On this, Immortal's first full-length album, we are given a good taste of Norwegian black metal. Problem is, it is simply GOOD, not great. The songs are very solid, and worthy of praise...but Immortal's later stuff is much better. The structures of the various songs are pretty simple and straight-forward, nothing fancy or complex really. I would say that this album serves as a good intro to black metal in general. For awe-inspiring Immortal, check out everything they did after this!
What a difference an album makes. 1992's Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism sounded like blatant Bathory cloning. 1993's Pure Holocaust, however, is an entirely different ballgame. This stuff sounds like fast, primal black metal. NORWEGIAN black metal. There is no way someone could listen to this and not know it was Norwegian and from the early 90s. I love it. The sound is perfectly captured, the speed is blisteringly fast, and the vocals are so visceral! I would have to say that for pure, no-frills, blackened, evil, unadulterated black metal...Immortal's Pure Holocaust is one of the best. Buy this. NOW.
