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.

MORBID ANGEL - DOMINATION (1995)

Domination by Morbid Angel both the original 1995 CD & 2016 vinyl reissue. The vinyl cover artwork is actually the same as the 1st print vinyl from 1995.

Many don’t seem to know the vinyl had a different cover in 1995, but the only reason I’m showing the CD is that I prefer that artwork.

This was a first day buy for me, it didn’t matter that I was beginning to get more into the Black Metal scene in 1995. The band had an enormous task to followup the Altars of Madness; Blessed Are The Sick & Covenant albums.

I put all those 3 in my top-5 Death Metal albums of all time so I had my expectations set extremely high. After 2-3 listens of Domination in May of 1995 it was apparent they didn’t outdo those 3 records but it was still an excellent album.

1995 was a weird year in the Death Metal genre, the North American scene delivered some great ones though and Morbid Angel showed them all they were still the kings of the genre. Songs like Dawn of the Angry; Nothing But Fear; Caesar’s Palace; This Means War; Dominate; Eyes To See... and all other brilliant songs.

Know that some disliked this album and I can’t understand why? Some criticized the lyrics but I didn’t mind them, the sound or songwriting. Something I still regret to this day was that me and a friend didn’t go to Gothenburg in 1995 and witnessed the Morbid Angel, Dissection and Moonspell gig at Kåren...

But I was 15 years my friend 16 years and we lived far far north of Gothenburg.

Got to see them on the next tour a few years later for Formulas Fatal to the Flesh (1998). But I wasn’t into that album and David Vincent was no longer in the band.

Sure there has been brilliant Death Metal releases after Domination but for me it was almost like an “end of an era” record, the scene lost much of its magic after 1995 in my opinion.

MORBID ANGEL - ABOMINATIONS OF DESOLATION (1991)

The first print vinyl on Earache Records from 1991 and the only official LP of this record. Can’t understand why I didn’t like this brilliant album back in the early days of my fascination for Morbid Angel and Death Metal. Neither the vinyl or CD release tells the very fascinating story behind this album it doesn’t even mention the band members.

This was once supposed to be Morbid Angel’s debut album. Later Trey Azagthoth said it should be considered as a demo. Remember a friend had the CD and I only heard it a couple of times. I didn’t even bothered to borrow it and we weren’t particular impressed by it back then. “Abomination of Desolation” was recorded in 1986 with David Vincent as a producer he wasn’t a member then, the drummer Mike Browning did the vocals.

David Vincent first appearance was on the demo “Thy Kingdom Come” (1987). Earache re-released “Abominations of Desolation” 2 months after “Blessed Are The Sick” (1991) the reason was to prevent bootlegs but since then there been MANY unofficial vinyls. Even if I have this one it deserves to be re-released on a Earache FDR vinyl.

All songs except for Demon Seed was later re-recorded some with different titles 3 on “Altars of Madness”, 3 on “Blessed Are The Sick”, 1 on “Covenant” and even 12 years later 1 on “Formulas Fatal To The Flesh”.

The reason I got interested in buying this record for myself was because of the song Angel of Disease they re-recorded on “Covenant”. It’s my favorite Morbid Angel album and the song was one of my favorites when it was released in 1993 and made me want to hear the original.

Is “Abominations of Desolation” as good as Altars; Blessed; Covenant or Domination? No but if you like Morbid Angel or early Death Metal recordings it’s definitely worth your money and time.

MY TOP-9 DEATH METAL RELEASES OF ALL TIME

Herr Death Metal?! My 9 favorite records ever in this magnificent genre. It’s hard to rank albums, ok the top-5 was "easy", but after that it got more difficult. An important note is that I don’t consider bands like Dissection or Unanimated as pure Death Metal otherwise the list would look different.

This list might be a bit obvious, without surprises, obscure records and bands. But it’s my taste bands I grew up listening to and that does reflect the list. I didn’t listen to Autopsy, Repulsion, Possessed etc. back in the early 90’s. Enough excuses and on with it!

