Since we've settled this, let's begin my personal top (keep in mind, most of my choices are just from my preferences but I also took in consideration opinions from different people as well so it's not completely biased):
10. Satyricon
Satyricon is a name taken from a famous poem written by Gaius Petronius in late 1st century AD. This band has been founded in 1990 but the original members retired short after the band started their gigs. Since their departure the band became a two men band featuring Satyr (Sigurd Vongraven) and Frost (Kjetil-Vidar Haraldstad). The first is the vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist of the band while the second is the drummer of the band, one of the best this genre gave and probably one of the top 5 best drummers from the metal scene. Currently, Satyricon released 7 full length studio albums (the last one in 2008), 3 EPs, 3 compilation albums, 2 demos and also 5 songs feature videos.
Satyricon's music changed with time. It went from a raw, traditional black metal to a more commercial one especially with their 6th studio album, "Now, Diabolical" which was well received by the black metal community but it was also well received by audiences outside of the black metal community as well. Even so, this album is considered Satyricon's best album and also their climax.
9. Emperor
It is a pity that Emperor does not exist anymore. Same like Satyricon, Emperor is a Norwegian black metal band that emerged in the second black metal wave in the early 90s. The band was active until 2001 and it reunited two times in 2006 and 2007 for several gigs. Emperor is well known for being one of the first black metal bands that incorporated symphonic metal influences similar to the kind of music Dimmu Borgir played in their first and second full length albums. Featuring two of the most controversial black metal figures, Ihsahn and Samoth their albums were well received by the black metal community and even today though the band has disbanded they are still very popular. Unlike Satyricon, some members from Emperor involved themselves in the famous church burning incidents in Norway during the early till mid 90s.
Emperor released 4 studio albums, 2 live albums, 3 compilation albums, 7 EPs and also 2 split albums. Most of their works are kinda outdated since they were active in the 90s and not that active in the later years. Their last album was released in 2001, entitled "Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise".
8. Enthroned
This time we move from the Norwegian black metal scene towards a country that does not have many well known black metal bands but is the home of one of the most extreme black metal band, Enthroned. Belgium is well known for bands that are into mainstream metal or into a soft metal rather than extreme one, however all this ends when you encounter Enthroned. They are extreme in every way, on stage, through their music and as well through their lyrics and messages. Till today, they released 8 studio albums (last one in 2010), 2 EPs and 1 live album.
Enthroned was also a band that could not stay away from scandals. They first attracted the attention of the public after their front man and vocalist Cernunnos commit suicide by hanging himself in 1997.
7. Immortal
We now come back to the Norwegian black metal scene with the band Immortal. Immortal is a special band. It was founded by Abbath Doom Occulta and Demonaz Doom Occulta in 1990 after their previous bands Amputation and Old Funeral could not take off. They began with a classic black metal style specific for that time but with the release of "At the Heart of Winter" (1999) they incorporated some thrash metal elements as well. The band disbanded in 2003 and reunited in 2006. It now features Abbath as the vocalist and guitarist of the band, Horgh as the drummer and Apollyon as bassist. Demonaz retired from playing the guitar after 1997 because of tendinopathy. He was no longer able to play the fast tempo guitar riffs for the band however he continues to write lyrics and also represent them as the manager.
Immortal was a band that remained calm and quiet during the incidents that took place in Norway in the 90s. Though they are a black metal band, they only depicted satanic themes in their 1st full length album "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" (1992) afterwards they started to focus on themes such as seasons or nature. They also make references to a fictional land called Blashyrkh which is said to be "demon and battle field". They focus especially on winter landscapes, woods, mountains, fog and glacial valleys. They released 8 studio albums (last one in 2009), 1 EP, 1 split album, 1 demo and 1 DVD album (2010).
6. Carpathian Forest
Yet another black metal band from Norway. Carpathian Forest refers mostly to the Carpathian mountains, most probably a reference to Transilvania, a land that is now part of Romania. It was founded in 1990 by Nattefrost and it was previously known as The Child Molesters and Enthrone. Like most black metal albums, they depict anti-religious themes and also satanic themes but not in all of their songs. They play a raw black metal style with some melodic influences.
Carpathian Forest released until now 6 studio albums (last one in 2006), 4 compilation albums and 2 demos. They last played live in 2009 and they confirmed that they are working on a new album.
5. Behemoth
Now we go to the Polish black metal scene and we will discuss about Behemoth this time. Behemoth was formed in 1991 by vocalist and guitarist Adam Darski also known as Nergal. In the early years the band played a raw and brutal black metal but with the 1999 release of their 4th studio album entitled "Satanica" they changed their style and incorporated death metal influences thus they confirmed their presence on the blackened death metal scene. Until 2004 the band suffered many line-up changes but once Orion and Seth joined the band in 2004, they became a lot more consistent.
