25th ANNIVERSARY FOR SO MANY ALBUMS THIS YEAR....

Instead of me doing a post each time an album turns 25 years I'll do the MOST significant records in one post alone. Well I might do a separate post in December for The Somberlain because of the path that album lead me to in 1994.

There's so many albums that I will just focus on my 9 favorites. I also disqualified compilations and live records which I usually do anyway for these kind of posts. So no Live In Leipzig by Mayhem that one was also recorded in 1990 and was circled around in the scene long before its official LP release in 1993. I'll save that one for a separate post.

This isn't a list of my top-9 albums in some particular order, sure some records are better then others, but to list them all would be too much of a hassle. So in NO PARTICULAR order the best Black Metal and Death Metal albums of 1993:

Dissection - The Somberlain

Okay already breaking my word but out of these 9 it's the best album that I can say for a fact. Usually I will say that I prefer Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) but whenever I hear The Somberlain all the memories of this one comes back. It's so perfect is the only word that can describe it.

I know this album inside out, can probably hear just 2 seconds of any song at any moment and know immediately what song it is. I listened to this one so much in my young teenage room and while drinking beer with friends to this day. Also remembering having it on repeat while reading all of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's other books.

Morbid Angel - Covenant

I love the Altars Of Madness; Blessed Are The Sick; Domination and Abominations Of Desolation records but Covenant is without any doubt my favorite Morbid Angel album. It's also my favorite Death Metal record of all time. Sure that The Somberlain had much Death Metal influences but that one I associate more with the Black Metal scene.

Anyway with Covenant I think the band made their best one all songs are amazing. The order those songs are placed on the record is also perfected from the fast opening Rapture until the end with God of Emptiness one gets onto a journey of Death Metal supreme. I could talk about every song here but I got so much more to write about.

Burzum - Det Som Engang Var

Once I fully understood this albums awesomeness it became a 10 out of 10 album. Recently did a long post about this record. This have become my go to album in the Burzum discography during the last couple of years, sure Filosofem (1996) is better, but this one is still a great genre defying record.

 Marduk - Those of the Unlight

The 2nd Marduk album is also my 2nd favorite Marduk album of all time and was the 2nd Marduk release I ever bought. It's very different from the debut Dark Endless (1992) and the followup Opus Nocturne (1994). I just think that Those of the Unlight sounds like a very unique record in their vast discography. No other album sounds like it in the entire Marduk catalog, sure every record has it own sound but this one is very special.

The first Marduk longsleeve I ever bought was actually a Those of the Unlight shirt. With "Death To Peace" and "War At Last" on the sleeves, on the back the dragon that can be seen inside the original CD booklet and the text written on the last page.

Dismember - Indecent And Obscene

Not as good as the Dismember debut album Like An Everflowing Stream (1991) but still a brilliant Death Metal album. Have probably listened to this one as much as the debut. Actually put Indecent And Obscene at number 9 of my best Death Metal albums of all time and I still think it was a right decision made months ago.

The band had really progressed since the 2 years since their debut album at the time I did actually prefer Clandestine (1991) by Entombed. That's still a great a record but a couple of months after the release of Indecent And Obscene my opinion changed and Dismember became my favorite band.

Immortal - Pure Holocaust

My favorite album by Immortal. At the time and already as early as on their 2nd album it's so very amazingly refined. The sound, the structure of the songs and the lyrics are all so brilliant. If I was to introduce anyone what Black Metal is I would probably choose this one and about 3-4 more.

Not saying that Pure Holocaust is in my top-4 Black Metal albums but if I ever made such a list it would rank high.

Darkthorne - Under A Funeral Moon

Another amazing release and a timeless classic in the genre, however not my favorite Darkthrone record. Still in my top-3 of their albums though. If I remember correctly it was the fourth album by Darkthrone I bought (maybe third) sometime in the mid 90's.

