Black Metal ...In Space!
Outer Space is a commonly leveraged trope in metal, regardless of the subgenre. Many an album tell the story of alien forces wreaking havoc upon the denizens of Earth through acts of body horror, mutilation, and enslavement. Black metal is no less a slave to this trend, with its stargazing variant typically bringing with it atmospheric guitar work, electronic oscillators, and extremely long track lengths.
Occasionally, a space black metal project ends up being something truly unique, despite the popularity of the subject matter. Sometimes, it’s only a one-album venture; others times, it’s an entire discography. Here’s some examples of space black metal done well.
Darkspace
Darkspace is a highly influential black metal band touting distinct industrial elements. Darkspace has several albums, all leaning into the space aesthetic. Another big difference is the atmosphere. Darkspace is generally more ambient, paced slowly, and extremely self-indulgent. Tracks that extend past the 20-minute mark are not uncommon throughout their catalog. None of this is surprising when you consider that Wintherr of Paysage d’Hiver is one of the members. As of February 16th, Darkspace has released five full-length albums.
Almyrkvi
Almyrkvi is one of the newer acts on this list, but has had an impressive start to their career. For that, their discography is short, but tight. Their first release asserts a style clearly inspired by Darkspace in its use of industrial elements. Their second - a full-length - departs this approach in favor of doom-driven riffs that pair well with the themes of black holes. The monotone drone of the vocals adds an introspective edge that separates it from Darkspace stylistically while still feeling heavily inspired by the Swiss act.
Mysticum - Planet Satan (2014)
Telling an amusing story of Satan invading Earth with a horde of demonic aliens, Planet Satan is probably the most humorous space black metal I’ve encountered.
Mysticum is certainly not new to the Norwegian black metal scene, having been around since the early days of the second wave. Not only do they have a split with Ulver, but Hellhammer of Mayhem had a brief stint as a band member. Despite their established place in the scene, they’re largely known (or unknown) for having only released two full-length albums in their thirty-year lifespan, with Planet Satan being the latter.
Mesarthim
It’s highly common for space-themed metal to incorporate industrial elements. Just considering the bands here, Mysticum, Darkspace, and Almyrkvi all toy heavily with industrial. Mesarthim sets themselves apart by instead opting for trance melodies in place of the typical jarring mechanized sounds. This is done to a great effect, creating a “larger than life” feeling of introspection at the climax of each track. Where other bands seek to focus on the desolate emptiness of space, Mesarthim instead attempts to invoke the stupefying wonder wrought by the cosmic bodies scattered in the void.
Mare Cognitum
Mare Cognitum takes a different approach to space black metal by dropping the atmospheric angle so heavily leveraged by aforementioned acts. Instead, a heavy focus on planetary environments is taken, telling of cosmic horrors wrought by acts of nature stripping bare any life-harboring planets caught in their wake. If you thought anything on this list prior came anywhere close to bleak, try Mare Cognitum on for size.
Midnight Odyssey
One major distinction of Midnight Odyssey is the occultic tone it carries. This helps it keep a foot in the more traditional sounds of black metal. However, the cosmic elements are pervasive throughout their entire eight-album discography, with a style reminiscent of John Carpenter’s soundtracks. As such, there is a lot of ambience. In a unique twist on the trope, Midnight Odyssey (sometimes) breaks that ambience for powerful sections overflowing with spirituality. This gives a distinctly adventurous feel that stands in stark contrast to the typical bleakness of most space black metal.
Oranssi Pazuzu
Oranssi Pazuzu is undoubtedly one of the most popular black metal bands of the past decade, and for a good reason. They are distinctly identifiable in their sound, which draws a lot of inspiration from psychedelic and post-rock. Combined with the entrancing use of synthesizers, the result is an incredible blend of spacey and nightmarish. While Oranssi Pazuzu has left behind some of the obvious space influence from their early career, there’s something still distinctly “sci-fi/horror” about their sound that wouldn’t sound out of place scoring a montage of cosmic vistas.
Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current (2023)
Some of you will remember this one from my Best of 2023 list. Aesthetically, this album is not what I’d immediately consider space black metal; a lot of the topics seem geared more towards inward exploration. On the other hand, I wouldn’t deny any of the albums on this list a proclivity towards introspection, and DHG very much does incorporate a lot of space vibes on this release. This is demonstrated through frequent departures towards atmospheric electronics and dreamy guitarwork, often leaning progressive in a way reminiscent of acts like Pink Floyd. The album cover even bears an aesthetic similarity to Dark Side of the Moon. Something about this album gives the feel of a lonely astronaut pondering their life in the expanse of space, a place where none of our Earthly concerns matter. This isn’t the first album from DHG to have spacey themes woven in, but it is certainly their best album. It’s no surprise this album found a place on a sundry of “Best of 2023” lists.
Mare Cognitum & Spectral Lore - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine (2020)
I know - I already mentioned Mare Cognitum. I have good reasons for bringing this up separately. Firstly, this is a collaborative album with Spectral Lore, wherein there are tracks by one, the other, or both. Secondly, this album stands head-and-shoulders above not only any album from Mare Cognitum or Spectral Lore (the one man acts of Jacob Buczarski and Ayloss, respectively), but really, any band on this list. This is “Top 10 Black Metal Albums of All Time” material for me. I have yet to meet anybody who has heard this album and was not simply awestruck by it.
The only negative critique I can drum up is that the content is so engaging and thought-provoking that the album does not lend itself well to passive listening. Given that every other album on this list makes for perfect background music, this distinction also ends up being what makes this album so damn good.
Another unique angle taken is the astrological spin. Aesthetically, each song leans into the common interpretations of the planets in the world of astrology, giving each song a sort of “personality”. Somehow, Ayloss and Buczarski perfectly blend this metaphysical angle with the physical nature of the planets themselves. Mars is crushingly fierce and desolate. Jupiter, grand and inspiring of hope. Pluto - the planet of change and transformation - changes halfway through its half-hour runtime from spacy ambience to crushing industrial-infused death metal. For this, every change in track brings a change in tone that compels one to wonder what could be coming next. Quite frankly, this is not only my favorite space black metal album, but one of the best listening experiences I’ve ever had.