Table of Contents

1. About Lycanthropia.net

Lycanthropia.net is a website dedicated to providing Black Metal news and album reviews, currently featuring 94,809 albums by 39,987 bands from 143 countries across the globe.

1.1. Origins & purpose

Lycanthropia.net was originally conceived and created as BestBlackMetalAlbums.com in 2011. Over the years, the site has gradually evolved into one of the world's most prominent Black Metal portals, with an evergrowing number of people using the site for discovering both old albums and new releases alike.

The idea behind the site's structure is to make it easy for the user to discover new albums based on their stylisic preferences, which is why the navigation and categorization of the site is primarily album-oriented as opposed to band-oriented, like the majority of sites.

After 10 years, BestBlackMetalAlbums.com was renamed to Lycanthropia.net on July 2nd, 2021.

1.2. Registration & user accounts

Most of the site is accessible without logging in, however you will need to register an account in order to post any content and make use of all of the features. Registration requires a valid e-mail address, as you will need to click on the link in the validation e-mail in order to activate your account.

1.3. Posting guidelines

There are a number of basic guidelines set in place to keep things running smoothly:

• All posts and comments are eventually reviewed by an admin, and we reserve the right to delete any content which we consider in bad taste, unnecessarily abusive, NSFW or otherwise inappropriate within the context of the site.
• Do not use the website as a personal advertising platform. Links to other websites are of course fine, as long as they are of benefit to the readers and stay within the context of the site. Use the "Promotion" section of the Forum for showcasing your own work. For business partnerships/queries, contact us directly here.
• Off-topic content is fine, as long as it is confined to the Off-topic section of the Forum.
• Lycanthropia.net is an English-language website, therefore content posted in other languages will probably be deleted.
• The site does not support HTML tags, and they will be stripped automatically from any posts. There are BBcode tags that you can use instead, as explained here.

1.4. Admin guidelines

Users that take an active role on Lycanthropia.net will sometimes be granted admin access to help run and moderate the site. If you have been granted such access, there are some fundamental points that must be made clear:

• Being an admin on Lycanthropia.net does not make you more important than other users, and admins must not use or abuse their powers for personal reasons. If moderating something or someone puts you in that position, then simply don't do it, and leave the moderation to someone else.
• Editing or deleting other users' content can be intrusive. The philosophy behind all moderation should ultimately be to maintain the Posting Guidelines, not to supress opinion or enforce any personal ideals of censorship.

1.5. News categories

Trusted Users can post news on the site, which will be grouped into the following categories:

• News: Factual, current events. Links to the official source(s) should be included where possible.
• Article: Longer, in-depth features and columns written on a specific topic.
• Interview: Any interview actually carried out by a member of staff on behalf of Lycanthropia.net. All other interviews should be posted under the normal News category and linked to the appropriate sources.
• Poll: Admins will periodically announce site polls, using this category.
• Site News: Any news regarding the site itself should be posted by an admin under this category.

1.6. Forum categories

As for the forum, all users can post new threads, which will be grouped into the following categories:

• Black Metal: Self-explanatory. Anything primarily related to Black Metal as a musical genre.
• Music / General: Anything music-related that wouldn't necessarily fall under the Black Metal category.
• Documentary: Music-related documentaries, interviews and similar content.
• Off Topic: Anything that isn't music related.
• Trade: If you are seeking to buy/sell tapes, CDs, vinyls, patches, etc... that goes here.
• Promotion: Want to tell the world about your band, label or music project? Looking for feedback on your latest album?
• Journal: Personal accounts and experiences related to Black Metal or music in general, for anyone that wants to keep and share a diary of sorts.
• Site Feedback: Any requests or feedback regarding the site itself.

1.7. Album contribution guidelines

All users can submit albums through the contribution form, however a minimum standard of quality must be adhered to in order for any album contribution to be taken seriously:

• All contributions must of course be related to Black Metal.
• Before submitting an album, make sure that it isn't on the site already. Re-issues, remasters and alternative editions do not need a separate entry.
• Days or weeks may pass from the moment a submission is received until it is actually included on the site.
• We are currently accepting:
  
  - LPs / Full length albums
  - EPs
  - Demos
  - Promos
  - Compilations
  - Live albums
  - Rehearsals
  - Singles (actual singles)
• We are not currently accepting:
  
  - Split albums *
  - Collaborations *
  - Samplers / Multi-band compilations
  - Box sets
  - Videos / DVDs
  
  * Eventually. No ETA yet.

1.8. News contribution guidelines

The same applies to news contributions:

• The news must be of course directly related to Black Metal.
• Promotion for your own band/label/etc... belongs in the Forum instead.
• Whatever you write, make sure it looks like a news post, not an advert.
• Keep it neat and tidy, use paragraphs, take advantage of the formatting tags, and check your spelling.
• Include the relevant link(s) to the original source / material. Other news sites are not valid sources.

