Welp. Better late than never. It's Kvlt Kolvmn's a-bit-more-than-halfway through 2026 best of list! Strap into your frostiest pair of dungaroos. It's gonna get wild.
Black metal has had a very curious year for me. While I would say about half of the records I've listened to in the genre have felt like all-time bangers, the other half have put me to sleep. So in honor of that, I'll be presenting half a top 10 list. You're welcome. More awesome, however, is Boeli's incredible top 10, which features a handful of records I had yet to hear prior to reading his selections. Let's just say that good taste abounds as his list unfolds.
But no more delay. Here are our iciest picks of 2026 so far.
Stay frosty.
-Jonathan Adams
Top Albums of 2026 So Far
Jonathan’s List
- Saidan - Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist
As made plain when I waxed ineloquent a few weeks ago regarding the benefits of embracing the cringe in your life, I’m a BIG fan of Saidan. I would contend that their four album run thus far is one of the most consistently impressive in recent black metal, with each record refining and tactfully building upon what came before. Given this dynamic, it should come as no surprise that Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist is not only the band’s most complete and fantastic album thus far, but also the best extreme music record of the year so far. For me, it’s not close.
What Saidan manages to channel here is a superb blend of melodic black metal, punk aesthetics, and power metal speed (replete with memorable hooks, punchy breakdowns, and manically aggressive tremolo shred sessions). It’s a relatively unique mixture that works due to genuinely gorgeous songwriting, which allows each sound to coexist seamlessly and interdependently without giving the listener genre-bending whiplash. The base is always black metal, and Saidan writes like a black metal band expanding the margins of the genre’s template with tasteful aggression. But their inclusion of other styles only works to sharpen and deepen listeners’ immersion in the world they’re creating. There isn’t a dull moment on this thing, and I frequently find myself hitting play again immediately after “Memory” fades into static. It’s addictive as hell.
And, ultimately, that’s what I want from a record. I want to be transported, invited into a sonic world that’s cohesive enough to keep my undivided attention, and varied enough to never feel stale. And that’s exactly what Saidan provide with this absolute gem of a record. It’s my favorite thing I’ve heard so far this year, and I have a hard time imagining it being supplanted. Melodic black metal perfection.
- Miserere Luminis - Sidera
Speaking of immersion, few albums so far this year have gripped me to the degree that Sidera, the third full-length from Montreal-based Miserere Luminis, has. Man oh man is this an exquisite slab of melody-heavy and deeply atmospheric black metal. The compositions are simply fantastic, winding and building into a delicious labyrinth of emotionally devastating delight. The musicianship on display here is also superb, allowing these tracks to breathe in the appropriate places before laying the black metal hammer down to glorious effect. It’s a fantastic showing from a band that has yet to release a dud, and I cannot wait to see where they transport us next.
- Worm - Necropalace
One of the most hyped and ballyhooed records of the first half of 2026, I was honestly ready to judge this thing pretty harshly given initial impressions I’d heard from friends around the band's shift in tone. Happy to say I was dead wrong, as Necropalace feels like the most natural direction in the world for Worm to go after spending significant time with it. In a similar vein to Fangdriller, this record is just FUN. The songwriting is gothic and propulsive, creating an almost theatrical atmosphere that’s deeply enjoyable to sit in. One would never have guessed at Worm’s doomy roots by hearing Necropalace, thus is its genuine quality as a black metal album. Can’t recommend it highly enough, and plan on giving this thing many more spins throughout the year.
- Ultha - A Light So Dim
Ultha is one of the most unpredictable and strangely amazing collectives working in the black metal sphere today, and A Light So Dim is unequivocally their boldest experiment to date. Thankfully, it works on almost every level. While the tonal shifts may look jarring on paper, Ultha’s unique skill of pulling various sound tapestries and weaving them into a robust whole is on full display here, and there isn’t a thing I’d change about this record. It is a long journey, which may be off-putting to some. But rest assured the time will be well spent. This is my favorite of the group’s records so far and a musical odyssey well worth taking. Genuinely brilliant stuff from these German geniuses.
