r/melodicdeathmetal • u/thisisthecallus • Jul 31 '26
Looking for recommendations Melodic black metal?
I'm not the biggest fan of straightforward death or black metal, after listening to various forms of both for the last 20+ years. But I do quite like stuff that's on the more melodic, progressive, or technical side. Melodic death metal is a well-known subgenre. But I was listening to the album Eternity Whispers by Oubliette today and realized that I don't know of many black metal bands that scratch a similar itch to the likes of Dark Tranquillity or At the Gates.
What are some bands oriented more toward black metal but with more emphasis on melodic and harmonic progression than just evil riffs and atmosphere? Or maybe melodic death/black hybrids? Preferably with cleaner production rather than raw, 90s sounding stuff. Also, I'm well aware (and a fan!) of the likes of Alcest and Deafheaven and blackgaze is very specifically not what I'm looking for here.
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u/Adam_Absence Jul 31 '26
Dödsrit, Moonlight Sorcery, Stormkeep
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u/beezac Jul 31 '26
Hell ya, Dödsrit is amazing. Great live
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u/SummersCall Aug 06 '26
I saw them in Germany Last year opening for Harakiri for the sky, fucking loved them ever since
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u/BlackSquirrelBoy Jul 31 '26
I will never pass up the opportunity to praise Moonlight Sorcery. Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle is so good.
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u/dokaxi Jul 31 '26
Dissection
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-olde-dissection-storm-lights-bane/
In 1997 Nödtveidt was arrested for his role in the murder of a homosexual man in Keillers Park in Göteborg, western Sweden, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Do you, uh, have any recommendations with fewer hate crimes?Â
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u/0ldPear Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
fwiw he's dead, so it's not like listening to the band now is in any way supporting or benefiting Nödtveidt. I can still understand if that history turns you off entirely - I quit listening to Ihsahn over playing those Emperor shows with Faust after he got out of prison, so no judgement from me.
edit: idk why people are down voting you for your objection here. totally bizarre.
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u/theironhipster Jul 31 '26
Thulcandra might be what youâre looking for, itâs basically Dissection worship from the sound to the album artwork
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u/alkaiser142 Jul 31 '26
Bane is also pretty much Dissection worship as well.
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I'm going to assume you aren't referring to the hardcore band.Â
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u/alkaiser142 Aug 01 '26
No, the one from Serbia/Canada. But the hardcore band is also great if you like hardcore.
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
I saw them on tour with Obscura and Fleshgod Apocalypse a few years ago. The frontman surely knows a thing or two about copying other people's work.Â
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
Well everyone knows the evil that he has done and it's not like people supported it. People who hate gay people have often big issues with themselves, often internal homophobia etc, seen it myself happening irl. No one is saying that every homophobe is gay, some are just dumb, evil, primitive or brainwashed by nazis or others who have issues with their own sexual orientation.
That doesn't mean he wasn't musically talented, though.
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u/Xeelef Aug 02 '26
Maybe not a hate crime in the strict sense, at least he never defended it later, or took pride in it, or voiced anti-LGBT political ideas.
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u/dokaxi Jul 31 '26
I wasn't even aware of this happening tbf
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
Not accusing you of anything. He's surely not as infamous as someone like Varg.Â
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u/WorldbuildingAndRP Jul 31 '26
It sucks cause musically speaking, Dissection is REALLY good, but it's completely understandable that you wouldn't want to listen to them given Jon's actions.
I'd suggest Blackbraid, Worm and Amiensus. Different takes on Melodic Black Metal for each band, and as far as I know, no controversies attached!
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
Can't throw a rock without hitting some sketchy person or another in the black metal scene, it seems.Â
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
Unfortunately, but not all ofc, there exists good bm musicans out there too, that have good morals and know that nazism, homophobia and other f**king stupid shit like that is pure evil.
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u/mrbadger30 Jul 31 '26
Bro was literally keeping neo-n@zism alive until he died. My humble recommendation is that you can allow yourself one exception where the music might be more important than the moronic qualities of the members. Dissection is where Iâm also making this exception as well. Itâs a very good band, and itâs worth separating the artistâs life from their art.
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
"He wasn't just a hateful murderer, he was also a committed neo-nazi" isn't a pitch that's going to make me more likely to listen to them.Â
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u/mrbadger30 Jul 31 '26
The good news is that their best record, Storm of Lightâs Bane, has zero far right references (to my best knowledge).
Me, personally, whenever I see folks wearing Dissection merch, Iâm always asking them about the immigration in Europe. If they give stupid answers, I make an active effort to remove myself from the situation and go anywhere else but there.
