Yeah, I think you nailed the appeal Mezzo. That cacophony of sound the production creates is just unlike anything else in music to me. It's pure atmosphere. This has always been the appeal of black metal specifically to me. It just takes me to another place. Overly produced black metal really doesn't even occupy the same genre space in my mind.
Also, I'll take this as an opportunity to show off a bit of my collection:
speak of old school black metal, and it shall appear. Very nice, both staples that I still need on wax. I always wanted to get a bunch of the LLN and Moonblood reissue LPs but I never pulled the trigger. Have been buying CDs more than anything as of late but here are some of my recent vinyl scores:
Carved Cross (AUS) - Carved Cross LP (Overuse 2017)
Carved Cross (AUS) - Untitled 2LP (Skjold 2017)
Marsh (MN) - Life's Contradiction LP + MC (Final Agony 2010)
Rhinocervs (CA) - RH-07 LP (Final Agony 2017)
to add to the whole raw thing,
Carved Cross is the very definition. Everything they've done is just a dirge of hell noise. Everything they release is in very low quantities. If it couldn't be more obvious, this band isn't for everyone and they don't mean to be. While this example is somewhat of an extreme, it's this sort of attitude that is wholly characteristic of black metal. Moving on from that now, I can't recommend
RH-07 enough. One of the best albums under Rhinocervs. Has great ambient, even funeral doom-ish moments.
This post made me put on
Slaegt - Ildsvanger so I can appreciate the tribute to 2nd wave of black metal. I agree 110% though. I can't stand "overproduced" music in any genre. Part of the anti-overproduction appeal is also the DIY/raw/non commercial attitude. An artist's sound, production, song writing, techniques, whatever is just part of "their sound" and genetic that fits into a narrative.
However, I wish Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction and Immortal - Blizzard Beasts had better production. So many wasted riffs and potential lost in the mud :\
Ildsvanger is an outstanding album. Beautiful and Damned is a fine record in its own right, but since they didn't change their name first I doubt if we'll hear another pure black metal album from these guys again.