Cannabis and Black Metal go hand in hand just like full spectrum marijuana oil and cannabinoid receptors in your brain, or leftover resin and your preferred toking device.
But yes, black metal is great for toking, as many stoner black metal listeners would agree. There is something about the shrill, dense riffing-whether it be fast, slo-mo, raw or technical-combined with grating and intense vo-kills and a powerful rhythm section. Together, they all sound oddly addictive, while bombing huge clouds of bonghits in your dark and dank basement, with the stereo cranked to extreme punishing levels.
Presented here are some hand picked records by the THC Team that not only offer different aural textures of the black arts to brutalise your ears, but also offer a great accompaniment to your smoking habits, whether it be blunts, joints, bongs, pipes, or mobile and/or stationary vaporisers. In no particular order:
Xasthur – Subliminal Genocide
Hydrahead Records
This record creates claustrophobic, nightmarish atmospheres. It is heavy-layered with thick sound waves of guitars, bass, drums, and ancient pianos and keyboards that drown you in misery and isolation. Malefic belts out inhuman, haunting vocal washes all throughout that add to these overlapping layers like another otherworldly instrument. But there’s a certain comforting feel that comes with the negative and spiteful orchestrations within, produced by endless nights of extreme solitude and solitary confinement, and deepening madness further into the void. Even the Lycia cover (only available on the double 12″) doesn’t sound out of place here. The lo-fi production values and total DIY approach is effective in creating horrific atmospheres from the abyss as you do hit after hit of the bong.
Leviathan – Tentacles of Whorror
Moribund Cult Records
It is really tough to pick just one record to feature from Wrest. There are so many great albums and demos to choose from in his sick discography. All of them provide incredible tunes to get baked to. It was a tough choice narrowing it down to two, Massive Conspiracy Against All Life, and this, in a fight to the death of who is going to be the best Leviathan album for black metal toking.
Right from the start, the strange cover artwork conceived by Wrest already gives you an uneasy vision of the mindf’ery to expect, but just enough to hook you in towards the insidious type of lysergic abyss awaiting within. Tentacles of Whorror only edges it out slightly, just because of the more varied material crafted from Wrest’s frightening yet captivating subconscious. The abundance of sick, hollow-body howls and eerie screams are in perfect combination with its range of guitar and ambient textures, blackened psychedelic parts, and heady atmospheres. If you don’t agree, then play this first and follow it up with your favorite Leviathan records in succession, while toking endlessly.
Sarcofago – INRI
Cogumelo Records
INRI stands as a true black metal classic and proves that Black Metal is global, and not just a musical monopoly focused on Norway. The USA and South America produced some of the earliest first wave classics before black metal hit it big commercially, when people started associating it exclusively with Norway only. Brazil already put it on the map as early as 1987 with this album, along with their other USA counterparts. The overall sound is varied and much different from what common casual listeners consider black metal-from the music, to the influences, and even the visual presentation. Toking to this album is also a mandatory part of your old school listening when exploring the roots.
Some will argue that Sarcofago is death metal, but the blurred lines between death metal and black metal during its early days was non-existent. Old school black metal was more of a death/black hybrid influenced by the same classics that came before it. Sepultura’s Max and Iggor have just recently rerecorded their classic albums that first featured Sarcofago’s Antichrist Wagner on vocals on the track “Antichrist” where Wagner’s moniker came from. It would have been cool to hear Wagner redo his vocals on those rerecorded releases. Nowadays, he plays in an excellent doom band called The Evil, which should be another addition to your toked listening. But for our more brutal readers, INRI is more appropriate and more than enough for some proper hellish toking and hellraising.
Marduk – Nightwing
Osmose Productions
Picking just one killer album from Marduk’s discography is tough, and yes it was either this, Panzer Division, Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered, or even Live in Germania. Majority of Marduk’s albums are lethal killing sprees with incensed playing and killer recordings. But the sheer brutality and killer production of Nightwing (by Peter Tagtgren of Abyss Studios, yes) is tough to beat, with killer tunes of total black metal destruction played at hyperspeed maximum levels.