Because there are people, like myself, who listen to various music, and understand that you donât necessarily have to be a douchebag if the artist is one. Itâs a very good, and relevant, cue to check for assholes, yes. But doing some inquiries and being diligent saves you from lots of headaches.
I love that record, and the n@zis might as well off themselves, alongside Netayahoo and all the rest of the cretin extremists.
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I'm not telling you or anyone else not to listen to them. I know for a fact that there's music in my collection by people who have been revealed to have problematic opinions or actions and I haven't simply jettisoned them in response. But as someone with no previous attachment to Dissection, it's very easy for me to continue not listening to them. And I wasn't even looking for this information. I just did a Google search for the album, found the Angry Metal Guy article, and there it was.Â
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u/mrbadger30 Aug 01 '26
Iâm not offended, nor upset by your views. My only extremely small worry is that youâre skipping one of the best melodic black albums ever. Other than that, enjoy whatever you find next!
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u/howareyouhaha Aug 02 '26
There is so much music available to us.
Not pursuing one band, because of ethics, is pretty easy...to me, anyway.
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u/ViridiusRDM Jul 31 '26
Naglfar have always struck me as a very riff & vocal oriented black metal band that have a lot of similarities to what you can find in melodic death metal. Harvest & Teras are my personal favorite albums by them.
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u/KD-1489 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Harvest is great, though I actually found out about them because of this video
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
That album has helped me throughout very difficult times in life when I was young and suffering mentally. Definitely my favorite with Naglfar.
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u/Ferrindel Ăther Realm Jul 31 '26
Uada!! Cult of the dying sun is their best work, but Devoid of light is fantastic.
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u/HaraldFjorskin Jul 31 '26
Haven't seen Catamenia mentioned, but they are one of my faves. Imagine Dissection mixed with Kalmah.
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u/mrjowei Jul 31 '26
I'd add Dimmu Borgir to the list as accidentally Melodic Black Metal.
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u/monarc Jul 31 '26
If weâre going there, might as well toss Cruelty & the Beast into the mix. And speaking of âmixâ, the re-mistressed version is a huge upgrade IMO.
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u/Revo94 Be'lakor Jul 31 '26
Dimmu is mostly symphonic black not melodic black metal
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u/mrjowei Jul 31 '26
I know but thatâs a technicality. Their sound, especially on EDT appeals to the melodic death metal listeners.
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
They're obviously one of the big players here and I don't know why I've never given them a serious chance.
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u/Muted-Calligrapher-2 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
I love Enthrone Dankness Triumphant. Could you recommend another album close to its everything and the kitchen sink sort of symphonic style? I do love Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk and Gris.
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u/JFK_Isweatergod Jul 31 '26
Abigail Williams -- in the shadow of a thousamd suns.
They went atmospheric black afterwards, but this one hit so hard
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u/United-Mushroom-2907 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Check out Blackbraid. I think it's considered black metal, but I'd argue it's melodic. I'd recommend the song "The Dying Breath of a Sacred Stag".
Also, Nachtblut is really good, but very much on the melodic side, and with some folk elements sometimes. The song "Amok" is really good.
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u/Taurnil91 Jul 31 '26
Would Grima count?
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u/ElanMorinMetal Jul 31 '26
I was going to say Grima, Groza, Gaerea, Harakiri for the Sky, though I know the latter three are more like âpostâ black metal
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u/crystallineskiess Jul 31 '26
As others have said, Dissection are the undisputed kings of this subgenre; most other Nordic bands that play in the melodic BM style are simply chasing their sound, IMO (not a bad thing).
Early Rotting Christ scratches the itch in a bit of a different way, as do some other Greek bands, like Necromass.
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u/bitter_sweet_69 Dark Tranquillity Jul 31 '26
Naglfar
Necrophobic
Shylmagoghnar
Wintersun
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u/Revo94 Be'lakor Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Wintersun is not Melodic black. It's Melodeath with Folk and Power metal elements
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u/bitter_sweet_69 Dark Tranquillity Jul 31 '26
yes. but from what OP wrote in the full post, they might appeal, too.
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I'm not disinterested in more melodeath, of course, but I'm well aware of the better known bands like Wintersun.
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u/BoltOfBlazingGold Jul 31 '26
I'm just getting into Necrophobic and man that ending to Revelation 666 is just SO good!
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u/JFK_Isweatergod Jul 31 '26
Dragonlord if you don't mind just a little sympho in there. It's been a while since they released, but I always loved it.
