If you’re searching for some truly frightening music, look no further than the U.K.’s The Axis of Perdition.  They cite urban decay, H.P. Lovecraft and the Silent Hill series as influences, and the closest musical comparison would be extreme black metal acts such as Blut Aus Nord, Anaal Nathrakh, Stalaggh, and Spektr.  The band has progressed from a highly aggressive, scathing black metal sound to much more abstract, dark/black ambient territory on the most recent releases.

2003’s "The Ichneumon Method" was The Axis’s most black metal (and most musical) release, although even this album abandons many typical black metal elements:  a drum machine is used, the production is very high-quality, and song structure is almost non-existent.  Think newer Blut Aus Nord releases, except with the speed and aggression cranked way up.  One track features eerie soundscapes accompanying spoken excerpts from a Stephen King short story, based on H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu Mythos.

The 2004 EP "Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara," is a blend of the band’s hyper-aggressive black metal and the industrial/ambient sound of later releases.  This release is also where the band’s Silent Hill influence is perhaps most evident, coloring everything from the samples to the overall atmosphere, and even the album title itself.   Limited to 666 copies, this EP is extremely difficult to find, although you might have some success with Aquarius Records.  

2005’s "Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital" is much in the same vein as the previous EP, although the ambient elements are more effective and refined on this album.  Overall probably The Axis’s most disturbing release, all aspects of the band’s sound come together to create a horrifying aural portrait of another world.  This release is also fairly difficult to find, so it’s quite fortunate that Amazon.com is offering it for MP3 download.

The Axis of Perdition’s MySpace page mentions that two more albums are currently in the works.  The first, titled "Grief of the Unclean,"  is apparently a 2-disc album, and is tentatively scheduled for release some time in November.  The second release, entitled "Tenements Of The Anointed Flesh," should appear in 2008. 

Also recently released is the album "Perichoresis" by Pulsefear, a dark ambient band from which The Axis of Perdition ultimately grew.