I was such a big fan of everything that Fenriz was associated with back then, I still am, but back then I wanted every record he ever appeared on it was how I discovered many great albums. But about Under A Funeral Moon it is so great that I cannot even pick out any favorite songs because they are all amazing.

Emperor - Emperor EP

I was a huge fan of Emperor in the 90's (still am) but getting a hold of the Emperor/Enslaved split CD on Candlelight Records wasn't easy in the mid 90's. Believe it was during a Stockholm trip it was bought or if I mail ordered it, not certain though. All 4 songs appears on the In The Nightside Eclipse (1994) album and I had heard those to death so this was a great find when I finally got it.

Some prefer the Emperor EP versions of the songs. Myself like the album versions better might be much thanks to the nostalgia I got for In The Nightside Eclipse which were the first album from the Norwegian Black Metal scene that I ever bought. A brilliant 20 min Black Metal EP that everyone should own.

Enslaved - Hordanes Land EP

The first Enslaved album I bought was Frost (1994) actually the Emperor/Enslaved split CD was bought much thanks to Emperor. But to get the Hordanes Land EP  was a great bonus and it was played as much as the Emperor EP. One definitely gets one's money's worth with that split release just Hordanes Land alone is almost 31 min long.

I can never figure out which one is my favorite Enslaved release sometimes it's Frost (1994) then again Vikingligr Veldi (1994) is also amazing and whenever I listen too Eld (1997) I'm reminded how awesome that one is. Maybe Hordanes Land is my favorite after all?


There are MANY honorable mentions!! However non mentioned non forgotten. Could've done a part II or my 20 favorites and I'm already breaking my promise... Both Unanimated and Carcass were almost included. But for Instagram posts the symmetry is better with 9 where I usually post all the stuff you see here. Many of the albums I didn't buy on CD back in 1993 because I was more into the Death and Thrash Metal scene at the time. 

Dismember, Morbid Angel, Slayer, Entombed, Kreator and Unleashed were probably my favorite bands at the time many of these was released. But all that changed when I found out about Dissection and the masterful The Somberlain (yeah I know Metal of Death). It was thanks too that I started getting an interest for the Scandinavian Black Metal scene.

Anyway that was my favorite 9 releases of 1993. It's most for fun I do these posts and opinions can always change, but did list about a month ago and I still stand behind the choices I made.

Dissection, Marduk, Emperor, Satyricon and Dismember concerts I had on VHS back in the day

I used to trade and/or buy VHS-cassettes back in the day. Think the first ones I got was in 1996 and mainly of Black Metal concerts. Many filmed at Swedish youth recreation centers with great shows by Dissection that I had by far most of but also Emperor first UK gigs, Marduk, Immortal, Satyricon and MANY more shows in clubs around Europe just to name a few. This was also how I first saw amazing stuff from Norwegian TV like Det Svarte Alvor & Satan Rir Media. Both that you definitely need to see if you haven't!

Sometimes also Death Metal bands like my 2 favorite Morbid Angel and Dismember would come my way and even if I was totally into Black Metal at the time those two I would still listen to and watch.

These are some of my favorites I own still got them but not a working VHS-player nowadays sadly. It's very nostalgic for me to watch these now and it's amazing that they're available on YouTube. Couldn't imagined that 20+ years ago.

My absolute favorite is this one with Dissection in Umeå 1996 because it's in better quality and more cameras then most what I'm about to post.


This was my 2nd favorite Dissection in Växjö 1994 sadly this one is not complete which the one I have on VHS is. Mine must also be a better generation of the tape because the sound isn't as good as I remember. It was also the first Dissection concert I bought or traded. Except for these 3 songs they also played Heaven's Damnation; Night's Blood; Sacrifice (Bathory) and The Somberlain,


This was the first one I got with Satyricon and it's amazing!


First one of Marduk I got me and my friends used to watch these while drinking beer and booze in the 90's.


Emperor was my favorite band at the time and this was the first time I saw them perform live with this concert and it was great even if it just was on video.