The second half of the album features some of their heaviest tunes with slower and midtempo killing attacks. This is peak 90s Marduk featuring the classick lineup of Legion, B.War, Fredrik Andersson, and founding member Morgan Hakansson. This lineup was a key component in their songwriting and sick sound. Marduk during this blazing era raised the profile of blast-ridden Swedish black metal peppered with infectious, saturated evil, riff after riff. It’s a reliable wreckord to get destroyed to in the name of Satan, and with the dankest nuggs from HELL.
Beherit – The Oath of Black Blood
Turbo/JL America
This isn’t even an official release authorised by the band. Two versions exist: The OG first press by Turbo Music, and one by the infamous kvlt label JL America together with the Turbo imprint, with minimal cover art and design different from the original Turbo label release, which has the better CD booklet.
Nevertheless, this was for many, their first introduction to the band, with tracks taken from their demo and a 7″ vinyl release. The raw and heavy lo-fi production adds to the intended atmosphere of splattered out, caustic black metal circa 1991. This was just before the second wave was about to hit the scene, when black metal was in its glory years: Chaotic, disjointed, and extremely awesome, with a variety of sinister vocals and basement cassette deck production values.
Beherit shows you what real Finnish black metal is, without the high quality production and engineering from those glossy, overpolished later bands, the only way it should be. You can read about the latest (?) Beherit review of Bardo Exist on vinyl somewhere else in this site here. While others would probably recommend their dark ambient albums as the more appropriate records to smoke to, there’s nothing better than getting wrecked with their more brutal older material.
Blasphemy – Fallen Angel of Doom
Ross Bay Cult/ Nuclear War Now
This is one of the best OG black metal records that sound great for toking with its heavy lo-fi chaos and evil intent. There are Blasphemy fans who would argue to no end that Gods of War is the better record, and for that, there is part 2 (or 3?) of this report for further stoned discussion. For now, we shall focus on this masterpiece: FOAD stands as one of the important records in the early and first wave of black metal, and its uncompromising attitude and the reckless destruction that have gone to influence many death, black, and extreme metal bands later.
Whether you consider the tag War Metal or Bestial Black Death for Canada’s Black Metal Kings, it doesn’t really matter: This is what you put on the turntable when totally smoked out on fresh greens, or maybe some blocks of hash, with billowing dense THC clouds to suffocate you while imitating their infamous couch pic, and while loading up the bongs to the brim for a nihilistic good time. Make no mistake about it, Blasphemy has to be on the stereo, not some cruddy weak shit unfit for smoking. DESTROY by all means necessary.
Deiphago – Filipino Antichrist
Hells Headbangers
Your humble scribe has reviewed the other Deiphago records elsewhere on this site, but the one record that accompanies a great personal memory is none other than Filipino Antichrist: Unlike the others that I bought online, this is the record I personally bought direct from V666 in person while hanging out with him and friend Ryan Maneja (RIP) in a punk rock record store somewhere deep in Recto in downtown Manila, at Tandem, the legendary hang out of oldschool punks since the 80s. It is adorned with impressive cover art by the mighty Joe Petagno, and brutality of the highest Satanik order within, perfect for playing this record LOUD at the ungodly late hours till early morning with the best strains. Make sure to turn it up when their cover of Sarcofago’s “Hate” comes on as the intro sample will wreck your neighbors (heheh). None other than Mike IX from Eyehategod, along with other discerning reviewers have heaped praises on this landmark record, and it remains one of the most intense, fast, and totally killer black metal records that will have most bands biting the dust. BUY or DIE and forever toke in HELL. (Rx Zenabi)
Gorgoroth – Under the Sign of Hell
Soulseller Records
After losing the OG press CD due to an irresponsible trade deal that I deeply regretted, I then upgraded to the white marbled vinyl reissue from local distro Davao Hellbangers. I have enjoyed toking to this record (in CD format back in the late 90s) and still do now, and OLD habits DIE HARD. This is vocalist Pest’s last album before his first hiatus from the band, although he did some one-off tracks later and then rejoined them for a few more years before departing for good.
