Darkified - A Dance on the Grave (1995)

Swedish blackened death metal with horror movie keyboards. Darkified were only active from '91-92, and A Dance on the Grave compiles the entirety of their recorded output: a demo and an EP. There's always something so funny to me about the image of a gnarly Swedish hesher dude sitting down at a keyboard and composing cheesy-ass stuff like "Outro: Out from the Darkness".

Track listing:

1. Intro

2. Howlings from the Darkness

3. A Summon for the Nameless Horrors

4. The Forgotten City

5. Outro - Out from the Darkness

6. Sleep Forever...

7. The Forgotten City (1992 Version)

8. The Whisperer in the Darkness

Prepare for a night of one thousand horrors

Also listen to:

Afterlife - Surreality (1992)

Mythos - Pain Amplifier (1995)

Cult of Daath - Slit Throats and Ritual Nights (2005)

Burly US black metal. A thrash-y, first-wave vibe and strong death/doom overtones. Extremely strong riffs. It's good, get it.

Track listing:

1. Bestial Atonement (Mountains of Burning Offal)

2. Conceived Through Black Mass Rape (Obscene Rites Part I)

3. Inhuman Sacrifice

4. Necrospells (Obscene Rites Part II)

5. Midnight Mutilation

6. Occult Obsession

7. Drink the Blood from the Skull

8. Transcending the Great Satan

Twisting heap of diseased meat

If you like this, listen to:

Abigail - Intercourse & Lust (1996)

Hoth - Rites of the Black Goddess (2001)

Mythos - Pain Amplifier (1995)

Finnish blackened death. While most black/death takes a more head-banging, ass-kicking route, Mythos' approach was slightly unorthodox. They tapped into the murkier realms of death metal while retaining generally faster, blast-heavy tempos that at times lean towards grind -- which they ultimately embraced with an early Carcass cover -- and injected it with black metal's tendencies towards ritualism and grim melody. 

Track listing:

1. In the Beginning... (Of the Outro)

2. Hung on the Wings

3. Unreal Moon

4. In Veiled Language (True Version)

5. The Pain Amplifier

6. A Song by the Way

7. Verses in the Fire (Heavy Version)

8. The Last Orgy

9. Strange Things Happen at Night

10. ... The End (Of the Outro) / Reek of Putrefaction

No sanctuary is eternal

Also listen to:

Thou Shalt Suffer - Into the Woods of Belial (1991)

Abhorer - Zygotical Sabbatory Anabapt (1996)

Enochian Crescent - Telocvovim (1997)

10/10 Finnish weirdo black metal. A truly unorthodox sound that reminds me at times of death, gothic doom, and progressive metal, but never really ventures too far from completely kickass black metal. They also have real chops, which is not necessarily expected for a black metal band. Maybe it's the big, beefy production bringing out a death metal element that I'm not even sure would register if the album had a raw-er sound. Speaking of which, you know that gimmick where a track starts off sounding like a super-shitty recording, then all of a sudden, the real production kicks in and you have to lunge for the volume knob? This album kicks off with an amazing take on that.

Track listing:

1. Kun Ihmisliha Itki

2. Closed Gates of Tomorrow (The Cold Harvest)

3. Crescentian

4. Under Autumn Trees

5. Amma I Piad Sa Madriax

6. A Wolf Among Sheep

7. A Dream of Basaltic Submarine Towers of Titanic Proportions and Nightmare Angles

8. Afar (The Age of Rust)

9. When Tears Run Dry

10. Bonedancer

11. Black Flame of Satan Burning

Make me thy hammer of wrath

Also listen to:

Trifixion - The First and Last Commandment (1995)

Abgott - Artefact of Madness (2006)

Genius Ultor - Nic Co Boskie Nie Jest Mi Obce (2014)

Crushing Polish black metal with a tinge of occult death metal filth. Goddamn the Polish language is insane.