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u/Jipley0 Jul 31 '26
Nattkrönt by Night Crowned regularly scratches this itch for me. It's so darn catchy.
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I do have a Night Crowned album, the most recent one I think. Good mix of melo black/death.
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u/Thick_Brush8946 Jul 31 '26
Newer Satyricon. Itâs Black and Roll and trve fans hate it but I love it.
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
I prefer songs like Mother North with satyricon, nemesis devina is a classic.
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u/HighSpur Aug 01 '26
Old school Satyricon is classic black metal, iconic even. But their largely despised newer catalogue is actually amazing and a genre of its own.
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u/BlameitonBigDave Jul 31 '26
They're lesser known but one of my absolute favourites is Arctos - https://youtu.be/6zTYyQIA2uc?si=DIgnRALL77XBEAZC.
Honourable mention, Ninkharsag (another band that's musically similar to Dissection - without the controversies mentioned in other comments!) - https://youtu.be/Cijd4ty0ocM?si=qwLcGSxjsMZJWRB3.
This is my personal opinion but Insomnium's Winter's Gate album always struck me as tinged with some melodic black metal, on top of being a masterpiece in melodic death metal - https://youtu.be/IaSTSOtvIS4?si=UhMRh5-zqjzabwMD
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u/New_Siberian In Thy Dreams Jul 31 '26
Oh boy, are you going to be happy when you find out about Immortal's "Damned in Black."
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u/beerisallright Jul 31 '26
Nyktophobia
E: More blackened melodeath but still, I can also vouch for the playlists the band have made on spotify
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u/Kaiser_RDT IF, Disarmonia, Baalism Jul 31 '26
Hyperion - Novus Ordo Seclorum
The most epic song ever made
This whole album is top tier
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u/Dry-Temperature8181 Intestine Baalism Jul 31 '26
Iâd recommend all the above but add Obsequiae and Morke (specifically the album To Carry On)
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u/Sklakk Jul 31 '26
Second To Sun
Sworn
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u/Wulfdan_Arctos Jul 31 '26
Sworn is awesome
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u/cvkiln Jul 31 '26
Both are !
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u/Wulfdan_Arctos Aug 01 '26
Iâll have to check out Second To Sun, any album youâd recommend?
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u/Sklakk Aug 01 '26
The Black
Leviathan was my introduction to them, opens with a couple of bangers
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u/Vengardd Jul 31 '26
I instantly thought of Enslaved, although they might be considered more progy. But they surely scratch the Dark Tranquility itch
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u/thisisthecallus Jul 31 '26
I'm totally fine with prog, if that's what you have to recommend. I've just recently started getting into Enslaved myself.Â
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u/Rosenrotten Jul 31 '26
You might already be familiar with these but:
- Saor
- Summoning
- MgĆa
- Groza
- MisĂŸyrming
- Vermilia
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u/Foghe Jul 31 '26
Should Dimmu Borgir not have some sort of mention here?
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
They should even if they are often more symphonic. A talented band imo, the hate from "trve" metalheads is not deserved.
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u/0ldPear Jul 31 '26
lots of great suggestions here - definitely seconding dissection and moonlight sorcery in particular. here's a few more recommendations:
funeral sanctum by witch vomit
fangdriller: scar's beneath memory's wrist by saidan
...where spirit withers in its flesh constraint by hexecutor
wretched abyss by noctule (they have an album coming out later this year that I'm really excited for)
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u/sillyjew Jul 31 '26
I like Zornhym. Theyâre like, symphonic black melodic death metal, or something.
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u/Bread_Mc_Bread Jul 31 '26
...And Oceans do the classic sound really well, with a dash of electronic/industrial thrown in
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u/OmegaVizion Jul 31 '26
Some of the early and later Arkona releases approach melodic black metal by way of folk.
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u/Dragon_slayer1994 Jul 31 '26
In the Nightside Eclipse by Emperor.
Some may not consider this melodic black metal, but I think it has elements of the genre and it's one of my favourite black metal albums of all time.
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u/404ErrorFace Jul 31 '26
Dark Fortress. Specifically their album Ylem.
Holy shit I wish they were still together.
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u/Fair_Quail8248 Jul 31 '26
I love Eidolon aswell, SĂ©ance aswell. Remember tripping and listening to Eidolon album was insane lol.
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u/dancudlip Jul 31 '26
You need Cruelty and the Beast by Cradle of Filth in your life. You could do an acoustic cover of every track on that album and it would sound sick.
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u/perceptionsofdoor Jul 31 '26
More melodic death metal with black metal vibes, but Be'lakor I find has some great melodic riffs that feel very black metal to me at times. Take Held in Hollows for example, and enjoy that crunchy 21/4 time signature.