The evil atmosphere and belligerent attitude of this record plus its production from the renowned Grieghallen Studios makes this an impeccable Norwegian Black Metal classic, maybe only matched in sheer intensity by a few other of Gorgoroth’s records such as the classick Destroyer album. I don’t know if the re-recording of this album is also good, but this reissue is the only other version (apart from the original Malicious Records pressing) recommended for destroying ears to and smoking your medicine at the same time, and HEAVILY. (Rx Zenabi)
Fleurety – Min Tid Skal Komme
Misanthropy Records
Delving into even stranger territory here, Fleurety’s mesmerising, experimental/avant-garde approach to black metal has earned their debut full length record a special place among stoners who are black metal fans. The proggish, psychedelic, and experimental slant on these tunes are perfect for stoned mind trips, ranging from slow burning and building-up tracks that bear evil hazy riffing, to clean-axe-led passages with cruel vocals, female singing voices, sorrowful parts, and faster to mid-tempo old school black metal attacks, sometimes going into these territories in a single track. They flow perfectly into each other, taking the listener on a trip to the nether regions of Fleurety’s forlorn dimensions. Other recordings such as the Fragmenta Cuiusvis Aetatis Contemporaneae 7″ and the Inquietum digipak compilation CD from Aesthetic Records comprised of previous EP’s are also equally impressive stuff, providing even further avant-garde mind explorations for those who want their black metal more strange, experimental, and a little more challenging.
Dodheimsgard – 666 International
Moonfog Productions
After two successful albums of Nordic Black Metal, Dodheimsgard began to shift to a more experimental, futuristic sound, merging industrial/avante-garde/electronic music into their black metal framework in the late 90s. The Satanic Art EP was a precursor to this more bizarre, experi-MENTAL approach, even hiring Svein from Fleurety to aid with achieving this initial vision.
666 International finds them fully going head-first into industrial-tinged, electronic-laden black metal, even stylising their name to DHG and doing away with the traditional evil logo of yore. The late 90s to early 2000s era also saw other black metal luminaries such as Mayhem and Ulver exploring this musical landscape with success. This alienated many listeners initially, but produced interesting results in the form of successful records that expanded the palette of modern black metal.
DHG achieved notoriety for melding these various sonic experiments, raising serious debates on whether this is still black metal. This still is, albeit sent out blazing into hyperspace and into sleek, futuristic worlds where their brand of traditional black metal is synthesised with alien sounds and technology while still retaining traces of the old Dodheimsgard we know. Love it or hate it, no one can deny the creative headspace DHG found themselves in, resulting in a heady, toke-friendly record that both challenges and entertains the adventurous black metal listener.
Necromantia – Scarlet Evil Witching Black
Osmose Productions/Floga Records
Our first (and certainly not the last) entry for classic Grecian Hellenic Black Metal, Necromantia is well known for having no guitars and having 2 basses instead, one of which is an 8 stringed bass (!) making their sound trippy and a little more unique, but no less evil and heavy. Well technically most of their creepy, symphonic sounding riffing are from 2 bass guitars, but some guitars are included elsewhere in the album just for the needed clean tone interlude parts and a few lead solos, rounded out by haunting keyboard and piano accompaniments, and even some choice saxophone solos (?).
Necromantia’s stylistic approach to their songwriting and riff writing is much different from their peers during this time, even from their local peers such as Rotting Christ and Varathron; There are semi-melodic classical parts and even classic heavy metal influenced riffs combined with their symphonic black metal style. But compared to the sudden (seeming) deluge of black metal releases after it became HIGH-profile in 1995, Necromantia offered something a little more unique from the bigger bands by combining all of these elements and adding a few dynamics and drama into their sound and approach. By toking heavily to this record, you can be transported to a more ancient and grandiose dimension that only Necromantia can conjure.
Mayhem – Wolf’s Lair Abyss
Misanthropic Records
How does Mayhem carry on after the murder of the band’s main songwriter and inarguably one of Norwegian Black Metal’s most recognised musicians? It also seemed impossible to top their legendary full-length, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, a landmark black metal record featuring Attila on vocals, and also infamous for having Count Grishnack’s bass parts intact in counter to his murder victim Euronymous’ cold, chilling, classick riffs. Hell, even Deiphago was connected to Euronymous, as they were already in contact with him years before the fact, with a deal already being worked out to get a Deiphago record onto Euronymous’ Deathlike Silence Productions label. We can only ponder on the possibilities.