Track listing:
1. Nic Co Boskie Nie Jest Mi Obce
2. Koniec Wszystkiego Co Znamy
3. Zwyciestwo
4. Kataryniarz
5. Pijany Krwia
6. Zlo Przenajswietsze
7. Krew Nie Woda

Kill them

You should also listen to:

Malleus Maleficarum -
Taedium Vitae (2002)

Ride for Revenge -
Wisdom of the Few (2009)

Abgott - Artefact of Madness (2006)

Brutal, tech-y British (once Italian) black metal with elements of death. Played with unrelenting intensity, with some serious shredding, sci-fi keyboards, and vicious vocals. Severely under-appreciated band and album.

Track listing:
1. IV
2. Kronos' Cosmic Throne
3. Church of Necrophilism
4. Experiment in Evil
5. Diabolical Surgery
6. 9th Gate
7. Black Light Scenario
8. Abyss 666
9. Dimensional Labyrinth
10. Epitaph
11. They Infernal Fields
12. Twilight Luciferia

Inexpressive shapeless faceless

You should also hear:

Trifixion - The First and
Last Commandment (1995)

Abigor -
Fractal Possession (2007)

Goat Torment - Dominande Tenebrae (2013)

Belgian bestial black/death delivered through big, heavy-as-fuck production.

Track listing:
1. My Hands Reach Out
2. Titan Fire
3. Dominande Tenebrae
4. Onwards to Judecca
5. Abusing the Weak
6. Angelwhore Dominator
7. King of Locusts
8. Invoking the Dark Gods
9. Bestial Command

Escalation of absolute evilness
Evocation of obscene abominations

You'd also like:

Adorior -
Author of Incest (2005)

Scythian -
To Those Who Stand Agains Us (2009)

Aliénante Damnation - Le Chantre du Charnier (2012)

Related:
Vociferian - On Angelbones Blood Altarized (2009)

Relentlessly ripping Belgian black/death devastation.

Track listing:
1. Charogne Béatifiée
2. Au Sacre de la Trinité du Viol
3. L'Infanterie Nazaréennicide
4. Stigmates de l'Antéchrist
5. Noire Kénose Transfiguratrice
6. Ordalie Satanique
7. Rosaire de Barbelés
8. Vêpre du Gérasien Possédé
9. A l'Orée de l'Eviction Céleste
10. Mes Paupières S'obstruent Telle la Lame Oxydée d'une Guillotine
11. Sylvestre Trône des Brumes
12. Gel Diaphane de l'Arcane Lunaire
13. Me Révulse Cette Imperceptible Aura Stérile (Aux Portes Béantes de l'Ennui Radieux)
14. Suprême Râle au Soir de l'Humanité (Ou la Domestication du Genre Humain et la Haine Magnifiées)

May the holocaust appease thy God

More like this:

Manticore - Bowels of the Holy
Anoint Us in Evil (2003)

Iconoclast Contra - Battle Is
the Voice of the Heathen (2010)

Brulvahnatu - Menstrual Extraction Ceremony (2011)

Fucking phenomenal Canadian black/death/doom. I understand your trepidation: you're looking at that album cover, and wondering what kind of weird, amateurish perversion I'm trying to get you to download. But since I'm lazy and high and I hate music writing, you're just gonna have to trust me on this one. Free/name your price via bandcamp.

Track listing:
1. The Book of Forgotten Places
2. Hunting Season (At an End)
3. Fluids
4. The Gland
5. Menstrual Extraction Ceremony

Sick creature nightmare

You should also listen to:

Rites of Thy Degringolade -
The Caryatid (2000)

Wormlust -
The Wormlust Collective (2012)

Black Death Ritual - Profound Echoes of the End (2005)

Related:
Prevalent Resistance - Eternal Return (2008)

Punishing Finnish black metal featuring past and present members of Horna, as well as a shit-ton of other great bands. Fucking goddamn this band was so good. Full-tilt, ripping, but precisely controlled chaos, with tight performances all around and raw, impenetrable production that comes off like a best-case-scenario rehearsal recording. It's really too bad that this project seemingly fizzled out after just the one album, as there was TONS of potential here.