1.9. Biography contribution guidelines

And last but not least, to biographies:

• Keep it neat and tidy, use paragraphs, take advantage of the formatting tags, and check your spelling.
• Remember to include all relevant sources and links to the original news / material, using [source=...] tags where possible.

1.10. Reviews & ratings

Users with "Trusted User" rank or above can write album reviews, and each album's score will be determined from the rounded average of all the ratings. As reviews and ratings form a fundamental aspect of the site, there are some guidelines set in place to ensure a minimum level of quality is adhered to:

• Do not review your own band/albums.

• Do not copy text from reviews that already exist elsewhere on the internet.

• If you can't think of much to write about, leave it in the comments section instead.

• Consider your score carefully, the integrity of your review (and the site) depends on it.

• A score approaching 100% is something you are expected to encounter a handful of times in your life.

• Likewise, a score approaching 0% should be reserved only for those few albums that are completely unlistenable.

• Keep it neat and tidy, use paragraphs, and double-check your grammar and spelling before posting.

1.11. Genres

To keep things simple, Lycanthropia.net uses a fairly minimal and somewhat unconventional genre classification system, grouping a wide array of different sub-genres into just a handful of labels or "styles". As a result of this, there may be some situations where specific albums appear under a certain genre classification which you wouldn't normally have associated them with, but it should all make sense regardless.

2. Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions received from users over the years:

2.1. Who is behind Lycanthropia.net? Where are you based?

A music enthusiast, somewhere in Europe.

2.2. How was the site designed? What CMS do you use?

Lycanthropia.net was hand-crafted from a single blank folder, file by file, line by line. Likewise, the CMS used was also built from scratch. This is the only way to have complete control over a website's functionality and ensure that everything is working exactly as intended. It also guarantees that there is no unnecessary or obsolete code bloating the site.

2.3. Can I advertise on the site?

No. Lycanthropia.net is free of adverts, and I intend to keep it that way.

2.4. Can I do anything to support the site?

Yes. Simply by using the site regularly, posting content, writing reviews, submitting albums or sharing the site with your friends, you are already giving the best kind of support that I could ask for.

In addition to this, the site uses affiliate links, which means that whenever you buy albums (or anything else) using the links on the site, we receive a few cents for every sale, at no extra cost to you, and this helps to keep the site online, and advert-free.

2.5. Why is/isn't X band/album included on the site?

If you feel that a specific album is missing from the site and should be included, the most likely explanation is that I simply haven't been made aware of it yet. Feel free to use the contribution form to submit albums for inclusion on the site.

On the other hand, in some cases you may come across specific albums which are included on the site which are not strictly Black Metal albums. These albums are included because they are either historically important, related in some way to Black Metal, or otherwise of interest to the site's users.

2.6. Why haven't you included the bands/albums which I submitted?

Please check the contribution guidelines above.

2.7. Will you review X album?

Reviews are now in the hands of users themselves. Users with Trusted User rank and above can write album reviews, however, which albums they review and when they review them is entirely up to them.

3. Privacy Policy

Please take a moment to read about how your personal information is handled before using any of the site's forms:

3.1. What information do we collect?

When registering an account or using the contact form, you will be asked to provide personal information such as your name and e-mail address. It is not necessary to provide your full name, and you can also use an alias or pseudonym if you wish. When signing up to the newsletter, you will only be asked to provide your e-mail address. We also keep a record of the IP address from which a form is submitted. Lastly, the site uses cookies, which are explained in detail here.

3.2. Why do we collect this information?

The e-mail address associated with your account will be used for validating the account, logging in, and for receiving any necessary communication from the website. When signing up to the newsletter, your e-mail address will be added to the mailing list. IP addresses are used internally exclusively for spam protection.

3.3. Where do we store this information?

Your personal information is encrypted using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) technology, and it is saved on a server that is physically secure and password-protected. It is only accessible by a limited number of people who's job it is to keep the information safe and confidential. We do not show, trade, share or transfer this information to any unauthorized person or 3rd party under any circumstances.

3.4. How long do we store this information?

User submitted content is designed to be displayed indefinitely by default, however it can mostly be deleted and/or edited by the user or by an admin. User accounts can be deleted, after which all associated data and content is removed. As for the newsletter, your e-mail address will remain on the mailing list until you decide to unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your account settings or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any newsletter, or by deleting your account.

3.5. Which information is publicly visible?

When posting content, the username you have chosen when registering the account will be publicly displayed. The rest of your personal information is hidden by default but can be configured to be displayed publicly.

3.6. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

In accordance with the GDPR, you can withdraw your consent, or request that your personal information be updated or deleted, at any time. Any such requests can be submitted through the contact form.

3.7. California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA)

In accordance with the CalOPPA, users can visit the site anonymously and have access to this Privacy Policy at any time by using the link found at the bottom of every page. This Privacy Policy may be updated at any time, and any changes will be notified here. You can request to change your personal information though the contact form.