Mayhem took a break, then reconvened by bringing back OG vocalist Maniac, the only vocalist who could do justice to Mayhem mark 3.0 since Dead was long gone at this point, and introducing a new guitarist in Blasphemer, who reportedly already jammed as a second guitarist with the previous lineup when Euronymous was still alive. Along with the then-remaining active members Hellhammer and Necrobutcher, they went against all odds to deliver what would be another classick Mayhem record that defies staunch critics and unbelievers who have deemed the band finished. The cold, merciless, ruthless, and technical riffs from Blasphemer inject fresh new blood into the Mayhem legend, while Maniac’s over the top black metal screams and evil spoken word stylings of the HIGHest order bring it further up a notch where no one can touch him. The sinister and scathing atmosphere this EP evokes easily makes ears bleed as it crushes all, featuring impressive drumwork from Hellhammer and bulldozing bass tones from Necrobutcher.
Mystifier – The World Is So Good That Who Made It Doesn’t Live Here
Osmose Productions
Many people including your humble scribe’s introduction to Brazil’s best kept black metal secret was through the Gummo soundtrack CD released in 1998, through the song “Give the Human Devil His Due” taken from this black metal cult classic. Getting the soundtrack CD from Tower Records in Glorietta Mall meant forking over 900 (!) bucks for an import, but it was all worth it. Imagine having a major film company-distributed film with loads of doom, sludge, death metal, noise, and experimental artists in the soundtrack – it served as the gateway for many young metalheads back then to delve further into the best underground sound sources.
Mystifier’s brand of brutal black metal isn’t necessarily all-speed and frenetic blasting on steroids, it is about evil riffs, heavy rhythmic intensity, and an evil production from beyond the grave. It is even enhanced with some chilling keyboard parts merging perfectly with the heavy down-tuned rhythms that go from steady oldschool blasting to dissonant chords, adorned with low, gravelly vocals, occasional operatic singing, and sick lead solos. Most people only know and appreciate Brazilian Metal through Sepultura, but beyond them lies the netherworld where Mystifier are kings. This important album is perfect for HEAVY toking. Despite the imagery of Brazil’s hot babes, beaches, and summer vacation fun, this record will turn the South American paradise upside down and open the portals to HELL. (Rx Zenabi)
Absu – Tara
Osmose Productions
Who said you cannot toke to a blisteringly fast black/thrash record? Tara is one of Absu’s pinnacle efforts, featuring the classic power trio lineup of Shaftiel, Equitant Ifernain, and Sir Proscriptor McGovern, the classic 90s lineup also responsible for The Third Storm of Cythraul and The Sun of Tipareth which are equally killer albums. However, Tara is their most ambitious and most epic undertaking, and sadly the last full-length to feature this classick lineup.
This is frenetic, over-the-top US black/thrash annihilation sporting killer riffs, technical drum patterns, and an overall attitude of killing precision, utilising riff after riff of lethal hooks as deadly weapons. The all-black-covered and embossed digipak reissue even features the In the Eyes of Ioldánach EP as bonus tracks, in case the full album still doesn’t satiate your thirst for adrenaline overloaded black thrash. It is HIGHly welcome, giving you an extra bonghit session to finish off the trip. If that’s not even enough, King Diamond himself makes a guest appearance doing additional vocals under the black metal pseudonym “Masthema Mazziqim” understandably due to record label technicalities to avoid legal complications. Is this the last great Absu record? You bet it is, and while later albums were also great, the epic conclusion to the trilogy of 90s era Absu cements the band’s place in metal and black metal in general, also allowing many stoners to get kicked in the nuts into HIGH gear, with HIGH-octane over-speeding with this furious, stone(d) cold classick.
