Black Metal

Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its fast tempo, shrieking vocals, and trebly guitar sound. Emerging in the 1980s in Norway and Sweden, it evolved from the thrash and death metal scenes, with bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone pioneering the sound. The genre's popularity peaked in the 1990s, with a distinctive aesthetic of corpse paint, black clothing, and occult-inspired lyrics. Black metal's cultural significance lies in its rejection of mainstream values, embracing instead a dark, nihilistic worldview. The genre's raw, DIY ethos and emphasis on atmosphere over technicality set it apart from other extreme metal styles. Notable for its use of tremolo picking, blast beats, and shrieking vocals, black metal's sonic intensity is matched by its intense, often provocative, lyrical themes, exploring topics like Satanism, paganism, and existential despair.

Latest Black Metal Release
LOVE TO KILL album image
LOVE TO KILL
Single - Released November 13, 2026
Top Artists Spotify Logo
Black Sabbath
Lorna Shore
8belial
Sodikken
Cannibal Corpse
Deafheaven
Top Playlists
The Sound of Cryptic Black Metal 103 Black Metal artists
The Sound of Progressive Black Metal 99 Black Metal artists
The Sound of Greek Black Metal 93 Black Metal artists
The Sound of Russian Black Metal 69 Black Metal artists
The Sound of Industrial Black Metal 67 Black Metal artists
The Sound of Métal Noir Québécois 61 Black Metal artists

RecentMusic users are tracking 3343 Black Metal artists for new releases, and have access to the full timeline of 22,250 releases

Join them and feed your new music addiction, and add the Black Metal artists you love!

Get Started Browse Arists
  1. November 13, 2026
  2. November 11
  3. November 6
  4. November 6
  5. November 4
  6. November 2
  7. October 30
  8. October 30
  9. October 30
  10. October 30
  11. October 30
  12. October 26
  13. October 23
  14. October 23
  15. October 23
  16. October 21
  17. October 16
  18. October 16
  19. October 16
  20. October 16
  21. October 13
  22. October 9
  23. October 9
  24. October 9
  25. October 8
  26. October 6
  27. October 2
  28. October 2
  29. October 2
  30. October 1
  31. September 30
  32. September 29
  33. September 25
  34. September 25
  35. September 23
  36. September 18
  37. September 18
  38. September 18
  39. September 18
  40. September 18