Necrophobic - The Third Antichrist (2018 Reissue) (Cassette)

Another classic by the Swedish death-metallers Necrophobic, making this their third utterly fantastic release in a row. If you have heard their previous two releases "The Nocturnal Silence" and "Darkside", this doesn't stray too far from that thrash/black influenced death metal sound. This may seriously be Necrophobic's finest release as every musician is absolutely on top of their game: from the insanely addictive tremolo-picked guitar riffs to the eerie lead guitar work scattered gloriously throughout every song, this release borders on perfect. The production is damn fine and every element of an awesome Satanic Death Metal record is in tact: tasteful drumming with intense blast-beats and rhythmic diversity to complex bass-lines which absolutely compete with the fucking stellar guitar wizardry. Purists may scoff at how Necrophobic aren't true black metal or death metal, but I think they incorporate the best characteristics of the two distinct extreme metal genres to form a hybrid sound. "The Third Antichrist" is that fucking good. It truly is a metal gem to behold, and of special mention are the killer vocals as well as the fucking awesome lyrics. Complex Satanic death metal with melodic underpinnings has never sounded so good.