That Wintery Feeling
I would argue that there is no genre around better at invoking that cold wintery feeling than black metal. When the fuzzy guitars, the distant shrieks, the crashing blast beats, and almost no-fi production come together to create that ice cold sound, I can't help but feel like I'm in stuck in the middle of a snow covered cavern. It's for that reason I'm dedicating this section to the frostiest black metal around.
Sorciers des Glaces - Snowland MMXII
It's hard to argue against an album with the word Snow included in the title not being wintery, isn't it? Sorciers des Glaces is the pseudonym for Quebec based multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Robitaille's solo black metal project. While he has made his rounds within the Quebec black metal scene, it is with Sorcies des Glaces that he has truly made his impact and crafted his own sound. Every release in his catalogue is an ice cold ode to the winter months and as good as most of them are, none can top Snowland. A bit less atmospheric than their later material, Snowland succeeds in creating a soundscape so chilly you might get frostbite just by listening. One of the most intriguing elements of the band's sound for me is how relatively easy you can decipher the lyrics as Robitaille screeches them. It can be few and far between that a black metal band can deliver a production style clean enough and vocals mixed high enough to be understood without sacrificing some of their edge, but Sorciers des Glaces manage to find the perfect balance.
Agalloch - The Mantle
While the semantics of just how black metal Agalloch actually are can be debated, there is no doubt that their sound is heavily influenced and engrained with nature. While The Mantle is actually my second favourite Agalloch album, I believe in terms of snow soaked atmosphere it does better than any other project they've released. Whether you look at the most melodic instrumental interludes that are woven within the tracks, or the momentous metal passages, this album is the soundtrack to a walk through a snow dusted forest.
Fen - Carrion Skies
I'm not all that aware of the UK black metal scene, but Fen have been pushing hard to be a breakout blackgaze act in the last few years. This is especially the case with the release of 2014's Carrion Skies. This project will give you a lot of what you would expect from a blackgaze album, but rather than ripping from the same playbook's of bands like Deafheaven, Alcest, and Oathbreaker, Fen are able to bring a unique approach to the table. What they give you is some very cold atmospheric black metal that tastefully meshes both progressive and blackgaze elements together while also finding a way to incorporate some very melodic moments and even (gasps) clean vocals at times.
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
How could you make a list on wintery black metal and not include what is amongst the best albums the genre has given us? This project has so much to offer and it's an album you can constantly come back to without ever losing interest. You will be hard pressed to find a black metal album that can match this one in terms of guitar and drum work. There is some serious shredding and absolutely immaculate blast beats all over this LP. In this it creates a unique sound that separates itself from most Norweigan black metal of it's time. Unlike their counterparts, it did not seem that Immortal pursued the rawest sound possible. While the likes of Mayhem, Darkthrone and Burzum looked to perfect that early raw approach, At the Heart of Winter showcases how Immortal found their sound in an area that allowed them to be flashy on their instruments, use some very grand song structures, and give the genre an entirely new direction. While I'm sure any fan of black metal has already heard this one countless times, it's important not to forget to throw it on a few times as it 'tis the season!
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