A desaturated monochrome color theme for VS Code and Cursor, inspired by the cold, washed-out aesthetic of black metal album art.
Pure black background. Muted grays. A single faded teal for strings. No noise, no neon, no distractions — just code on stone.
Palette
| Role |
Hex |
| Background |
#000000 |
| Foreground |
#c1c1c1 |
| Bright black |
#404040 |
| Red (strings) |
#5f8787 |
| Green (funcs) |
#a5aaa7 |
| Yellow (cmts) |
#626b67 |
| Blue (kwords) |
#888888 |
| Magenta (nums) |
#999999 |
| Cyan (types) |
#aaaaaa |
| White |
#c1c1c1 |
Syntax mapping
- Strings & regex —
#5f8787 (the only hint of color)
- Functions —
#a5aaa7
- Comments —
#626b67, italic
- Keywords —
#888888, bold
- Numbers, constants,
this/self — #999999
- Types, classes, properties, links —
#aaaaaa
- Variables, punctuation, default text —
#c1c1c1
- Line numbers, borders, gutters —
#404040
Terminal ANSI colors match the palette exactly, so your shell stays consistent with your editor.
More screenshots
Install
From the VS Code Marketplace
Search "Black Metal Marduk" in the Extensions panel, or install from the CLI:
# VS Code
code --install-extension v0id-user.black-metal-marduk
# Cursor
cursor --install-extension v0id-user.black-metal-marduk
Or open it directly: marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=v0id-user.black-metal-marduk
From a release .vsix
Download the latest .vsix from the Releases page.
Install it:
# VS Code
code --install-extension black-metal-marduk-0.0.2.vsix
# Cursor
cursor --install-extension black-metal-marduk-0.0.2.vsix
Build from source
git clone https://github.com/v0id-user/vscode-black-metal-marduk.git
cd vscode-black-metal-marduk
npx @vscode/vsce package --no-dependencies --allow-missing-repository
code --install-extension black-metal-marduk-*.vsix # or: cursor --install-extension ...
Activate
- Reload your editor:
Cmd+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window
- Open the theme picker:
Cmd+K Cmd+T (or Cmd+Shift+P → Preferences: Color Theme)
- Select Black Metal (Marduk)
Recommended pairings
For maximum effect:
- Font: any monospace with character — Berkeley Mono, JetBrains Mono, Iosevka, Commit Mono
- Window: hide the activity bar (
workbench.activityBar.location: hidden) and breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs.enabled: false) for a true monolith
- Terminal: the ANSI colors are wired in — no extra config needed
Contributing
Found a syntax scope that looks off? Open an issue or PR.
License
MIT — do whatever you want with it.
"The pen is mightier than the sword — and the editor mightier still."
