Top 30 Black Metal Releases (1984-1994) by Ben

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Clan: The North

Genre: Black Metal

Initial List (1984 to 1992)
There were quite a few releases that I'd never heard before, such as Mystifier, Mortuary Drape, Parabellum, Bestial Summoning, Blasfemia and Exterminator. Unfortunately none of them were good enough to break into my top 10, which in itself is very top heavy (nothing could compete with Bathory and Darkthrone in this era). I have developed a newfound respect for both Master's Hammer and Root though, neither of which I'd given the time of day previously. Master's Hammer in particular released some really great albums that all fans of early black metal should check out. Oh, and Sarcofago's second album Rotting is (in my opinion) so much better than their much more esteemed debut that I'm genuinely confused by the general consensus.

Update (1993)
The top 5 releases for 1993 haven't changed for me, being Darkthrone's Under a Funeral Moon, Immortal's Pure Holocaust, Burzum's Det som engang var, Dissection's The Somberlain and Emperor's self-titled EP. The biggest surprise has undoubtedly been Mystifier's Goetia album. There were moments of promise on the debut, but the combination of underdeveloped material and dodgy production caused me to give it 3 stars and move on. It's follow-up is hugely improved, and the occult-inspired theme and atmosphere shines through. It shows how important production is when my favourite two tracks on this 4 star album are actually re-recordings of the best two tracks from the 3 star debut. Other enjoyable releases from 1993 that I hadn't heard prior are Christ Agony's Unholyunion and Ungod's Circle of the Seven Infernal Pacts.

Update (1994)
1994 has to be one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) years for black metal. It was kind of inevitable that a whole bunch of classics would enter my top 30. The biggest surprise for me is how good Dawn's debut album is, managing to sneak into my top 10 at this point in time. I've always been a fan of their Slaughtersun album, but hadn't given the debut more than a passing listen. If you enjoy melodic black metal, Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher is a great album that you should check out. Some people might be surprised at my inclusion of Cradle of Filth's debut at number 13 too, but this was a really important album for me as a teenager. The campy vampire thing might have been a bit much if I'd first approached it as an aging adult, but the horror movie obsessed, hormonally charged teenage version of Ben was completely taken in by it. I still get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and include it at this position with no shame.