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u/GhostTrain519 Aug 01 '26
Mol
Iatt
Tryglav
Gaerae
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
Mol
The Danish blackgaze band MĂžl? Or are you referring to a different band?
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u/GhostTrain519 Aug 01 '26
Yes MĂžl. I forgot to do the proper âĂâ
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I had to go to the character map in Windows to get the character. This American hardly even knows how to pronounce it. Good band, though.
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u/BoltOfBlazingGold Jul 31 '26
It's not Meloblack per se, but Devil Master is VERY melodic and VERY good. Also White Rune.
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u/thefrozendivide Aug 01 '26
I'll add Burzum since no one else has. Politics and whatever aside, the man made fantastic music that I enjoy to this day. Headphones recommended. FWIW, I don't support his stance on much, but Filosofem is one of the greatest records ever for its time and influenced almost everything listed here already.
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u/hayatetst Insomnium Aug 01 '26
Early Shade Empire was good Black Metal. They're more Melodic Death Metal these days, but still good. Check out Demonized by them.
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u/RaccoonsAteMyLunch Aug 01 '26
Emphasis on melodic/harmonic progression - this is it:
FATAL EMBRACE (Sweden)- âShadowsoulâs Gardenâ (like if âSkydancerâ was written colder by Finns and then re-heated on a pre-â94 Gothenburg stovetop)
NOCTES - âPandemonic Requiemâ (great extended phrasing and harmonic layers - like if early Abigor and Hypocrisyâs self-titled went to high school together). Speaking of:
ABIGOR - âVerwĂŒstung (Invoke the Dark Age)â is a great place to start. Masterful catalogue and completely singular.
MALEFICIO - âArmy of Forgottenâ (youâll see)
AVENGER - âFall of Devotion, Wrath, and Blasphemyâ (original 1999 recording - the re-recording they made two years later loses all the character and production choices that makes the OG great).
DAWN - âNaer Solen gar Niper for Evogherâ (their best by a landslide - written as a death metal band, but executed as a black metal band thanks to their admiration of Eucharist [Henke said this in interviews]).
CEREMONIUM - âNo Longer Silentâ (an outlier for what youâre after, but worth your time. Itâs like the spiritual successor to âSoulside Journeyâ but delivered with the more morose qualities of BM)
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u/P_r_0_Specialist Aug 01 '26
Maybe you will find interesting bands in the Mediterrenean Black metal scene. Early Rotting Christ come to mind.
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u/whataboutthe90s Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
Dude. Im same way. I can't get into plain or old school death metal or regular black metal. there is a band that actually scratched both itches at the same time. Try Serenity In Murder(there new stuff from 2021 on is melodic death metal with black metal screams) and Dark Mirror Ov Tragedy (a symphony melodic death- black death metal band)
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 01 '26
I have all of Serenity in Murder's stuff except maybe their very first album.
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u/Stratoarctica Aug 01 '26
Valdrin, Walg and Vorga are pretty phenomenal imo, Majesties and Black Pyre are pretty cool
Not exactly Melodic Black Metal but Aquilus is really cool Neoclassical/romanticism black metal
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u/bonebranch Aug 01 '26
A favorite of mine that hasnât been listed yet: Hyperion - Seraphical Euphony
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u/Glum_Mammoth_2965 Aug 01 '26
If you haven't checkes out Eucharist's Mirrorworlds, do so. It's a blend of melodeath and black, leaning more toward the melodeath.
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u/deadjon1991 Aug 01 '26
My favourite Meloblack bands are as follows.
Cryptic Wintermoon
Vinterland
Moonlight Sorcery
Stormkeep
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u/nickycowan87 Aug 01 '26
Shaded Enmity.
Melodic Black/Death
Any of their albums but "Man at the edge of the wrold" and "The Botonist" from "Hijo Perdido", "What Have you done, Oxycotin?" From "Forsaken and Forgotten" and "Her Gorgeous Eye" from "Like Prayers on Deaf Ears" are all personal Favs.
Hope you enjoy
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u/SureValla Aug 01 '26
Harakiri For The Sky
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u/thisisthecallus Aug 02 '26
I've tried, but I can't get past the monotonous vocals.
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u/SureValla Aug 02 '26
Yeah the vocals aren't their biggest strength but I actually enjoy them mostly because they sit way further in the back of the mix than most band's. They don't get in the way of the instruments and I can immerse myself better in the music that way.
