Cold, bleak, frostbitten, and black metal hearts unite.

GET YOUR CORPSE PAINT READY!!  Let's switch it up and post some black metal.  First things first, let me just say that not all black metal has shitty lo-fi production and is unintelligible songs written about Satan.  I don't care much for that type of black metal.  I like folk influenced, pagan, atmospheric black metal, preferably...but who says you don't need Satan in metal?  This being said let's throw these bad boys up here.

First, topping the black metal list is a band from France.  They only released one full length in their brief existence.  This isn't that, I prefer this EP over anything they've put out.  It's really a great mix of black metal and shoegaze.  It's very very guitar driven, very bleak, and in French.  Regardless, I'd honestly have to say the last track on the CD reminds me of an early U2 song.  It's not screeched or growled, it's actually sung by one of other band members, the girl.  It's quite a great song.  Also, the main vocalist went on to continue Lantlos, and their new CD is fucking bad ass.  I may post that at a later date.

Amesoeurs - Ruines Humaines (2006)

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Next, we have Drudkh from the Ukraine.  They are able to create an atmosphere of emptiness, like there's no light at the end of the tunnel.  It's very good atmospheric and pagan/nature influenced black metal.  If you don't think you can sit through 7+ minute songs, then I don't think this band is for you.  If you can, listen to it.  It's just a phenomenal CD and they bring some good riffs and simplistic, yet fitting drumming.  The production fits this album PERFECTLY.  It's raw, but not in that lo-fi sense.  Great musicianship is found on this album.

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Now, we get into the band that actually carved out what would be my love for black metal, the first black metal CD I could not stop listening to.  This album is from another Ukrainian band, Kroda.  This album produces the most bleak atmosphere I'd ever heard at the time.  The layers of instruments just do it all for me.  I can't explain what really drew me to this album, but there's a reason why I listened to it more than 50 times on my computer alone, and why I've gone through about 4 burned copies of it (I can't afford to order it, and I've never found it at Deathfest or any album shop).  I've gotta say these two guys really bring the depressing and dreary atmosphere and write some crucial songs.  The drums may be from a drum machine, but they are composed beautifully (as noted in the first track).  The guitar solo at the end of track three turns an otherwise bleak and hopeless song into that ray of sunshine that breaks through the clouds, providing a glimmer of hope that things my turn out for the best.  I know that may sound very very cheesey, but that's the only way I can explain it.  Just listen to this five song album and let the music speak for itself.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

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If you download any of these, leave me some feedback, I'd love to know you think.  Happy corpse paint grinding.