Playlists: By Genre
You're looking for Black Metal and its subgenres like Atmospheric black metal, DSBM and Symphonic black metal? You found the right page.
The Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel has a fast collection of black metal premieres. All of them are divided in their subgenre section. On this page, you'll find links to all those playlists, including some information about the genre.
- Atmospheric Black Metal
- Depressive Black Metal
- Melodic Black Metal
- Melancholic Black Metal
- Symphonic Black Metal
- Pagan, Viking & Folk
- Post Black Metal
- Progressive Black Metal
About the Black Metal genre
Black metal is a heavy metal music genre that is characterized by its fast tempos and, very often, raw and lo-fi production along with occult or Satanist lyrical subjects. There are many subgenres within the genre black metal, each defined by specific conventions, characteristics, and elements. The different subgenres of black metal include the following:
- Second wave black metal: This sub-genre originated in Norway during the early 1990s and is defined by its typically raw, lo-fi production, and its use of blast beats, tremolo picking, and harsh vocals. Bands such as Mayhem, Burzum, and Emperor are some of the more well-known second wave black metal bands.
- Melodic black metal: This is a more melodic subgenre of black metal, tending towards catchy riffs and memorable lead guitar lines, among others. Some notable bands viewed as pioneers of this genre include Dissection, Emperor, and Dimmu Borgir.
- Atmospheric black metal: By using ambient elements like ambiance, texture, and melody, this subgenre places its emphasis on creating a certain atmosphere or mood.
- Depressive Suicidal Black Metal (DSBM): This subgenre is characterized by its dark, melancholic, and introspective themes, combined with raw and lo-fi production. In the case of DSBM bands, many of the lyrics are related to depression, suicide, and personal suffering. Bands in this category include Xasthur and Leviathan.
- Blackened death metal is a subgenre that combines both death metal and black metal, characterizing fast tempos, blast beats, and guttural vocals. Bands like Behemoth, Watain, and Belphegor are also pioneers of this subgenre.
It should, however, be pointed out that such subgenres are not fixed, rigid categories but are liable to regularly overlap and change. The characteristics and conventions that define subgenres also change with the band and even the album in question.