Recommended hard rock and heavy metal

[2026] Handle With Care! Recommended Depressive Black Metal Bands Overview

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

In recent years—partly due to the influence of the film “Lords of Chaos”—it feels like more music fans have at least heard the term “black metal.” But are you familiar with the genre commonly known as “depressive black metal”?

This article introduces some of the most notable bands in depressive black metal—often abbreviated as DSBM overseas—a subgenre derived from black metal that is intensely introspective and decidedly world-weary.

Even among black metal fans, many find DSBM difficult to enjoy.

It’s a highly selective genre, so please approach it with due caution!

[2026] Handle With Care! Recommended Depressive Black Metal Bands (11–20)

At the Door to the Tenth Sub Level of SuicideLeviathan

At the Door to the Tenth Sub Level of Suicide

At the Door to the Tenth Sub Level of SuicideLeviathan

When it comes to one-man black metal projects that began operating in the U.S.

around the same time as Xasthur, the one that comes to mind is Leviathan, based in San Francisco, California.

Started in 1998 as Jef Whitehead’s solo project, Leviathan shocked the scene with a primitive and extreme black metal sound that seemed to stand in direct opposition to California’s dazzling sunshine and cheerful vibe.

There’s no doubt he’s a musician of undeniable talent beyond the confines of black metal—he even contributed to Sunn O)))’s classic album Black One—and every album he has released under Leviathan, with tireless consistency, stands as a landmark of U.S.

black metal.

As mentioned, many tracks are aggressive in style with urgent speed, and the dynamic, varied song structures keep things engaging—one might even say relatively approachable from a depressive black metal standpoint.

That said, since it is discussed within the depressive realm, the themes are overwhelmingly dark and heavy, and the music overflows with a sinister aura—so approach with caution!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Woman of Dark DesiresBathory

Bathory – Woman of Dark Desires

Woman of Dark DesiresBathory

Bathory, the Swedish pioneers of extreme metal, formed in Stockholm in 1983.

Centered around frontman Quorthon, they explored a wide musical range from early black metal to Viking metal.

From their 1984 self-titled debut to the Viking metal landmark Hammerheart, they released numerous classic albums.

After 1985 they stopped performing live and continued solely as a studio band.

Their anti-Christian lyrics and raw sound had a profound impact on the later black metal scene.

While their extreme musical style and lyrical themes aren’t for everyone, they are essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the history of extreme metal.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In conclusion

If you listened to even one of the tracks introduced this time, you probably realized just how singular the genre of depressive black metal is.

As mentioned at the beginning, DSBM possesses a darkness so profound that even fans of black metal may find it difficult to approach; it’s not something to listen to out of mere curiosity.

But once you become captivated by that darkness, there’s no turning back—you’ll be dragged into a deep mire.