Figured I'd start with this one since it
is my avatar and definitely deserves a spot.
61. Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler - (1995)
Ulver smashed the standards set by the black metal bands before them and created their own, one that few have come near since. This album is simultaneously raw and celestially atmospheric, seamlessly integrating with acoustic and Scandinavian folk sounds. There is wonderful contrast between Garm's angelic chanted clean vocals and his otherworldy shrieks. The clean vocals are a surprisingly perfect fit for the music, with I Troldskog Faren Vild being the best showcase of this - an absolute classic. Soelen Gaaer Bag Aase Need and Graablick Blev Hun Vaer are equally good. The soundscapes captured here make one feel like a wayward soul wandering across a mountainous landscape under a full moon. This music is truly serene yet sinister and enchanting. The interludes of nordic folk that Garm adds, like the beginning of Capitel III, most of Capitel IV and the end of Capitel V, augment the already splendid black metal fare in a way no one had done before in the genre and create some deliciously abrupt dynamic shifts, completing the spiritually transcendental experience that is
Bergtatt.