This was the first Dismember one I got.

Jon Nödtveidt article from 1994 English translation

This Jon Nödtveidt written article was originally published in the June/July issue of the Swedish magazine Metal Zone #5 in 1994. This article was in a section of the magazine that was called the “Extreme Zone” and that made me aware of many “new” bands (for me at least) at the time like Nifelheim, Ophthalamia, Marduk, Immortal, Einherjer, Opeth, etc.

Hell this article is the reason why I got into Nifelheim! It made me search/hunt for a CD copy of the excellent A Journey In Darkness (1994) by Ophthalamia for years... This even made me buy, without listening to it first, the first and only Opeth album that I own Orchid (1995). Don't get me wrong it's a great album but I lost interest in them after that.

Looking back Metal Zone was an alright magazine, but the path it lead me into and the contribution by Jon Nödtveidt and Ole Öhman made it worth way more then my money when I was 14 years old. I got every issue except for #3 back then (still looking for it).

The magazine was heavily focused on "regular" Heavy Metal, grunge and AOR crap, this issue had Alice Cooper and Stone Temple Pilots on the cover had on articles with Clawfinger, Pride And Glory, Gilby Clarke, Benediction and Napalm Death 

More important a Bathory one. Jon Nödtveidt interview Quorthon for his solo album called just Album (1994) but Jon focused very much on the whole history of Bathory it's greatly written.

If you want an English translation it's included in Slayer Mag X. If you don't want to hunt for that issue it's of course included in the amazing book Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries from 2011 can't recommend that book enough it's a must have for anyone interested in great music.

Equally as important as the "Extreme Zone" and the Bathory article in this issue was a Dissection interview with Jon Nödtveidt (read a English translation here) it  Also the Emperor interview done by Jon. It made me buy In The Nightside Eclipse (1994) that same year, actually it was the very first Norwegian Black Metal album I bought. See an English translation I did over here.

I can say that it was thanks to Jon Nödtveidt that I discovered MANY bands in 1994.

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Article written by Jon Nödtveidt published in 1994 originally in the Swedish magazine Metal Zone #5 of June/July.

Translated by @herr_black_metal on Instagram

www.herrblackmetal.blogspot.se

Extreme Zone

A guide to the underground

Welcome honored death-heads! Extreme Zone is back now on a bit larger scale than before. We will of course continue our strive to make these Devilish pages expand even more so we don’t totally choke on all the pussy-rock, AOR (or whatever it’s called) that this magazine is filled to the brim with otherwise. We need all the support we can get and we want to know what you as readers viewpoint, so write and state your opinion! All critique, positive or negative, is necessary for the development of Extreme Zone to make it as strong and satisfying as possible. Every extreme Death, Thrash, Black Metal band grab your senses and immediately send your demo tapes, albums (+ preferably with photos and info) or whatever it might be, to get an honest review. This time we have also chosen to include some reviews of fanzines and we will continue to do so if there’s an interest and depending on what we’ll get. So every fanzine editor that want to give your zine some publicity, send us your creations!

First out this time is EINHERJER from Norway with their demo “Aurora Borealis”. Einherjer plays according to them they play epic Viking Metal and the description is more than fitting because of the Norse music atmosphere. Despite the fact that Einherjer does have a pretty own sound it’s mixed with some influences from the two latest Bathory albums and also a whole lot of Black Metal. Of the demos four tracks it’s the last song, “Einherjer” that distinguish itself most with its dark mood. Also the opening song “De Sorte Sjoers Land” is very good. The singing varies mostly from traditional raw to “regular” so to speak. Quite tiresome in the long run, but at some moments very recommendable. “Aurora Borealis” can be ordered for 30 NKR.

Here are a couple of guys that apparently have been listening too much to Deicide and Cannibal Corpse. LEGION from Kiruna delivers a tight and well played Death Metal, but sadly with none sort of originality. One actually begins to think if they strive to sound as standard American as possible. This is Legion’s second demo and because of the fact it’s no treat I hope for the sake of the band they will pull themselves together and put them in some sort of creative approach. If this had been recorded 5-6 years ago it would be on a whole other level.

