Considered to be one of the most extreme subgenres, modern black metal is brimming with emotion, accessibility, atmosphere, and immersion.
The nominations for Black Metal Album of the Year range from East Europe to South Asia.
Escaping the Belarusian government, Dymna Lotva creates a world of pure melancholy and nature on their blackened post-metal album Yraj. Macocha is from Czechia and just released Pale Heart – a pleading cry of black metal and hardcore. Over in Indonesia, Pure Wrath has refined their sound to that of atmospheric, progressive post-black metal perfection on Bleak Days Ahead. Inexternal Dread by Rivers Ablaze is stunning Hungarian cosmic-horror prog-black metal, while lauks by Varmia displays pagan chaos of the Polish wilderness. Vote for your favorite below (and be sure to stay tuned for our other best of the year categories to vote on).