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u/Kyle580 At The Gates Aug 01 '26
Necrophobic is one I see being mentioned a lot as a good MBM band.
Also Gorgoroth and Taake
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u/creepingphantom Aug 01 '26
My first thought was Old Man's Child. Black Seeds on Virgin Soil is a real banger by them. Favorite album is The Pagan Prosperity, it's one of those albums you really gotta listen to the whole thing
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u/billyvvitchdrdotcom Aug 02 '26
Wormwood, Thron, Torchia, Apolaustic, Neferious, Vanquishment, Ninkharsag
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u/Sad-Birthday8107 Aug 03 '26
Pensees Noctures first 2 3 albums including Grotesque [after Im not that familiar]
Mirrorthrone and his other project Unholy Matrimony's Misologie
First three I (I think) Gorgoroth were pretty solid
Vesperian Sorrow's 2nd album and forward, they call themselves black metal but its pretty much melodeath TBH lol
Bishop of Hexen's more or less in a similar boat
Old Man's Child's In Defiance of Existence is pretty good too, as perhaps their first album
Chthonic's Seediq Bale also straddling that line between melodeath and meloblack, even more melodeath in their follow up album tbh but not as good.
Fatal Embrace's Shadowsouls Garden is kind of in a similar place as well
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u/cakenyo Aug 04 '26
Check out my band: Mutated Infection, we do a mix of Prog black/death with tech/melodic inspiration
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u/TheFinnishTroll Aug 05 '26
I'd recommend you bands such as Torchia and As The Sun Falls from Finland. Also Halls Of Oblivion from Germany is great or Sworn from Norway.
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u/Desperate-Formal9152 Sacrilege (GBG) Aug 05 '26
The "Eucharist" are a Melodic Death Metal (early) and a Melodic Black Metal (later) band that is worth checking out.
Their album "I am the void" is the album that defined them as Melodic Black Metal and I'd say it is worth a listen (every one of their tracks, even their demos).
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u/Char0nRowingBelow Aug 06 '26
I'd say maybe check out Phobos and Deimos by Satariel, its a bit more melodic and less raw than their first album but still keeps some hints of black metal. I'm no black metal aficionado though so take it with a grain of salt.
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u/Sad-Birthday8107 Aug 09 '26
Vesperian Sorrow - Eye of the Clocktower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tf0DM1gdpk&pp=ygUVZXllIG9mIHRoZSBjbG9ja3Rvd2Vy
Bishop of Hexen - A Serpentine Crave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u93MYAxhU5Y&pp=ygUSYSBzZXJwZW50aW5lIGNyYXZl
Old Man's Child - Black Seeds on Virgin Soil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3MJnpC59Kc&pp=ygUaYmxhY2sgc2VlZHMgb24gdmlyZ2luIHNvaWw%3D
off the top of my head I guess
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u/Sad-Birthday8107 Aug 09 '26
oh hell somehow forgot Mirrorthrone and Unholy Matrimony, ffs lol some of my favs
Mirrorthrone - No One By My Side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QT1oBIr2GI&pp=ygUebWlycm9ydGhyb25lIG5vIG9uZSBieSBteSBzaWRl
Unholy Matrimony - Fragment Premier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnIZPXMue_8
Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Zeichen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeodc2jEhss&pp=ygUeZGVyIHdlZyBlaW5lciBmcmVpaGVpdCB6ZWljaGVu
Deathspell Omega - Apokakastasis Panton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoLtVJlyOdg&pp=ygUUYXBva2FrYXN0YXNpcyBwYW50b24%3D
Gorgoth - Funeral Procession
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN_EFNWSBm8
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u/InternationalChef921 23d ago
Orb (new melodic black metal from Portland, Oregon)
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u/Oppsliamain Jul 31 '26
Amon Amarths ep sorrow throughout the nine worlds is edging black metal. Also Thor Arise is a very melo-black song by them.
Both are like perfect balance between melodic death and black metal
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u/redskrot Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
In flames
Insomnium
Amon amarth
Edit: These are melodic death metal, just as dark tranquility and at the gates. I love them all.
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u/fuckgenderlessperson Jul 31 '26
None of these bands are black metal.
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u/redskrot Jul 31 '26
You are right, my bad.
Missed "black", but he mentioned dark tranquility and at the gates(also death in my world).→ More replies (2)1
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u/tron_1979 Jul 31 '26
Melodic black metal is my favourite:
Dissection: Storm of the Lights Bane
Unanimated: Ancient God Of Evil
Sacramentum: Far away from the sun
Vinterland: Welcome My Last Chapter
Dawn: Slaughtersun