Once again we heed to our neighbors in the west. HADES is one of the more new Norwegian bands and has accomplished to create a nice debut demo. “Alone Walkyng”, is the title and consists of three songs in heavy Black Metal spirit. “Unholy Congregation”, “Hecate (Queen of Hades) (absolute best of the three) and the titletrack “Alone Walkyng”. It comes as no surprise that Hades musically is almost identical with other Nordic Black Metal bands meaning it’s quite predictable at times. But quite good! Except for the demo “Alone Walkyng” that’s available for 30 NKR, they also have t-shirts available for 100 NKR.

A new single with rerecordings of three songs from EMPEROR’s debut demo “Wrath of the Tyrant” will be released within a couple of days. The single will be printed in a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies (with a sticker). Certainly a very sought after release. The easiest way to obtain it is to send 40 crowns to Nocturnal Art Productions, namely Emperor themselves. (Herr_BM: it’s “As The Shadows Rise” single Jon is writing about here.)

We have had the honor to take part of four new songs from a fresh new recording done by the extremely cruel psychopaths in NIFELHEIM from Dals-Långed. A recording that really reeks of hate and death! Songs like “Sodomizer”, “Witchfuck”, “The Devastation” and “Eternal Evil” is explicitly said so hellish awesome that all other new Black Metal sounds like gospel in comparison. Loyal readers of Extreme Zone of course noticed these guys in MZ nr 3, when we praised their debut demo, but this is the best! Fast, raw and crushing “Satanic Speed Metal” with an atmospheric aura of the blackest devilish evil. Sadly this recording is unofficial, but do not despair, because the excellent Nifelheim demo is still available to order if you’re fast enough 30 crowns + postage (an investment smarter than smartest). It will not be too long until we get to hear Nifelheim on an album. They’re going to appear on a compilation album on American Necropolis Records and later probably a whole full length album on the same company. We wait with big expectations…       

                                                      

The Northern Darkness Tour* with IMMORTAL and MARDUK is postponed because the organizer has been changed. The tour was originally was going to start on the first of April, but will instead begin on 27/5 and continue until 12/6. Totally 17 gigs and to us Northmen sadly not one in Scandinavia. *(Herr_BM note: the tour was actually called “Sons of Northern Darkness 94” and they played in Denmark so I would say they did play one gig in Scandinavia, I don’t know if that was changed or if Jon got the wrong info)

Swedish OPHTHALAMIA’s album debut “A Journey In Darkness” (Avantgarde Music) have after many circumstances finally been released. But not all the problems of Ophthalamia have been solved. The Italian record label Avantgarde Music has because of disagreement with the band cancelled all plans of any tours. The lack of distributors also cause that “A Journey In Darkness” still is very hard to get ahold of, but hopefully that’s going to change. The record is now available at House of Kicks and Heavy Sound.

OPHTHALAMIA’s songwriter “IT” is as you know with “EVIL” from MARDUK on his side also involved with the mythical and notorious “project” ABRUPTUM, their second album was recently released. “In Umbra Malitiae Ambulabo, In Aeternum In Triumpho Tenebraum” is the title and the album is published on the ghost label Deathlike Silence Productions. The planned razor (!) with the exhortation “cut your wrists” that was supposed to be attached on limited editions, never got done because of different reasons. The one who seeks out to be torn apart by the sharp claws of evil should thoughtfully consider looking after this hard to understand masterpiece.

UK based Candlelight Records some time ago signed the Stockholm band OPETH to its army of (mostly) high quality bands. The debut record “Orchid” is on its way to be released and is a result from a visit to the now widely used Unisound Studio in Finspång. The song titles are “In Mist She Was Standing”, “Under The Weeping Moon”, “The Apostle In Triumph”, “Forest Of October”, “Oath” and “Silhouettes”. The promo tape shows proof of may musically talents. Strongly influenced by Norse Folk Music and Progressive Rock Opeth debuts in a very promising way. We’ll wait with further comments until the album is released.

