Top Ten Darkest Bands of All Time
This list is about darkness in music, not about the musicians. Many musicians did horrible things in their lives but did not produce "Dark Music".
I know this list has nothing to do with the acts some of these musicians did in their lives, but the way Dead killed himself and Euronymnous took a photo of his dead body and placed it as the front cover of their album Dawn of the Black Hearts is one of the darkest things I have ever heard. How do you people not find that unsettling?
I love their music no doubt, but it has a much, much darker sound than anything I've ever heard of. The guitar sounds like it is electrocuting someone, and the vocals are, no pun intended, dead. Just look at the bands history, and you'll see just why they are number one on this list.
Should be number one. Not only is their music very dark, the band in general is just dark. They started Norwegian Black Metal and even started the church burnings. Euronymous was their guitar player and one of the darkest, most controversial musicians of all time.
Why are they at number 4? They are the champioms of dark bands. They even tried to take a picture of one of their band member's dead body for the cover of their next album.

Literally like four of these bands are actually dark. Darkthrone, Mayhem, and Death are the only ones here even resembling anything heavy. No Gnaw Their Tongues? No Sunn O))) or Portal? Impetuous Ritual?
I don't mind mayhem but darkthrone is WAY Darker. The name literraly says it!
Well, the name says it

should be first. these guys are actual Satanists and some of the members are part of the Church Of Satan. attending a Gorgoroth concert is like attending a real Satanic Black Mass, they've got sheep heads on stakes, crucifications, and other sorts of similar imagery going on. Mayhem were mainly doing it for shock value and same with Darkthrone. but this band...they're the real deal
Probably the darkest band of all time because of how truly satanic they are. And they might be one of the only known metal bands who do worship and glorify Satan.
They have the creepiest stuff I've ever heard.
They trapped their claustrophobic friend in a coffin and recorded vocals

By far the darkest band on the list. Joy Division put forth a personal darkness that is more real than any Satanist metal band. This band gives you the chills when you actually read the lyrics. The songs, "In a Lonely Place," "Decades," and "The Eternal" are masterpieces that portray a personal darkness that is almost too close to home.
An abyss that laughs at creation,
A circus complete with all fools,
Foundations that lasted the ages,
Then ripped apart at their roots.
Beyond all this good is the terror,
The grip of a mercenary hand,
When savagery turns all good reason,
There's no turning back, no last stand.
Nobody understands what darkness is in music. It's not how heavy it is, or how often they say "Satan" in a song. Darkness lies in gloom, lyrics, etcetera, which is what Joy Division was.
Without a doubt and possibly one of the more respectable on this list.

Very anti-Christian band. Anti-Christian the ed songs include Raining Blood, Disciple, and Jihad.

Boy are they dark. They have a dark logo, dark album covers, dark song meanings, this is one dark band.
Scream Bloody Gore is on of the most brutal and darkest Metal albums of all time, the Denial Of Life track is terrifying,Leprosy is even Darker.
Industrial music on the opposite side of Rammstein.

DARK?! bahahaha what a joke. well, maybe if you're a 12 year emo kid then they are the darkest band out there but once you've heard metal, Evanescence is about as dark as your average Hot Topic angst band
I love this group very much & I'm listening their "Going under" right now!
Not an Evil band but very Dark.

Look up the backstory behind this band's obscurity. It's chilling.

How is korn above Emperor?! Are you nute? The drummer STABBED a guy 38 times in the back! He then went and burned down a church with Varg Vikernes and Euronymous.
I'm not sure whether Varg Viking actually burnt down a church.

The Monotheist was a Doom/Gothic hyper heavy and dark album.
Their first stuff was kinda dark but man the monotheist was just darkness surrounding. but that's why I love it

Their first album shows a girl on a swing looking up on a man who's shadow looks unsettling. Their last song of their first album Daddy, talks about how lead singer Jonathan Davis was molested as a child. They also have other albums such as Life is Peachy, Issues, and Follow the Leader which are also pretty dark. Dark nu metal band and I like it!
Their self-titled debut album deals with themes of child abuse, drug abuse, and bullying. Plus, it even has a creepy cover of a little girl on a swing starring back at a creepy shadow.
Also, listen to Daddy. The final track on the album. And you'll truly see why they deserve a really high spot on this list.
In a way, KoRn is much darker then bands like Slayer and most black metal bands, because they actually meant it, most of their songs are actually based off of experiences in Jonathen Davis's life, whereas Slayer has said their music is not to be taken seriously.
Listen to tracks like "Daddy" from their self-titled debut album, or really anything off of Life Is Peachy or Issues (among others), and you'll get a sense of why this band deserves a very high ranking on this list.

honestly, you'd be surprised how tame this guy's music is compared to the others on this list. like he looks like he plays black metal but his music with Mercyful Fate as well as his solo stuff is actually just regular heavy metal in the vein of Iron Maiden
For a satanist, King Diamonds work really isn't all dark and gloomy. It's pretty much just regular heavy metal with satanic lyrics.

The creators of Heavy Metal music. Not as dark as Curtis, Reznor or Smith.
Come on, inventers of Doom Metal,25 is too low.
The first dark metal band.

Some of the bands that was put before this is ridiculous! Has anyone actually ever taken the time to read the lyrics versus these other band's lyrics? CoF needs more appreciation then they are credited for!
"Her ghost in the fog" Absolute horror song...

Needs to be higher. Why? The guy who runs this group, Varg Viking, literally killed his bandmate and burned down a church. Definitely a Top 5.
Easily one of the darkest bands there. The atmosphere is purely evil and I'm not too sure why CC is above, yeah CC has deranged album covers but death metal often doesn't truly create that dark, sinister mood to it. a band doesn't need to have intense blast beats to be "dark".
To people who haven't listened, Burzum isn't just on here because of the murder. Songs like Det Som Engang Var have a dark, hypnotic energy that *feels* evil, in a way music justifies a lot better than words do.
Burzum higher than Cannibal Corpse? Just because he killed someone?

Glen Benton is an evil genius. The first three albums and Stench of Redemption is a must for death metal fans.
Glenn Benton is filled with pure hatred for Christianity.

Listen to Lights In the Sky/Corona Radiata, and you'll know why they are up here.
Have you even seen the music video to Closer?

Has anyone heard the satanist album? Dark as all hell in everyway possible.
Should be higher!


The fact that Evanescence was picked well before this is abysmal. Cannibal Corpse is a dark and gritty band with brutal album covers, song titles, and lyrics. This should be top 3.
Cannibal Corpse is gory, yes, but I would actually say bands like KoRn and Joy Division are darker, because their lyrics can apply to people living with abuse and depression. Cannibal Corpse lyrics are like a horror movie, while Joy Division and KoRn lyrics are more like a suicide note, so which one is darker?
Not hating on CC cause they're awesome, but they aren't dark at all. Their music is violent and gory, yes, but its mostly tounge-in-cheek, the kind of lyrics that are actually funny in a strange kind of way.
Not scary at all. Very bland radio rock with brutal death metal elements. Might as well say Nickelback is the darkest band ever.

A really Anti-Christian band. But they're surprisingly not devil worshipers.

Try to listen to Nutshell or Down in a Hole without crying.
These guys expressed there true pain in their music.
Probably the most depressing band of all time.