- Misotheist - De Pinte
Well, enough pansy ass beautiful/experimental poser black metal, amirite?? JK naturally. While I’m a huge fan of bands that push the black metal formula to the fringes of trve, I’m still a devotee of the core sonic nastiness that made this genre the pariah it is in the music world. Enter Misotheist and their brilliant fourth full-length outing De Pinte. Like your black metal with a hefty dose of buzzsaw dissonance and tremolo violence? You’re in luck! This record absolutely slays. The first three tracks in particular are nothing short of a masterclass in black metal done right, with enough audio violence to sate even the thirstiest fan. But it’s the records fourth cut that shows the band’s capabilities most notably, presenting a doomier side that slows down the tempo but never once minimizes the menace or aggression these enigmatic Norwegians are known for. It’s a brilliant album that has received many a spin from yours truly and a true highlight of 2026.
Boeli’s Kvlt kolvmn Top 10: Where Kvltvre Goes to Feed the Vvltvres
10. Einherjer - Lifeblood
By virtue of another folk-tinged black metal indebted band not making the cut for reasons of probable sketch, Einherjer just made my top 10 spot even though it’s hardly been out long enough to form a proper opinion.
One thing I can say without hesitation, is that I quite enjoy the Norwegian Viking metallers trajectory since I last actively listened to them about a decade ago. While Av Oss, For Oss was an occasionally engaging if fairly monotone exercise in mid-paced black metal, Lifeblood is a much more colorful and generally more dynamic and melodic affair, and while still rooted in black metal, the branches of its world tree sapling have grown to embrace heavy metal and folk metal more and more. I appreciate their more melodic and varied approach, and would appreciate it even more with some more tempo variation and a bit of judicious editing. That being said, there are times I long for this subgenre like no other, and this year Einherjer have been its prime deliverer so far.
9. Burnt Lodge / Veytik - Anchors Plunged Off Helluland (Split)
Another somewhat late entry, I had almost completely missed this release, and was well and truly excited when I saw Burnt Lodge had new stuff out. Their 2024 release Intergenerational Anamnesis is one of my favourite iterations of Native American Black Metal. This particular micro-genre is a particular favorite of mine, and alongside Blackbraid and Nechochwen, Burnt Lodge sits among its top practitioners. Had this been a full album,. And had I discovered it earlier, this one might have sat quite a bit higher.
While I also quite enjoy Veytik’s thrasher, Hellenic and Obsequiaesque escapades, they have not yet managed to grab me like Burnt Lodge does.
8. Pure Wrath - Bleak Days Ahead
I shall lazily refer you to my previous musings on Pure Wrath’s latest in Mays Kvlt Kolvmn.
7. Stormkeep - The Nocturnes of Iswylm
On their latest, bombasically titled album, Stormkeep took me by storm out of the gate, although I’m not yet wholly sure they’ll remain in my top 10 for the year entire. I generally like my black metal adorned with a serious amount of low-end, contrary to its traditional sound. While Stormkeep toe the line of what I enjoy production wise, the mix of spooky whimsy, expansive songwriting and exhilarating choruses managed to perk my ears up considerably. The gruff, charming and incredibly catchy gang shouts of opener “The Taste of Immortal Blood” are choice as hell, and while I could do with some more hooks like those to get my very mortal blood a-pumping in the mid section before the last two tracks offer a convincing coda, I suspect the album may need some more time to gestate before it truly settles in.
6. Antrisch - Expedition III: Renitenzpfad
Atmospheric black metal might be one of the most oversaturated and justly maligned sub-genres, but when done right, it can also be one of it’s most powerful. Of course your definition of “right” will vary, and there are many roads to Rome. Enter Antrisch, whose take on the sub-genre is one I would use as a prime example of doing atmoblack well.
Antrisch unleash a vicious, razor-sharp blackened assault, while adorning their music with a powerful, iterative concept of (historical) exploration of some very inhospitable environments.
While previous album Die Passage’s arctic voyage was an obvious fit for Antrisch’s icy timbre, Renitenzpfad might be equally if not more exciting for its less obvious theme of the hardships endured and horrors dished out by Spanish colonisers in the Americas.
With all of Antrisch’s biting venom, this time empowered by topical and tasteful atmospheric interludes, sampling and thematic instrumentation, they once again succeed in telling a story and immersing their audience in it, without ever diluting their vicious, energetic core sound.
