Black Metal Bands That Slow The Fuck Down!

Black Metal bands that Slow the Fuck Down!

The title may confuse you, honestly I’m still not sure what to title it, but I’m essentially going to be recommending a series of Black Metal bands that hardly or don’t use tremolo, are mid-paced, have an old school first-wave approach, or some sort of doom metal influence. Assuming you’re already familiar with Bathory and its slower moments I will be avoiding the more known bands.

Root

This really fucking raw and dark approach to heavy metal that sometimes borders on thrash metal with these slower grand moments, I would highly recommend their debut “Zjevení“ from 1990.

Master’s Hammer

The evil twin of Root, even though they’re both evil. Jokingly called the first “Norwegian Black Metal band” by Fenriz of Darkthrone (the joke being they’re Czech). If you give any of their albums a try I’d recommend “Ritual” from 1991.

Mortuary Drape

I’ve talked about them before on a post about the Italian metal scene, but essentially it’s this raw and primitive form of black metal that thrashes about. You may enjoy their debut “All the Witches Dance” from 1994. I feel I must clarify, my use of the word “primitive” here is more so in reference to the sound of the Old School, and not meant to imply anything that would give you the impression this is a Bestial Black Metal/War Metal or otherwise noisey band.

Barathrum

Black/Doom Metal band from Finland, their first few albums sound cavernous and yet fuzzy (God I wish they were on Spotify), but their later stuff is alright. Check out this song if you so dare.

Negative Plane

I’m not exactly sure how to describe this one, they’re definitely a unique band. I would definitely recommend them though.

Born for Burning

Specifically, the Swedish band that released “The Ritual” in 2019. Since they’re named after a Bathory song, you’d assume I’d recommend them to fans of Bathory, and you’d be right! Check this one out!!

Amen Corner

Root’s Brazilian cousin. I would recommend most highly their debut “Fall, Ascension, Domination”.

Decayed

I think this might be one of my favorite bands from the Portuguese scene, the speeds of their songs vary but I’d recommend this one.

Countess

This band is difficult to navigate through bc they have a lot of stuff that’s just eh. Surprisingly, the album I recommend most highly is not going to be their debut but their eighth album “Heilig Vuur”, I would also recommend this song.

Deinonychus

Oooo this is the juicy stuff. I would highly recommend “The Silence of December” and “The Weeping of a Thousand Years”, because texturally they’re some of the most interesting in all of extreme metal, at least in my opinion.

Samael

I’m not recommending all of this band’s discography, but particularly their albums “Worship Him” and “Blood Ritual”.

Diabolical Masquerade

The speed of their music varies and they have more traditionally second wave-esque songs, so I would recommend most highly this one.

Hades/Hades Almighty

For fans of Bathory, especially “Blood Fire Death” era. The double name is because they were formerly known as Hades but changed their name to Hades Almighty to differentiate themselves from an American band of the same name, but despite that they’re still known as “Hades” on some streaming platforms. I would recommend most their first two albums, “...Again Shall Be” and “The Dawn of the Dying Sun”.

Acheron

Sometimes closer to Death Metal, I would recommend “Rites of the Black Mass” on the warning that there’s really annoying and unnecessary intros to each song.

Ancient

While varying in speed, they don’t tend to rely on tremolos and blast beats as often as, say, Marduk. I would like to highlight their third album, “Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends” in particular, which has a flavor of vampirism and necromanticism and an excellent cover of Mercyful Fate.

Tyrannic

I would most highly recommend their sophomore release “Mortuus Decadence”, generally just some excellent black metal with influences from doom and traditional heavy metal.

Rotting Christ

Pioneers of the Greek-style of Black Metal, a style that blends more traditional heavy metal grooves with Black Metal. To recommend one album out of their discography, check out “Thy Mighty Contract”.

My Death Metal Playlist !!!

LOOK AT IT!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE SAME GUY THAT DREW MY OC LIKE TWICE!!!!!! HE’S SO FUCKING GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT MY FRIEND’S ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lemme explain.

So, there's a concept called "Social Murder", essentially it means reproducing the conditions for people to die without necessarily directly killing them. So it's still murder, but it's done through systems.

Who is the victim of this? Anyone who dies because they are deprived of something that otherwise could've been provided to them, such as starving to death when there's enough food to feed everyone and then some.

Whose hands is the blood on? Those who make food and water a commodity, so the blood is on the hands of people who own the property (capitalists), those who guarantee the property through laws (politicians), and those who enforce the laws guaranteeing the property (the state/police).

So generally, the idea is that anyone who facilitates social murder is entitled to their death. Joe Biden is not just a facilitator of social murder as the President of the United States, he is also someone who has directly aided and abetted a genocide, that being the one in Palestine by the American ally Israel.

This is not just some elderly man, this is a politician. If he wasn't a politician, it would be cruel to suggest that to him and the "hard line" would be very reasonable. But he's not, so he deserves the Czolgosz-Oswald treatment if he won't do it himself. Propaganda of the Deed for Tyrants.

The human pet guy did it again

So, you want to get into Italian Metal?

Who the fuck has ever asked for that? Anyways, here’s some recommendations:

Mortuary Drape

Old School Black Metal band, I highly recommend the albums “All the Witches Dance”, “Tolling 13 Knell”, and “Secret Sudaria”. 

Sadist

Excellent Progressive Death Metal. Extremely technical and yet soulful.

Death SS

Despite the unfortunate name, they are NOT Nazis. The “SS” is short for “Steve Sylvester”, as in “The Death of Steve Sylvester”. Now since that’s out of the way, their music is more in the vein of traditional heavy metal with a tinge of doom, that sonically wouldn’t be too unbefitting next to First-Wave Black Metal.

Abysmal Grief

Doom Metal that’s heavily reliant on the “Church Organ” setting on keyboards. If you’re looking for something slow and yet spooky, this might be up your alley (although personally I’d just listen to some of the doomier Type O songs).

Cultus Sanguine

Doom Metal. I like to think of this band as a cousin to Abysmal Grief, in that they’re instrumentally similar with the main difference being the anguished vocals. Same appeal as Abysmal Grief, although the songs do get a bit same-y.

Gargoyle

A mix of extreme metal and traditional doom metal. Would definitely highly recommend. Unfortunately they’re not on Spotify, so I can’t put them on my playlists as much as I’d want to.

That’s all I have for now! You might ask, “Wait, where’s [blank]! They’re widely known and important to the Italian metal scene!” and the answer is they probably suck ass (I’m looking at you, Lacuna Coil). This is mainly just my personal taste, anyways.

FFFFUUUCKKKKIIINNGGG DUDEE.... OR NOCTURNO CULTO??!