Number1. Covenant (1993) by Morbid Angel

Back when I saw God Of Emptiness on Headbanger's Ball I didn't know that "Covenant" would be my all time favorite Death Metal album. I actually didn't buy it on its release date I borrowed a friends copy and put on a cassette-tape but that lasted maybe a few days and I got a copy for myself it had completely blown me away. The song God Of Emptiness that I thought were the best Morbid Angel song ever became my least favorite song on the album (except for the instrumental but amazing Nar Mattaru). Next time when you listen to it notice the perfect structure of the songs it's opening fast song Rapture going into Pain Divine to World Of Shit (The Promised Land) with a slower pace then Vengeance Is Mine and Lion's Den one of their most underrated songs ever. I would also say that Blood on My Hands is very underrated, it's not often I prefer a re-recorded song but the "Covenant" version of Angel of Disease is better then the one appering on "Abominations of Desolation" (1991). Sworn To Black is one of the 5 best songs on the album, Nar Mattaru lets one bread awhile before the epic finale God Of Emptiness. Brilliant, excellent, amazing  and all other words don't even come close to describe this work of finest art one of the best Metal albums across all genres. 

Number 2. Like An Everflowing Stream (1991) by Dismember

The very first Death Metal album I ever laid my eyes on was this first print LP on Nuclear Blast of "Like An Everflowing Stream" that used to belong to my older sister in 1991. She eventually gave it to me in 1994 but the 11 year old boy I was back in 1991 was very astonished just by their image drenched in blood on 2 of the band pictures and Richard Cabeza/Daemon's with that very HUGE upside down crucifix mesmerized me. The album grew on me with time and it soon became a favorite even if I haven't always put it as high but with more perspective I realized that this's better then "Left Hand Path" around 1993. The songs are all amazing the opening Override Of The Overture is the perfect opener that goes into Soon To Be Dead, Bleed For Me, And So Is Life then Dismembered that is one of their best songs. I wrote about Skin Her Alive and Dismember for an English assignment in school but that teacher in 1994 was rather open minded haha... Read "Left Hand Path" later about another teacher that wasn't as openminded haha... The ending song In Death's Sleep is another one of my favorites on the record even if it's hard to choose favorites among 8 songs in 31 minutes of pure Death Metal perfection.

Number 3. Altars of Madness (1989) by Morbid Angel

One of the first songs in the genre I remember seeing on VHS that my sister had recorded from Headbanger's Ball in late 1991 was Immortal Rites it was probably the first Death Metal song I ever heard. It was so amazing I thought after a few listenings that it actually took back then before I understood the music. It was so far from the Thrash Metal stuff I was into, but still a continuation of that genre just more in your face, intense and filthier I mean in a good way of course. Anyway this was the second Death Metal album I ever got and a it's a timeless classic I can listen to this one back to back from start to finish for hours still to this day.

Number 4. Left Hand Path (1990) by Entombed

The first ever Death Metal CD that I bought in the summer of 1992 was this classic debut album by Entombed. I've to admit that while I loved so many Death Metal songs from Headbanger's Ball a whole album was another thing. At first I didn't get it at all except for the title track I had watched and listened to many times and even recorded the sound from the TV onto a cassette-tape, very ghetto like but it worked. Anyway it was around this time I had started to notice other bands on that MTV show like Slayer, Sepultura and Kreator. Their albums was so much easier for me to understand and once I got to "Hell Awaits" on CD it finally all made sense it was like a click in the brain this sounds familiar I thought. Even if "Left Hand Path" doesn't sound anything like "Hell Awaits" it was an eyeopening moment. My sister had "Clandestine" on CD and for many years I preferred that one but ever since 1999 when I snapped out of my "all must be Black Metal" period I liked "Left Hand Path" so much more. I mean just listen to it. And yeah my teacher story... Well in 1992 I bought my first Death Metal t-shirt the very same as this cover and of course wore it to school with pride. The teacher I had in "mellanstadiet" as it was known as in Sweden for kids in grades 4 to 6 (10-13 year old) was a real dickhead and one day after a class he wanted me to stay and talk to this shithead of a person. He asked about the t-shirt and if it was the new terrible (death) Heavy Metal music he heard about and me of course proud as fuck over this shirt explained it to the worst teacher I ever had in my life. He didn't ban me from wearing it, but his tone was definitely not accepting either way nothing happened about it he was probably some christian motherfucker or something... I heard many twisted and weird things about him... Anyway "Left Hand Path" get it if you haven't!  