Darkthrone – Panzerfaust
Moonfog Records
Virtually all of Darkthrone’s early efforts are incredible toke-out albums, from Soulside Journey, Transilvanian Hunger, to one of the coldest, grimmest black metal albums ever released, Panzerfaust. Combining blazing speeds and slower to mid-tempo HEAVY doomed out riffs, Darkthrone totally owns when it comes to nihilistic, cold riffs that can choke you out like the thickest clouds of smoke from potent and dense buds, from the gardens of the underworld, blazed through Satan’s bong with hellfire. Elements of old black metal classics and Celtic Frost heaviness bear influence on this album, but Fenriz and Nocturno Culto created a sound and atmosphere all their own.
Like Transilvanian Hunger, Varg Vikernes makes another lyrical contribution to the album, which added some controversy carried over from Transilvanian Hunger’s reputation and the proceeding witch hunt that befell the Norwegian scene. The title of the album is also taken from a German antitank weapon, further adding confusion and controversy. Nevertheless, Panzerfaust towered above most of their peers when this came out featuring both English and Nordic lyrics and the same four track recording process as per the Darkthrone standard ever since. This IS the album to crank up for late night howling sessions alone in the woods under a full moon, accompanied by heavy coughing through smoke filled trails leading to nothingness.
Ildjarn – Forest Poetry
Norse League Productions
Yes there is no accounting for taste as Metal Maniacs Magazine once said. For those expecting THC Zine to feature the grandest “black metal” from Norway and think Emperor and Dimmu Borgir or some talented popular band to be the perfect toke out record, you’ve got another thing coming (watch out for their features on part 2 or 3 though).
Ildjarn is the ultimate bong-huffing soundtrack to losing your mind while raging and screaming to the heavens, followed by suffocating coughs to send you to the lower planes of HELL. The strange and disorienting production of Ildjarn’s 4th album exudes a sinister charm, loaded with simplistic, rusty-string maelstrom of guitars, a monotonous cacophony of bass (?) and drums, and evil laryngitic necro howls threatening to fight Dead for necro supremacy. It all sounds strangely hypnotic despite the one dimensional yet killer approach. There’s seemingly less fuzz and distortion levels present on the guitars, making for a weird, weird buzzing tone, much like sheet metal being torn apart in a cleaner manner (?). The result is a somewhat clear-cut (?) yet chaotic approach that makes them unique from all their peers, Nordic or otherwise. Majority of these dank, rough-cut 22 tunes are short, barely passing the 2 minute mark, sometimes ending properly, mostly ending abruptly in the middle, and in very few cases lead to a fade out. Wherever the F it goes, it goes awry with an evil, punk as F attitude and balls the size of basketballs among the so called true black metal warriors with their musicianship, songwriting prowess, and typical production values. Very few will find this record awesome, and those who hail this mess of a masterpiece will agree that toking huge clouds of smoke along to it will bring you to some plateau of reverse enlightenment, or not (?).
Velvet Cacoon – Genevieve
Southern Lord Records
When researching for Velvet Cacoon, you will be hard pressed to find any factual information or even the real truth behind the strange, experimental duo of Josh and Angela, if they really are what they say they are. It even becomes more confusing because this album sounds great as a stoned masterpiece to get lost to. Genevieve leaves listeners with even more questions than answers, and that’s how they intended it.
Masters of deceit and confusion, VC had you believing all these strange accounts that detail their violent secret gigs, a diesel harp guitar that works underwater, a secluded life of luxury, fake albums stolen/altered from other obscure bands, or the interdimensional voyages and ritualistic meetings with nonhuman entities through the use of the dissociative (legal) substance, DXM or Dextromethorphan. Hell, an earlier VC album was entitled “Dextronaut” as a tribute and endorsement to taking HIGH-dose DXM journeys to nothingness. Like strange, dissociative dreams, you simply don’t know which is real and which is fabricated by your brain. Are you losing your mind or recalling fake, implanted memories?
Genevieve, their most popular, breakthrough record, was originally released as a limited edition CDr, until Southern Lord Records stepped in to properly release it as a 2LP set with an embossed, silver stamped cover on a black velvet surface. The music is something else to explore apart from all the legends and controversies surrounding the band. VC traverse the deep subconscious as you progressively get lost in a thick haze of diesel harp guitars and a hallucinogenic haze blanket to recreate the dissociative cloud of DXM eroding your brain and your reality. This record is the soundtrack of a nothingness haze, further and further, with slow, almost shoegazey, psychoactive dark ambient black metal with dark psyche and drone properties. Love it or hate it, there seems to be no grey area when it comes to the elaborate orchestrations of their art and lore. Feel free to toke HEAVILY and get lost in this wreckord, please do.
