Aries brings black metal from Paris since 2012, their zodiacal name evoking the aggressive, pioneering energy of the ram. Over a decade of activity reflects sustained commitment within the French capital's vast black metal ecosystem.

Arillus is a black and folk metal project from Gross Stieten in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, originally founded as Forseti in 2007 before rebranding in 2013. The project's discography spans from the debut album Weltenwandel through Poesie to the 2013 album Nacht, released in a limited edition of fifty-one copies, with all music, lyrics, and photography created entirely by the band.

Arise from Ashes channels black and pagan metal from Hertfordshire since 2015, their phoenix-themed name evoking rebirth through extreme music. Over a decade of Home Counties extremity speaks to sustained commitment.

Aristarchos channels black metal from Scotland since 2021, named after the ancient Greek astronomer who first proposed heliocentrism. Their astronomical-revolutionary name suits a project that challenges conventional perspectives through extreme music.

Aristocrazia Rumorista channels raw black metal from Rome since 2023, their Italian name translating to 'noisy aristocracy' — a paradox that speaks to the tension between refinement and chaos in their approach. From the city of emperors, they practice a deliberately unrefined art.

Aristokrat is a Bavarian black metal project formed in 2019, whose name ironically contrasts aristocratic elegance with the raw, uncompromising hostility of black metal. The project channels the genre's characteristic darkness from the Bavarian underground.

Arjen are a black metal project based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose work engages with the rawer, more orthodox wing of the genre. Their music is rooted in the second-wave black metal tradition, prioritising grim atmosphere and ideological seriousness over technical sophistication or commercial palatability.

Arkaist channels black metal from Rennes since 2025, representing the very newest addition to Brittany's thriving extreme metal underground. Their ancient-sounding name signals a project rooted in the genre's most timeless traditions.

Arkanar channels black metal from England since 2020, named after the city in the Strugatsky brothers' science fiction novel "Hard to Be a God." Their literary-SF inspiration feeds compositions that explore darkness through an intellectual lens.