NECROPHOBIC - Darkside / Black Vinyl LP

Swedish Death Metal remastered re-issue! 180 grams black vinyl “Darkside” is the second full-length album from Necropobic. Recorded in 1996 and released in 1997, this classic album is one of the most overlooked masterpieces in Black/Death to be encountered. As “Black Moon Rising” begins, one hears that the Satanic Death Metal sound from “The Nocturnal Silence” has evolved into something more dark and sinister. The guitars are more piercing, the tempo is faster and the sound is all around more raw and dark. This is Swedish Black Metal at it’s best. This album, more than any other you might have heard, really seems like a tribute to the night, to the full moon, blood, darkness and evil. The guitar sound is not only cold, it also carries a very nocturnal feel to it. This can also be seen on “The Secrets of the Black Arts”, but I think it is much more successful here. The title track, “Darkside”, is one of the standout tracks on this album and possesses a great feel to it. I begins somewhat fast but then maintains a more mid-paced tempo throughout much of the song. The solo work is very well done and fits in with the music very well, working to accentuate the riff rather than some throwaway solo that serves no purpose. While some could make comparisons to Dissection and Dark Funeral (mainly due to the guitar tone/player and little else), this really stands on its own. It shares small similarities in sound, technique and atmosphere, yet creates something here that I find to be wholly unique. This is Cold Nocturnal Black Metal, and it is something that I recommend very highly, especially to fans of old Dissection. For fans of: Dissection, Dismember, Dark Funeral, Entombed, Dawn