2023 Best 10 Black Metal Albums

Black metal has become, if not the most popular, then at least the most prolific metal subgenre, expanding every year and incorporating new influences, and this list of the best black metal albums from 2023 demonstrates its versatility. The influences range from atmospheric, melodic, or symphonic black metal to speed, heavy, or avant-garde. We have new bands with their debut albums, old bands with over 30 years of experience, and bands from 7 countries: 3 from the US, 2 from Finland, and 1 from Scotland, Sweden, France, Canada, and Slovakia. One curious thing about the three US bands is that they all draw inspiration from their cultural heritage. We'll let you decide if that's indicative of anything.

After releasing two excellent speed/black metal albums, Hellripper steps up its game with "Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags," incorporating new elements into its formula and adding more complexity. This formula, which leans towards a more melodic black metal sound, is a winning formula that places them at the top of the best black metal albums from 2023.

Panopticon is a band that embodies the spirit of atmospheric black metal. The Rime of Memory, the band's tenth album in fifteen years, brilliantly demonstrates this. The complex and layered album reveals itself to the listener with each new spin, rewarding him for the time invested. Delivering the usual blend of black metal and American folk influences, Panopticon remains, if nothing else, a consistent force that delivers new cathartic experiences.

For whoever didn't listen to Moonlight Sorcery's EPs, their debut album might have come as a surprise, but for the rest, "Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle" was one of the most anticipated black metal albums from 2023. If I were to describe them as a melodic black metal band from Finland, you'd probably already expect something good from Moonlight Sorcery. But when you factor in their inclination to dish out neoclassical guitar passages and dazzling synth compositions, you get a mesmerizing blend. 

Black metal with native American influences—a match made in Heaven. Native Americans had the black metal look down long before it was used by black metal bands; it's a shame we had to wait so long for a native American black metal band to be this popular. The year 2023 saw the release of "Blackbraid II," Blackbraid's second studio album, a collection of melodic black metal songs that propelled the band to a new height of popularity.

Colorado-based band Wayfarer continues their exploration of Western/country elements with their fifth album, "American Gothic." Although the first impression is that there is a juxtaposition between Panopticon's and Wayfarer's approach to black metal and their influences, that is far from the truth; both bands have their own identity while inhabiting this relatively new and novel subgenre.

"As in Gardens, So in Tombs" is the second album from a Finnish band on this list and the sixth album in the "...And Oceans" discography. The band's second album, released after an 18-year hiatus, continues their exploration of symphonic black metal. The album maintains a blistering pace throughout its 50-minute run, with soaring keyboards, complex orchestrations, and some passages reminiscent of their cyber metal years.

The monolith of consistency that is Marduk released their 15th album in 2023. Marduk envelopes the world with their sonic onslaught titled "Memento Mori," delivering another dish from their well-known formula: ultra-fast black metal that pummels you to the ground until you beg for mercy. Of course, they occasionally switch things up; for instance, the ominous "Shovel Beats Sceptre" might surprise you.

Many black metal bands have a theatrical side, evoking different facets of the horror domain. One such band is Blut Aus Nord, and their latest album, "Disharmonium - Nahab," is an example of this tendency. The 15th album in their prolific career and the second in the Disharmonium cycle combines atmospheric black metal with avant-garde elements. The album draws inspiration from the works of H. P. Lovecraft and does an excellent job of creating a terrifying and unearthly soundscape.

The second avant-garde black metal album from this list is "Hive Mind Narcosis," the second album released by Canadian trio Thantifaxath after a nine-year wait following the release of their debut. Unlike Blut Aus Nord's approach, which is more atmospheric, Thantifaxath's approach is more direct, creating a tapestry of madness and dementia.

Malokarpatan, one of the most fascinating and unique bands of the past decade, occupies the last spot on this list. The fourth album, "Vertumnus Caesar," released by the Slovakian band, explores the life of emperor Rudolph II van Habsburg. The lads from Malokarpatan are master storytellers, using a wide range of pieces to form this jigsaw puzzle that is their sound, from 80's black metal to heavy metal, with progressive, folk, and psychedelic elements sprinkled on top to give the occult music a dark and eerie feel.

Thank you for checking out the Best 10 Black Metal Albums 2023 list! See you soon on HornsOrThorns.com for more thrilling best-of lists, and in the meantime, enjoy these albums.