 'A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)' though <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Cruelty and the Beast (1998) - This is a CoF release which sticks very much to the true black metal spirit while still feeling melodic and experimental. It's a very solid piece, and has numerous good tracks: 'Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids' (a personal favourite), 'Desire in Violent Overture' and 'The Twisted Nails of Fate'. I should note I have the limited double-disk edition which has tracks from a previously released Celtic Cross edition which has bonus tracks. Get this version if you can - it has a fantastic cover of Venom's 'Black Metal' (the song which, IIRC, started the BM movement) and Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'.Midian (2000) - This album likely incorporates the keyboards moreso then CoF ever had previously, It has a great horror/gothic theme to it, opening up (after an intro track) with the essential 'Cthulhu Dawn', and with many other excellent tracks alongside it: 'Death Magic for Adepts', 'Lord Abortion', 'Tearing the Veil from Grace' and the amazing track 'Her Ghost in the Fog', which is very melodic and dark. Damnation and a Day (2003) - this is *the* album which got me into Cradle of Filth. This was the first (and last, at the time of this posting) album CoF did with Sony. With a huge budget, they found themselves backed by a full orchestra, and their previous flirtations with keyboards came full swing. It's an epic album, with 17 tracks breaking in at over an hour and 15 minutes of symphonic black metal, with amazing work by the entire band here. If I were to say "pick up one CoF album", well this would be that album. It's crisp, it has depth, it has energy and it is, IMO, the pinnacle of what CoF has done in their career; check out 'Hurt and Virtue', 'Better to Reign in Hell, 'Serpent Tongue' when you buy this album <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Nyphetamine (2004) - this CD is CoF settling down in their symphonic black metal niche, and is kinda the yang of Midian's ying, if that makes sense. There are many tracks you simply should not miss, although the special double disk edition is skippable - the second disk really has nothing of interest on it, other then an interesting cover of Cliff Richard's 'Devil Woman'. The main disk, however, is absolutely loaded with good tracks, with 'Nymphetamine Fix' and Nymphetamine Overdose' taking the lead. Overdose is simply Fix with an intro and an outro and ups the length by a good 3 or 4 minutes - but either are enjoyable. The intro instrumental 'Satyriasis' is, IMO, CoF's best one yet, and 'Gilded <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />', 'Nemesis' and 'Absinthe With Faust' are all essential CoF tracks. This album strays fairly far from CoF's BM roots, but it's a very interesting take.I won't bother going over Thornography, as it really is not BM, but I would recommend you buy this album if you are a death metal, black metal or symphonic metal fan - there is really something for everyone on this album.Hope that helps!cheers,--N</blockquote>

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