63. Necrophobic - 'Dawn of the Damned'

Gloriously over the top wide screen Black Metal! When it first emerged in Norway in the early nineties, Black Metal was a distinctly underground affair with a penchant for zero production and down-tuned guitars. Over the years it has evolved, and the type of Black Metal favoured by Necrophobic is well polished and full of slick hooks. What they haven't jettisoned though is that sense of dread and menace. There is a real intensity to 'Dawn of the Dammed', it starts in your face and remains there for its entire length. It throws riff after snarling riff at the listener, never letting up in terms of quality or potency. Overall, this is masterclass in melding Black Metal malignant origins with modern production values.