The answer to this question is, or at least should be Wolves in the Throne Room's Diadem of 12 Stars. This is the debut of the Olympia, Washington progressive/atmospheric black metal band released in 2006. When this album came out I had never heard anything like it. Black metal was just a new love for me and I was only aware of the raw kvlt style of Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Judas Iscariot. Wolves opened up a new world for me, and I instantly fell in love with this album. Listening to this dark and foreboding atmosphere created in the context of relatively simple black metal is truly amazing. Listening to the album, which I still think is the band's best, is nothing short of a spiritual experience for me. Drummer Aaron Weaver put it better than I ever could; "What Wolves in the Throne Room has done...is to essentially take that sadness and alienation that we feel and try to transform it into something that is fundamentally positive and life affirming or do something in between." Yes, it really does that.
Diadem of 12 Stars is not easy to come by on vinyl, and usually goes for a decent chunk of change. I have been looking for it at a decent price for years and finally got this copy for around 30 bucks, not bad considering I've seen a few go on eBay for more than 60. An album like this really should only be listened to in analog form in my opinion. Additionally this is just a gorgeous record. The gatefold cover art with no title or band name is so subtly striking that a cd booklet just doesn't do it justice. The clear green(or is that blue?) wax is really cool as well. Definitely one of the most prized pieces in my collection.
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