Number 5. Blessed Are The Sick (1991) by Morbid Angel

If I'm right this was probably the 4th or 5th album I got in the genre. Had listened and seen the brilliant title track on VHS so many times before but the album took awhile to fully appreciate. I liked except for the one just mentioned Fall from Grace and Day of Suffering but after a few listenings I was convinced of its brilliance and Morbid Angel became my favorite Death Metal band at least for awhile. Even if "Covenant" is my favorite of all time this album still to this day grows on me with every listening even after so many years I find something new that I hadn't noticed before the same goes for the next one...

Number 6. Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994) by Amorphis

This might be the oddball choice on the list many would probably go for something more extreme. But this is more then just another Death Metal album they've so many different influences and approaches on this record from Death to Doom to Progressive to Folk Music and so on. It was so different from all other records I owned at the time and like I wrote earlier this is another one I find out new stuff and passages on with each listen a very rewarding record. Except for the butcher of The Doors - Light My Fire on the digipack that's not included on this picture disc from 1995. The best album from the great Metal country of Finland ever and "Elegy" (1996) is also almost as brilliant but like I didn't include any Dissection or Unanimated albums I think that their "Elegy" album isn't pure Death Metal. Anyway this is about the great record you're seeing on the picture get it if you haven't!

Number 7. Leprosy (1988) by Death

Chuck Schuldiner (1967-2001) was one of the best guitarists in the Death Metal scene ever, he was also one hell of a songwriter. Death was one of the first 5 bands I ever heard in the genre. I still remember seeing the promo video for the song Lack of Comprehension the first time when I was 11 years old in 1991/92. Whenever I hear the intro to that song I get goosebumps, then when the band is on stage and Chuck starts singing it’s pure brilliance. Still one of my favorite Death songs of all time. Although Death isn’t my favorite band in the genre they actually never released a bad album and "Symbolic" almost made it onto this list and "Human" is also in high in the ranks. But "Leprosy" is just a bit more better and have an amazing 38 minutes of pure Death Metal greatness.

Number 8. Deicide (1990) by Deicide

33 min 13 seconds songs like Lunatic of God's Creation, Sacrificial Suicide, Dead by Dawn, Deicide, Oblivious to Evil, Crucifixation and the rest. Masterpiece, enough said.

Number 9. Indecent And Obscene (1993) by Dismember

The hardest choice on the list and it's a shame At The Gates didn't make it to the top-9. Many probably think that Morbid Angel is my favorite Death Metal band? But it's actually Dismember sure "Massive Killing Capacity" was a wasted opportunity but back to "Indecent and Obscene". It's a very nostalgic album for me like all the other ones on the list but this one brings back so many memories from when I was 13-15 years old. I held it in such high regard, also sometimes I even preferred it over "Like An Everflowing Stream" back in 1993-94 it have 9 songs all brilliant also very different from their debut and the "Pieces" (1992) EP. Most known for the Dreaming In Red song they made a video for but there's so much more on this masterpiece Skinfather, Reborn In Blasphemy, Fleshless, Sorrowfilled, Case # Obscene etc. It might not have been as inspirational like "Slaughter of the Soul" (that spawned some awful copycat/ripoff bands...) but today on the 21th of April I choose "Indecent And Obscene" as the 9th best Death Metal album of all time! 

Don’t think anyone was forgotten because I made this list some months ago as a “celebration” to 900 followers. The choice between “Deicide” or “Leprosy” was hard but the number 9 was definitely my toughest choice. It was delayed due to me being so indecisive of the 9th one, another day it could be “Slaughter of the Soul” by At The Gates. Sure I could done a top-10 but the 9 symbolizes 900 and it fucks up the square design.

Even back in 1993-94 I probably wrote the exact same list on some occasion. Something I did on lined paper books at school or write setlists to Morbid Angel, Dismember, Slayer etc. a fun activity I thought back then. The bands with most albums was most fun because I could do one after each release and remember in 1992-94 many bands had only released 2 albums (problably got those setlist lying around somewhere).

On some lists at one point in the 90’s Unleashed or Obituary was probably included but now only one of all their albums made it into a top-30. Actually did my top 10-18 and 19-27 but with a little more loosely with the numbers I might post it someday.