3.8. Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

In accordance with the COPPA, we do not specifically market to children under the age of 13 years old.

3.9. Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs)

In accordance with the FIPPs, should a data breach occur, we will notify the users via an in-site notification within 7 business days.

3.10. CAN-SPAM Act

In accordance with the CAN-SPAM Act, we only collect your email address in order to respond to inquiries and send notifications, and also newsletters, should you have chosen this. The e-mails you receive will clearly state in the subject that they have been sent by Lycanthropia.net. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your account settings or by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any newsletter, or by deleting your account.

4. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small files that a website temporarily saves on your browser, allowing the website to recognize your browser and remember certain information about it. Common examples include your language preference, the contents of your shopping basket, or keeping you logged in even if you close the browser window.

4.1. What does Lycanthropia.net use cookies for?

We use cookies to:

• Remember that you accepted the use of cookies ("cookie_accept" - expires after 365 days).
• Remember which theme style you selected ("theme" - expires after 365 days).
• Remember which search result preferences you selected ("view" - expires after 365 days).
• Keep you logged in if you select this option at the login screen ("remember_me" - expires after 365 days of inactivity).
• Allow our server to recognize your visit as a separate user session ("session" or "PHPSESSID" - expires when you leave the website, unless you select the "Remember me" option when logging in, in which case it lasts 365 days).
• Allow Google Analytics to compile data about overall site traffic and interaction ("_utma", "_utmb", "_utmc", "_utmt", "_utmv", "_utmz" - expire between approx. 6-24 months).

We do not use cookies for targeted advertising or behavioural marketing of any kind.

You can change your cookie preferences or delete these cookies at any time through your browser settings, however this may cause some of the features on Lycanthropia.net to stop working correctly, and you may be logged out if you were previously logged in.

4.2. Cookie consent

If the browser that you are using to view this website is configured to accept cookies, we take this, and your continued use of the website, to mean that you accept the use of our cookies.

5. Terms of Use

Please take a moment to read the terms of use:

5.1. Overview

By accessing Lycanthropia.net, you agree to these terms of use, together with any applicable laws and regulations, and you agree that you are responsible for complying with them. These terms are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the European Union, and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the EU courts. Lycanthropia.net may modify these terms of use at any time without notice.

5.2. Use license

All original content on this site, such as text, graphic design, logos, and also the selection, arrangement, and presentation of the materials is property of Lycanthropia.net and protected by copyright and trademark law. All other content that is not owned by Lycanthropia.net that appears on this site is the property of their respective owners and also protected by copyright and trademark law. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Permission is granted, in the form of a license, to temporarily download one copy of the materials on Lycanthropia.net's website for personal, non-commercial transitory viewing only.

Under this license you may not:

• Modify or copy the materials.
• Use the materials for any commercial purpose, or for any public display.
• Attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on Lycanthropia.net.
• Remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials.
• Transfer the materials to another person or host the materials on any other server.

This license will automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions, and may also be terminated by Lycanthropia.net at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any materials downloaded from Lycanthropia.net in your possession, whether in electronic, printed or other format.

Furthermore, by submitting, posting or displaying content on or through sections of Lycanthropia.net which are intended to be available to the members of the public, you grant Lycanthropia.net a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish and distribute such content on any services within the Lycanthropia.net network for the purpose of displaying and distributing Lycanthropia.net content.

5.3. Accuracy

While we strive to be as accurate as possible in the content and materials posted on the site, these materials could include grammatical, factual, technical, typographical, or photographic errors. Lycanthropia.net does not guarantee that all of the materials are accurate, complete or current, and Lycanthropia.net accepts no responsibility or liability for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of any inaccuracy, errors or omissions in these materials. Lycanthropia.net may make changes to the materials contained on its website at any time without notice.

If you detect anything on the website that needs to be corrected, by all means contact us.

Regarding any user-submitted content, the opinions and views expressed by the site's users through their posts and comments do not reflect the opinions or views of Lycanthropia.net and are the sole responsibility of the person from which they originated.

5.4. Liability

In no event shall Lycanthropia.net or its providers be liable for any damages (including loss of data, loss of profit, or business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on Lycanthropia.net. All downloadable software and files are distributed on an "as is" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Downloading and/or using the software and files is at the user's sole risk.

5.5. Links

Lycanthropia.net has not reviewed all of the sites that link to us, and is not responsible for the contents of any such site, and the inclusion of any link on any such site does not imply endorsement by Lycanthropia.net. Likewise, some links posted on Lycanthropia.net may lead to third-party websites unrelated to us, and you visit these sites at your own risk.

Occasionally we may include or offer third-party products or services on the site. These third-party sites have separate and independent terms of use, and we have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites, however, we actively seek to protect the integrity of the site, and welcome any feedback about these sites.