...Although Thrones was part on that inner-circle thing you mentioned... Snorre Ruch was the rythm guitarist on De Mysteriis, after all.
Although Thorns kinda broke off from the inner circle when Ruch was arrested for 8 years under false pretenses...

---

I do album art for bands! Send me a Message or email [email protected] for more info. My website: http://curtisbotham.weebly.com/

Yeah, Thorns is kinda affiliated with it but they weren't nearly as prominent of a figure in the scene, plus they rule so I threw them in. All the bands are part of the same scene, so most of them are going to be connected in one way or another.

---

If you are a false, don't entry, or you'll be burned and died!

I should probably clairify - I meant that I think the top bands from the Swedish BM scene are just as good as their Norwegian counterparts. I do agree that a lot of Swede BM does suck (I pretty much Hate Marduk and shit of that ilk post-Those of the Unlight), though I wouldn't call them glorified Gothenburg either. (especially Sacramentum or Dawn - I can see Dissection especially on Storm of the Light's Bane, but even then it's really a Stretch aside for "Where Dead Angels Lie")

---

Okay, in that regard I agree with you. It just seems that way too many bands from Sweden (Marduk, Lord Belial, Dark Funeral (although I like 'em for some odd reason) even Watain) just try and follow the conventions of Black Metal rather than actually making any relevant contribution to the genre- it's Black Metal for the sake of being Black Metal, which is something that really gets my goat.

One band that follows every convention known to man, yet doesn't suck, though, is Handful of Hate. They're not Swedish (they're Italian) and their brand of melodic BM is so derivative and saccharine it's almost Sickening, but...goddamn they have a boatload of awesome riffs in their arsenal. Can't say I'm ever bored listening to them.

(EDIT: hah, to further drive my point into the ground, just look at the mouseover pictures for all 4 Swedish BM bands I mentioned...they all have overly dramatic band photos. I mean, corpsepaint's cool and all, but really, that's ridiculous.)

---

If you are a false, don't entry, or you'll be burned and died!

the vocalist for Dark Funeral reminds me of a monkey in that music video they did for the song My Funeral... he's all hunched over and has a really weird lookin face, dude totally looks Simian
lately i've been kinda strayin away from Black Metal, but a couple albums i've been listenin to lately include At The Gates of Hell by Bewitched, one of the best Black N' Roll bands i've heard in quite awhile. In Nomine Sathanas by Ragnarok, The Gorgon Cult by Stormlord, and Return Fire by Mork Gryning. Haven't listened to alotta straight-up Black Metal recently, most of the BM i'm into now has to be semi Melodic or Thrash influenced to keep me interested in it

---

Shit yeah!... Shit no, No One likes shit!

tragic...

---

If you are a false, don't entry, or you'll be burned and died!

At the moment, I'm mirin these black metal albums/EPs
 
 
Cruxifiction - The Comming
 

 
I'm not sure If Ive told people about this, but whenever I'm looking for a new Black Metal band I go by cover, thats right by cover. I stumbled across this album by mistake and thank you jesus (irony intended). This album is probably one of my personal favourite ever (from across all genres). The music is pretty fast and br00tal and it has an incredibly grim depressive atmosphere. It's not repetitive at all just all out black excellence! ALL Black Metal FANS SHOULD TRY THIS ATLEAST ONCE!  
 
 
Aaaarrghh... - Ruhlar Fisildiyor 
 

 
InfinityZero introduced me to this band a while back, after passing it off as a shitty Black Metal album. I decided to give it another shot, thank you InfinityZero. I love everything about this album. The music is dark, but not too raw that it sounds like harsh sounds of incoherent shit. The music is well strcutured and well balanced. Although there might be little hints of repetativity, it doesn't have a huge affect on this album as a whole. Hell, I even love The Black and white cover, it matches the music extremely well!
 
 
Eternal Wisdom - ...Of Eternity
 

 
This was another excellent find by me, I don't remember download this album but somehow it got onto my i-tunes. When I clicked play, I was thinking "FUCK YEAH.jpeg". This has got to be one of the most uplifing pieces of Black Metal I have ever heard. I'm not jumping to any conclusions here but I'm temped to say that these guys must have folk or Pagan elements in their music. The music is extremely powerful and beautiful. Another highly recommended album from me.
 
 
Ravensblood - From The Tumulus Depths
 

 
For all who know my musical tastes, you would know that I couldn't compile a list of my favourite black  metal artists/albums with adding some Brutality in there. This album is all out Brutality, the music is extremely fast, raw and best of all... unrepetitive. They use a wide variety of techniques to make this Brutal piece of Pagan Black Metal work and work well, which they have sucessfully done. Now I cannot introduce this band without commenting on the double bass. HOLY SHIZA, it literally sounds like a machine GUN going at full blast. It's almost like a humming sound.
 
 
Gris - Il était une forêt...
 

 
Yes Enigmatick, I heard it and I was mirin it. To tell you the truth when I went out to find a download for this album I was thinking "oh boy here we go, some shit DSBM that I'm wasing my download quota on". Was I ever wrong, this might not have comverted me to being a Hardcore depressive suicidal Black Metal fan but wow, it definately showed me that the genre isn't all bad. In my opinion, there is a certain beauty that is associated with this album, it comes from everything, the guitar work( and acousitc), vocals, song structure everything! Also, there is just something about the scream in "Le gala des gens heureux" that creeps me out.

---

I remember having fun once, it was terrible...

yesssss. one more in The Cult of Gris.

If you want some other DSBM that doesn't totally suck ass, try ColdWorld.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9bdbLWZlqg

---

If you are a false, don't entry, or you'll be burned and died!

Yeah, Gris is pretty good.
On the subject of DSBM, have you tried Depressive Years and Benighted In Sodom?





I'd post Xasthur, but I don't think they're fully DSBM... Although a few of their tracks have some DSBM elements. Plus they did a Forgotten Woods cover.

Ha, I'm a fan of Gris too. One of the few French BM bands i like