Smart, urgent, dynamic and varied, while remaining remarkably cohesive; Expedition III is another successful iteration in these Germans’ discography.
5. Ashbringer - Subglacial
I stand by my original review; anything close to 2019s Absolution would have topped any list, whether Black Metal specific or not. Time has both made me lost sight of Subglacial (who releases an album in January, I ask you!?), while also softening my initial dashed expectations for another long-form atmoblack magnum opus. My expectations should not make for a good or bad album in the end, and Ashbringer’s wintry yet somehow warm and nostalgic 2026 release is absolutely a good album. Go listen to it if you haven’t yet, and then go listen to Absolution.
4. Apolaustic - No Plenitude Without Suffering
Were it not for a scheduling snafu on my end, I would have reviewed this melodic black metal gem in April, and could now get away with another short referral to something I wrote before. Alas, no luck. I did not, and you shall now suffer my relative plenitude. I picked up the promo for this album based on a promising single at the time, and was further pleasantly surprised by an album that proved deep and expansive enough that I was still forming a full opinion by teh time the review deadline slipped through my powerless fingers.
A couple months later, I can tell you with full confidence that this is my favourite “pure” melodic black metal album of the year so far, defining meloblack in the vein of something like Mare Cognitum or Houle. Decidedly less maritime (in title or sound) and with a much more space-faring vibe going on, Apolaustic’s ability to write dynamic songs with an undeniably kinetic mix of melody, technicality and songwriting chops should be no surprise to anyone who is familiar with project mastermind Romain Negro’s previous membership of excellent progressive/medloic/technical death metal band Stortregn.
Indeed, comparing No Plenitude Without Suffering to Stortregn’s younger black metal sibling would not be entirely inappropriate, as it exhibits the same mix of soul, shred and sheer scope, if so far lacking absolute supernova’s like "Grand Nexion Abyss” or “Xeno Chaos”.
For any enjoyers of melodic black metal of quality and pedigree unfuckwithable, look no further. But please do actually, there’s three more entries.
3. Hellripper - Coronach
As it stomps, gallops and jigs between fun, fury and a finisher of true grandeur, since I last covered it in April’s KK Helripper’s Coronach has proven both it’s endlessly engaging vibrancy, and its ability to engage so many of the things that can make a metal album great, but rarely show up on the same album. It’s fun, it’s solemn and majestic, it's catchy, it’s angry, it brims with energy and sounds like it’s about to rip out of its restraints, but never gets speed metal sloppy.
Incredibly varied yet uniformly great, Coronach should show up in quite a few lists come year’s end, and not just the blackened ones.
2. The Silver - Looking Glass Hymnal Blue
I honestly have no idea if this is even black metal, which is also the only reason it’s not on number one. The Silver’s sophomore amalgamation of metal styles is the kind of breath-taking bricolage that makes me want to rip up my clothes and howl at the moon. Rooted in a deep romanticism, indulgent, baroque, gothic and maximalist yet never tasteless, this album embodies what I love in my heavy music while eschewing everything I don’t.
Considering its members comprise veterans of Horrendous (recognize those eardrum-flayingly awesome shrieks yet?) and Crypt Sermon, the quality is perhaps not as surprising, but while neither of those other projects fully mesh with my preferences, this one really, really does.
The only criticism I would level at it is that “Tow Candles” and “My Lone Dark Lantern” are simply so good that they threaten to cast shadows as dark as their lights are bright, and thus obscure their surrounding companions.
1. Miserere Luminis - Sidera
But of course, my pride as a genre stickler could not survive placing anything at number oen that is not unequivocally BLACK METAL.
Luckily, there is nothing disingenuous about this placement. Miserere Luminis, another stellar band out of Quebec (seriously, what’s the secret??) gracefully take the year’s twisted yet mesmerisingly beautiful throne. With an ear for blackened melodic rapture akin to Houle, riffs as snaky and entrancing as late-stage Ulcerate and the soul-rending cathartic qualities of Selbst,Sidera goes above and beyond its influences, featuring truly engrossing compositions replete with strings and probably my favorite drumming of the year so far. Gorgeous, sad and fragile without losing the razor-sharp bite that atmospheric black metal so often lacks, I have no doubt this tour-de-force will remain at or near the top come final list season, and stay in rotation far beyond the year’s end.