Like we said in the beginning we’ll henceforth review fanzines so we take a short moment and look at what we got thus far. It should also be added that these magazines are also looking for demos and to review.

The Gathering Zine #1

A very good fanzine written in English. Mostly consisting of Black Metal. Good interviews with bands like: Abruptum, Monumentum, Funeral Nation, Katatonia, Dissection, Throne of Ahaz, At The Gates etc. Also an interview with Slayer magazine. A memorial article dedicated to Mayhem, the history of Mercyful Fate, articles of the occult, album reviews, etc. 56 pager in A4 can be ordered for 20 crowns. Recommended.

Peerless Fanzine #2

Swedish written fanzine in A5. 64 pages full of Swedish Metal. Many reviews of demos/albums/fanzines, talk about songs and other good things. Interview with: Decameron, Merciless, Necrophobic, Edge of Sanity, Dissection, Dark Tranquility and Deranged, just to name a few. An entertaining magazine available for measly 10 crowns + postage. Well worth the price!

Zelot Zine #2

Astonishing great! Incredibly well written and a very professional layout. Packed with interesting reading throughout. Informative interviews with among others: My Dying Bride, At The Gates, Desultory, Overflash, Anathema, Seance, Pan-Thy-Monium, Nocturnal Rites and In The Colonnades. Articles, demo/album reviews, news and everything one can think of. Also a three paged tribute article on the kings of gothic rock Fields of the Nephilim. As you’d already understand this is a 68 paged A5 that’s characterized with a very high quality and I say easily that Zelot Zine are at the top of the Swedish fanzine elite, order immediately for 20 crowns. Overwhelming!

Nordic Vision #1

Nordic Vision is a Norwegian produced fanzine that according to me is a bit sloppy. Boring layout and so on, but because this is their first issue one can only hope that the coming numbers will get better. This can however be interesting for you that want to read some more about Black Metal. Interviews with: Rotting Christ, Marduk, Darkthrone, Monumentum, Dissection, Satyricon, Slayer Magazine and No Fashion Records. Also a bunch of reviews. It cost 30 crowns and we are only getting 22 pages. Expensive?

Dark Dimensions #2

Last out we have Dark Dimensions. Here’s served Black and Death Metal in a large amount! 62 pages on A4 written in Swedish. The interviewed bands are: Rotting Christ, Necrony, Vomitory, Tiamat, Dark Tranquility, Decameron, Marduk and a bunch of others. To my delight (and surprise) there’s also a 4-paged interview with the Progressive total favorites Landberk! Lots of reviews and such. Sadly the layout is in this otherwise good fanzine a bit disappointing, that affect the full impression some. For you that got 20 crowns too much why not invest in this magazine?

Enough of drivel for this time. Goodbye!

Jon Nödtveidt

Jon Nödtveidt interview Samoth of Emperor in 1994 English translation

Cannot tell you enough just how important and the impact this Jon Nödtveidt interview with Samoth of Emperor had on me. It made me buy my first ever Norwegian Black Metal album in 1994 the same year that In The Nightside Eclipse was released.

In this same issue of the swedish magazine Metal Zone #5 Jon does an interview with Bathory also there's also a Dissection / Jon Nödtveidt interview. He writes about Marduk, Nifelheim, Immortal, Abruptum, Ophthalamia etc. in the "Extreme Zone" section of the magazine.

In other issues he and the drummer Ole Öhman of Dissection writes interviews, reviews, articles with Slayer, Entombed, Carcass, At The Gates, Dark Tranquility etc.

You can find many of them here on the blog translated into English (got more I can publish). Just use the Jon Nödtveidt "label / tag" and thou shalt find those.