11 Best Norwegian Black Metal Albums of the 2000s

Here are the 11 best Norwegian black metal albums released from 2000 to 2009!

Many experts agree that Norwegian bands truly defined black metal during the movement’s second wave. With Darkthrone’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1992), the term “True Norwegian Black Metal” was born. A large percentage of the formidable forces that reigned during the ’90s continued to deafen international audiences with their excellence during the 2000s.

The 2000s, however, happened to be an especially raunchy era, as demonstrated by offerings such as Gaahlskagg’s Erotic Funeral (2000), Ragnarok’s Blackdoor Miracle (2004) and Sarcoma Inc.’s invitations into “Sadistic Ways of Domination.” The supergroup Wurdulak likewise left us “Buried Beneath Perversion” with their “Gospels of Depravity.”

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Speaking of naughty boys, the late Trondr Nefas kept quite busy creating plagues like Angst Skvadron’s genre-defying “The Astroid Haemorhoids and the Drunken Sailor.” We send our eternal hails to Trondr for his work with Urgehal, Vulture Lord, etc.

Some of the era’s other victories came from Slavia, Taake, Svarttjern, Sarkom, Carpathian Forest, Kampfar, Dimmu Borgir, Keep of Kalessin, Aura Noir, Gorgoroth, Windir, Old Man’s Child, Emperor, Khold and Tulus. Meanwhile, Nagash’s Troll released two remarkably unusual albums that receive our emphatic recommendation: The Last Predators (2000) and Universal (2001).

Enslaved, who are celebrated as one of the pioneering black metal acts while also lying outside the genre in certain respects, unleashed a total of six progressive masterpieces in the 2000s.

Similarly, Arcturus’ eclectic The Sham Mirrors (2002) is a home run by all criteria, charming us with wonderful performances by Ulver’s Kristoffer Rygg and the other all-stars involved.