The following albums have been given our All-Time Classic award. This includes perennial favourites that have withstood the test of time, career highlights, historically important, influential, distinguished, or otherwise noteworthy albums in the evolution of Black Metal, along with the occasional hidden gem and a few modern classics.
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1981
- Country:United Kingdom
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1982
- Country:United Kingdom
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1983
- Country:Denmark
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1983
- Country:United States
- Type:Demo
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1983
- Country:Switzerland
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Sweden
- Type:EP
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Switzerland
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Denmark
- Type:EP
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Germany
- Type:EP
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Switzerland
- Type:Demo
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:Germany
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1984
- Country:United Kingdom
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Switzerland
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:United Kingdom
“Onslaught begun as a Discharge-worshiping Hardcore Punk band with some decent demos in the early 80s, but it was in 1985 that the band moved towards another, more interesting direction. On "Power ...”
(Top 100 & Awards page).
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Germany
- Type:EP
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Switzerland
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Italy
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:United States
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Sweden
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1985
- Country:Germany
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1986
- Country:United States
“NME's sloppy musicianship in the early days was an intentional result of being too fucking BM rather than being shitty musicians! Their later career showed us that they can be quite professional, but ...”
(Top 100 & Awards page).
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1986
- Country:United States
“You may have heard some stuff about an 80s phenomenon called simply “fake bands”. Essentially Some labels made some bands up that did not actually exist! the members were usually assembled ...”
(Top 100 & Awards page).
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1986
- Country:Germany
- Type:Full-length
- Style:Old School Black Metal
- Year:1986
- Country:Poland
“When people think of the first wave of Black M, they mostly remember the obvious names, and some raw Thrash Metal albums from Germany, Brazil or the United States (well, not for that many U.S. Bands, ...”
(Top 100 & Awards page).