"Sapphire", by Alcest
(Spiritual Instinct, 2019)

Blackgaze is a fusion genre combining elements of shoegaze and black metal. I realize this may sound like an instance of "It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!", but the two things work together surprisingly well. Black metal has a tendency to be restrictive in scope from time to time, and the atmospheric sounds of dream pop and shoegaze influences reinforce the darkness rather than impede it.

"The Gales Scream Of Loss", by Fen
(Ancient Sorrow, 2006)

Alcest may be scene kings right now, especially with the release of their most recent album, but blackgaze is an unsurprisingly broad church, and one that hasn't been set on fire by a mad Norwegian. One of the common themes, however, is nature and environmentalism, which it explores through the anguished screams of traditional black metal to deliver sweeping melancholy rather than being preachy or condescending.

"The Culling", by Chelsea Wolfe
(Hiss Spun, 2017)

Blackgaze is quite wide-ranging in its influences, as evidenced by the above that combines the more traditional black metal sounds with folk elements and a little grunge and sludge. It's... well, perhaps fun isn't quite the right word, but it's good music and I certainly enjoy it, so I thought I'd share it with my friends.

"Dream House", by Deafheaven
(Sunbather, 2013)

So yeah, blackgaze. It's a thing. Hope you enjoy it. =]

---
"She's old, she's lame, she's barren too, // "She's not worth feed or hay, // "But I'll give her this," - he blew smoke at me - // "She was something in her day." -- Garnet Rogers, Small Victory

FiMFiction.net: we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have standards.

I have to admit I really wasn't sure about this from the way you described it, but it's surprisingly...nice? Like, even with the prerequisite barbaric yawps and all, I could see myself putting some of these songs on in the background while I paint or work on something equally chill.

Humming along as I work on something in the kitchen? It's more likely than you think!