25 Best Metal Albums Of The Decade

25. Svartidauði - Flesh Cathedral (2012)

The burgeoning Icelandic black metal scene owes much to Svartidauði, whose 2012 debut, Flesh Cathedral, catapulted the movement to greater prominence, creating openings for the likes of Misþyrming, Sinmara, and Zhrine that may not have existed otherwise.

Flesh Cathedral is a dissonant, oppressive work with an intensity matched only by its complexity. Psychedelic flurries pierce the dense atmosphere on occasion, though the mood is rarely anything other than complete and total darkness. Post or blackgaze this is not. Instead, on Flesh Cathedral, Svartidauði tapped into their genre's cold, grim spirit, creating a touchstone album that knows where it came from while pushing its creators (and the scene around it) forward.