Track listing:
1. Underneath
2. Cease the Triumph of Light
3. Desolate and Dead
4. I Bleed Thy Black Blood
5. Temple of Black Holocaust
6. Inner Siege
7. Preferred Solitude

Orgy of destruction unleashed
In the glare of the fullmoon

Also listen to:

Manticore - Bowels of the Holy
Anoint Us in Evil (2003)

Black Devotion - Ceremonial
Rituals of Demonic Chaos (2013)

Naked Whipper - Pain Streaks (1995)

Siiiiiiick German grind-y black/death metal. There's a single, physical AND mental illness-ridden branch of my family that's Catholic, headed by an uncle who once, in front of my gay brother, said he "despise[d]" gay people, and every time I post something like this, I get a glimmer of hope that ol' Uncle Hatemonger somehow becomes aware of this blog -- through Facebook, maybe -- and dies a little inside when he discovers my love for songs like "Whore of Damnation" and "Nunrider". It's the little things that get us by.

Track listing:
1. Pagan Pussy Gore Intruder
2. The Ultimate Molestator
3. Whore of Damnation
4. Perverse Delight
5. Nunrider
6. Impure
7. Anal Queen
8. Painstreaks
9. Naked Whipper
10. Hyperincest
11. Nuclear Solutions - Creation of a New Demonic Age
12. Nunrider (Live)
13. The Ultimate Molestator (Live)
14. Whore of Damnation (Live)
15. Perverse Delight (Live)
16. Pagan Pussy Gore Intruder (Live)
17. Impure (Live)
18. Hyperincest (Live)
19. Naked Whipper (Live)
20. Painstreaks (Live)
21. Anal Queen (Live)
22. Nuclear Solutions - Creation of a New Demonic Age (Live)

Experience in excrements

If you like this, listen to:

Abhorer -
Zygotical Sabbatory Anabapt (1996)

Black Devotion -
Ceremonial Rituals of Demonic Chaos (2013)

Hellfire Deathcult - Culto a la Muerte (2016)

Crushing, filth-encrusted US black/death. Down-tuned guitars, a constantly rotating selection of blastbeats, and an ever-present fog of reverberating growls. What's that you say, you're sick of cavernous black/death metal? Well, I'm fucking sick of people saying they're sick of cavernous black/death metal, so how 'bout you go listen to the new Deafheaven (which I actually hear is really good, somehow) and stay the hell off my lawn.

Track listing:
1. Summoning Forth the Coming Holocaust
2. Thy Holy Kingdom Ablaze
3. Ancient Ceremonial Death Ritual
4. Bathe in the Blood ov Christ
5. Profanation ov the Divine Whore
6. Black Mass Invocation
7. Apocalyptic Terror Assault
8. Black Death Worship
9. Cleansed by the Black Flame

Subjecting Christ to a good-natured ribbing

More like this:

Nuclearhammer -
Obliteration Ritual (2009)

The Royal Arch Blaspheme -
The Royal Arch Blaspheme (2010)

Mylingar - Döda Drömmar (2018)

Utterly crushing Swedish black/death decimation. Chaotic, unrelentingly vicious songs and suffocating production. Absolutely one of the best metal records of the year. And I can't upload anything right now for some reason, so it's a good thing that this is a free/name your price download from the Mylingar bandcamp.

Track listing:
1. Skammen
2. Ritualen
3. Början
4. Löftet
5. Besvikelsen
6. Drömmen
7. Spektaklet

Tapestry of violence

Also listen to:

Schammasch -
Sic Lvceat Lvx (2010)

Convulsing -
Errata (2016)

Provocator - Antikristus (2014)

Raw, ripping Slovenian war metal. Sick-as-fuck vocals, simple but gnarly riffs, thrash-y solos, and a thick, pitch-black atmosphere.

Track listing:
1. Let Jesus Fuck You
2. Unholy Rape of the Holy Whore
3. 7 Storms of Eternal Damnation
4. Conqueror of Blasphemous Revenge
5. Profanation of the Cross
6. Kirkebann
7. Black Star of Lucifer
8. Antikristus

Satan, chaos, blood, and terror

Also listen to:

Destruktor - Brutal Desecration (2002)
+ Nuclear Storm (2004)

Black Devotion - Ceremonial Rituals
of Demonic Chaos (2013)

Alchemyst - Nekromanteion (2012)

Occult German black/death metal. Grainy organ, hoarse vocals, weird, dissonant riffs, and a shroud of reverb hanging over everything. A severely under-appreciated record.