Behemoth is also a band that remains in the flash light. Dew to the conceptions that Nergal has and also some controversial declarations the band encountered resistance mainly because Poland is a catholic country and the content of their albums are anti-religious and satanic. Until today, Behemoth released 9 studio albums, 6 EPs, 1 live album, 3 demos, 2 DVDs and 4 compilation albums.
4. Gorgoroth
Probably the most extreme band on the black metal scene. Yet another Norwegian black metal band, Gorgoroth like most bands was formed in the early 90s (1992 more exactly) after Infernus made a pact with the devil. Gorgoroth is well known for their elaborate and controversial gigs where they place sheep or pig heads on stakes and crucified models, a true stage bloodbath. Even though they are showing a very fearful image and the band is focusing mostly on satanic themes, they never actually showed any aggression or violence against churches like other black metal bands in the early 90s did.
Until now, Gorgoroth released 8 studio albums, 4 live albums and 2 demos. Currently they are working on a re-recording of the 1997 album "Under the Sign of Hell" which will be released in August 29th, 2011. They became popular especially after the release of two remarkable black metal albums, "Incipit Satan" and "Twilight of the Idols".
3. Burzum
All Burzum albums are recorded in low quality mainly because at the time he recorded those albums, it was a trend that black metal albums should remain in low quality production because of the underground influences. After his prison release in 2009, Varg recorded and released two more albums, "Belus" (2010) and "Fallen" (2011). Burzum is considered one of the most important black metal figures even nowadays and one of the few bands that remained true to their own roots. Until today, Burzum released 9 studio albums, 3 demos, 2 videos, 5 compilation albums and several other contributions including 10 tribute albums. Even though 10 years passed from his last album release while he was in prison, Belus and Fallen maintain the typical burzumish traits.
2. Darkthrone
This time we talk about a band that has its roots from the first black metal wave. Darkthrone, unlike other black metal bands, played some other music styles as well. They started as a death metal band with its first studio album "Soulside Journey" released in 1991. After that they changed style and started playing a raw and brutal black metal featuring Nocturno Culto and Fenriz. After 1993 this band remained a two men band. The band continued to play black metal until 2004 when they released their final black metal album entitled "Sardonic Wrath".
Soon after, the band changed their play style into speed metal with punk influences. Until today, the band released 14 studio albums, 4 compilation albums, 3 EPs and 5 demos.
1. Mayhem
No doubt, the most violent, the most aggressive, the most blasphemous but the best out of all the black metal bands. Mayhem can be considered the band that gave black metal the shape and the sound that we know today. Even though there were more earlier bands that played the same style, it featured a hybrid kind of black metal, incorporating influences from trash and speed metal. Mayhem was the band that managed to cast those influences aside and made black metal a distinctive metal genre. The band was founded by Euronymous, Manheim and Necrobutcher and with this line-up they recorded and released their first EP, Deathcrush in 1987. This album featured Maniac and Messiah as vocalists.
The band started to become notorious after Dead and Hellhammer were hired after Maniac and Manheim left the band. Dead used to cut himself on stage and go to any extent so that he can be satisfied with his stage performances. In 1991 he commits suicide and soon after in 1993, Euronymous is murdered. In 1994, with only Hellhammer left, the band released the long awaited album, "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" and soon after the band ceased to exist.
The band reunited in 1995 with a new line-up featuring Hellhammer, Rune Eriksen (Blasphemer) and with the help of two old members Necrobutcher and Maniac they recorded a new EP entitled "Wolf's Lair Abyss" released in 1997 which featured some technical influences rather than the typical raw black metal in the bands earlier releases. In 2000, the band released "Grand Declaration of War" which featured a totally different style, being influenced by progressive and avant-garde metal styles.
With the 2004 release of "Chimera" the band went back to its original black metal traits. After the release of this album, Maniac left the band and was replaced by Attila Csihar which did the vocal parts on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas after Dead's suicide. With this line-up change, Mayhem released in 2007 "Ordo ad Chaos" which featured a more rawer sound than Chimera. In 2008, Rune Eriksen left the band.
Mayhem's popularity among the black metal bands that emerged in the early 90s is also astonishing. Bands like Behemoth, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, Emperor and even death metal bands such as Vader made several covers for songs such as Freezing Moon or Funeral Fog taken from their De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album.
Mayhem is considered the front runner of the black metal genre. Until today they released 6 studio albums, 4 live albums, 6 demos and 4 compilation albums.
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