Vondur – Stridsyfirlising
Necropolis Records
Yes, Vondur f’n rules and you know it. Graced with the classic painting of the revered Sith Lord of The HIGHest f’n order Himself and his loyal (and easily-killed) stormtroopers attacking some poor planet before it gets disintegrated to smithereens by the good old Death Star, Stridsyfirlising is the intergalactic black metal campaign of otherwordly entities It (RIP) and All, Sweden’s satanik black metal superstar sickos. The very fitting art direction and design is by the almighty SUNN0))) drone-axe slinger Stephen O’ Malley.
Forget about those masterful Swedish black metal bands with their HIGH-level skills, songwriting, and killer production, for this album is all you really need to bring your stoned ass out of your stinked-out couch and into Darth Vader’s secret hotbox room somewhere in the Death Star chambers. They have it all: jam room basement production, raw boombox-style guitar sounds, occasional romantic synths, ugly croaked-out vocalisings, a broken drum machine set on 666 bpm, Swedish song titles, and a total disregard for professional Swedish black metal production, all in favor of the vibe of that stinking garbage compactor room in the Death Star complex, where Vondur reigns supreme. “The Intergalactic Rock n’ Roll Empire” EP is as equally killer, and in our sequel we will also feature that release (oh no, oh yes).
Abruptum – Orchestra of Dark demo
Entering the strange, obscure dimension of Abruptum isn’t HIGHly recommended for most stoner black metal devotees. Those looking for the typical sharp guitar riffs, screeched vocals, and standard black metal sounds everyone associates with Norway or some big band you read about from a popular magazine or website: Stick to those safer, mainstream choices, or maybe a Deafheaven record, as Abruptum will turn your trip upside down. They will stick you in the lower grotesque planes and leave you there.
Abruptum records provide a range of horrific bad acid trips which cover the ugly, experimental, and strange noise/funeral doom/dark ambient/black noise experiments that reside in the deep netherworlds somewhere in It and All’s aetheric HELL. Their demos only feature the duo lineup, only to be joined on later by Evil, the main mastermind behind Marduk in his obscure alter-ego. This is one of the more bizarre black metal releases, leaving stoners confused, their trip severely obscured.
Orchestra of Dark is basically the same release as the previous, rarer demo, the legendary “The Satanist Tunes” with just the addition of an outro piece. It is what you would expect when you drank too much cough syrup and ingested too much edibles as you contemplate your slow meltdown and brain deterioration. Strange howling vocal noises, tortured random screams, Dextromethorphan guitars (ha – Velvet Cacoon), a heavily medicated drum machine, strange tape cut-up anomalies, out-there dark ambient, and other weirdness all make perfect sense in these distant dimensions, and will totally appeal to certain types of noise and experimental weirdos who get it (or not?).
Ulver – Nattens Madrigal
Century Media
We end this feature on a HIGH note by putting one of the most grim and intense black metal albums from Norway that’s also great for heavy toking. With Ulver taking some backlash back then for releasing this on a major metal label, that’s where all expectations and first impressions end.
Nattens Madrigal is a raw, HIGHly abrasive record that carries slight melodies and marries it with darker and grimmer directions compared to their previous works. Intense howls and killer black metal shrieks collaborate with sharp, serrated riffing and furious drums and bass. Further creating a weird lore with rumors of recording the album on a 4 track in a cabin in the deep woods of Norway in heavy winter, and pairing that with promo photos of the band in suits, shades, and a sports car just added to the weird mystique and legend of the band and this record. People were bewildered on what to think, and when they finally hit play, they are instantly mauled by the intensity and teetering-to-the-edge approach of this album. Ulver were at the right place at the right time, completing the so called “Trilogie” of their black metal phase that sadly they won’t revisit again, after having moved on to avant-garde, experimental, ambient, and electronic music going into the millennium and beyond.
Towards Harmonious Civilization Zine 
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