Track listing:
1. Pulse of Tartaros
2. House of Aides (Nekromanteion Pt. I)
3. Rites of the Holy Hill
4. The Inner Fire
5. Kharon (Nekromanteion Pt. II)
6. Circle of Elements
7. Okkvltista
8. A Cave of Trees
9. Temple of Medusa
10. Oracle of the Dead (Nekromanteion Pt. III)

Energy from sphere

More like this:

Mefitic -
Signing the Servants of God (2009)

Schammasch -
Sic Lvceat Lvx (2010)

Supremative - Servitude of the Impurity (2013)

Incomprehensibly raw Spanish black/death. An all-to brief four song EP of pure black filth.

Track listing:
1. Intro / Embrace the Endless War
2. Altars of Sodomy
3. Campaign of Execution
4. Servitude of the Impure Messiah

Eternal rain of angels' blood

More like this:

Necros Christos -
Necromantic Doom (2002)

Embrace of Thorns -
Atonement Ritual (2009)

Deus Ignotus - Chrismation (2012)

Blasphemous Greek black/death metal. Heavy, meat-and-potatoes filth.

Track listing:
1. Chrism
2. Silent Spell of Baptism
3. One Scar on the Silver Saints
4. Holy Mazochis
5. Yaina
6. The Vortex of Burning Martyrs
7. Evangelic Lifeforms
8. Jesus Is the Bullet in My Gun

Worship the fall of man

More like this:

Destruktor - Brutal Desecration (2002)
+ Nuclear Storm (2004)

The Royal Arch Blaspheme -
The Royal Arch Blaspheme (2010)

The Royal Arch Blaspheme - The Royal Arch Blaspheme (2010)

Related:
Profanatica - The Enemy of Virtue (2006)

Sick-as-fuck, Profanatica-style US black/death. Smear black shit across the face of Jesus.

Track listing:
1. Denial of the Holy Spirit
2. Jahbulon
3. Via Crucis
4. Isaiah 14:12
5. Dead Eucharist
6. Lust and Sacrilege
7. Ascension of Lies
8. Alchemic
9. Seven Devils of Ejaculation
10. Kingdom of Perversions

All thoughts ceased
My mind turned to ash

You'd also like:

Iconoclast - Combat Is the
Voice of the Heathen (2010)

Black Devotion - Ceremonial
Rituals of Demonic Chaos (2013)

Necros Christos - Necromantic Doom (2002)

Doom-infused, filth-ridden German black/death. Downtuned grossness, disgusted growls, drum machine, and cheap keyboards. Five songs, five creepy interludes. I suppose could have posted one of their proper albums, but this was my introduction to Necros Christos, and it's fucking sick.

Track listing:
1. Crucifixion Whispers (Temple I)
2. Tormented Flesh on the Mount of Crucifixion
3. Prayer on the Mount of Olives (Temple II)
4. Swearing Eternal Alliegance
5. Nailed on Command (Temple III)
6. Last Rite of Christ
7. The Son of Man Goeth into Galilee (Temple IV)
8. Grave Damnation
9. The Burning Chamber of God (Temple V)
10. Triumphant Executions

Hooded priest in black invoked the sacred legions of doom to come
Graves on blasphemous shores opened and heaven wept by goat command

You should also hear:

Abhorer -
Zygotical Sabbatory Anabapt (1996)

Manticore - Bowels of the Holy
Anoint Us in Evil (2003)

Convulsing - Errata (2016)

Stellar Australian black/death. Angular, dissonant guitars, reverb-drenched growls, and ever-changing, even scatterbrained song structures, with precise, sharp drumming providing a center to the chaos. Would have been on my year-end list if I hadn't slept on it 'til last week. Free/name your price via bandcamp.

Track listing:
1. Descend Beneath
2. Altered
3. Severed Hemispheres
4. Dis
5. Eleven Sigils
6. Invocat
7. The Sky Moves Sideways
8. Dragged

Wake from the dream of self
Exit the lie and be released

You would also like:

Abyssal - Denouement (2012) +
Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius (2013)

Altars -
Paramnesia (2013)