Black metal documentation: 1993

“Well, it’s only Rotting Christ I am in contact with. I don’t give a reeking shit about other bands, I only concentrate on Impaled Nazarene. Like any other label, Osmose has some cool and good bands, but most of them are just crap! Osmose Productions was the first label to realize black metal was the new trend!”

Interview with Mika (Impaled Nazarene), featured on Putrefying Mass from the Netherlands (2nd issue, circulated in 1993).

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• Abruptum - Obscuritatem Advoco Amplectère Me | Complete garbage. They never scared anyone with such childish edginess. [0.5 out of 5 - Worthless]
• Absu - Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. | I can’t get behind the female vocals here, but it’s unique and a nice blend of black and death metal. Certainly furious at times and with a fantastic front cover. [3.5 out of 5 - Great]
• Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon | Overvalued, pretentious release that tries to hide its tediousness but fails. Despite the praise, I was never sold with this mediocrity. [2.5 out of 5 - Average]
• Blasphemy - Gods of War | I was never a big fan of this band, but respect them for the importance and the raw approach. Great album. [3.5 out of 5 - Great]
  
• Burzum - Det som engang var | Slowly growing from the earlier recordings. Essential. [4 out of 5 - Excellent]
• Christ Agony - Unholyunion | Needs multiple listens, very solid and engaging. Wonderful debut.
• Countess - The Gospel of the Horned One | Definitely one of the lowest points of the genre at the time. Surrounded by masterpieces, there is no reason to go into this except for archival purposes. [1 out of 5 - Really poor]
• Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon | One of the few instances of absolute pure black metal excellence. [5 out of 5 - Masterpiece]
• Decayed - The Conjuration of the Southern Circle | Often overlooked gem. Cold and violent, with tense evil synths. [3.5 out of 5 - Great]
• Dissection - The Somberlain | Perfection. The only thing that can be noted is that it is not as good as the next. [4.5 out of 5 - Brilliant]
• Havohej - Dethrone the Son of God | Laughable cover but ultra raw and hateful music. Appreciate this more than the early Profanatica records. Truly blasphemous. [3.5 out of 5 - Great]
• Immortal - Pure Holocaust | Not a single skippable moment in this. Unparalleled and one of a kind, an example of superb black metal sound. [5 out of 5 - Masterpiece]
• Impaled Nazarene - Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz… | Raw but doesn’t do much, from a long-living GG Alin of black metal. [2.5 out of 5 - Average]
• Impaled Nazarene - Ugra-Karma | Mika still can’t sing, but the primal character of the album is clear and appreciated. Nice synths, dull lyrics. [3 out of 5 - Good]
• Impurity - The Lamb's Fury | Quite raw, with characteristic whispering vocals and repetitive rough riffs in the vein of Archgoat or Profanatica. [3 out of 5 - Good]
• Marduk - Those of the Unlight | Their righteous turn to black metal after a death metal experimentation. Energetic and full of attacking melodies and intense vocals, but not without its flaws. [3.5 out of 5 - Great]
• Mystifier - Göetia | Even better than the debut. One of the best albums of the early years, a must that should be owned by every black metal listener. [4 out of 5 - Excellent]
• Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path | Excellent cover. Not their strongest material at the time, aching from filler moments. [2.5 out of 5 - Average]
• Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence | Wholesome and focused debut. They took off later on, here there was still some underground spirit present. [3 out of 5 - Good]
• Resuscitator - Iniciation | Filthy black / death metal released on Wild Rags Records, it looks great but several tracks are quite flat. At times, it stays slow for too long. [2 out of 5 - Below Average]
• Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract | Should be placed in the pantheon of bands for the genre. Spectacular debut. [4.5 out of 5 - Brilliant]
• Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times | If you are not captivated by the sound and the compositions of this record, you don’t like black metal. [4.5 out of 5 - Brilliant]
• Sigh - Scorn Defeat | Truly unique compositions, with almost theatrical delivery. Exquisite keyboards and melodies, while maintaining clear 90’s second wave character. Essential. [4 out of 5 - Excellent]
• Unanimated - In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead | Half of it has great riffs, at times there’s some unnecessary segments. Goofy front cover, it’s okay but nothing special. [3 out of 5 - Good]
• Ungod - Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts | A little bit forgettable, but decent and aesthetically fitting as a whole. Indifferent but not deplorable. [2.5 out of 5 - Average]
• Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp | Awesome Greek black metal, one of the peaks from the country, which (among a few others) set the tone and the sound for many bands to follow. [4 out of 5 - Excellent]