NECROPHOBIC cd collection Bloodhymns Death To All The Third Antichrist death metal
Necrophobic are a Swedish blackened death metal band formed in Stockholm in 1989 by drummer Joakim Sterner and the late guitarist David “Blackmoon” Parland. Their name was taken from the Slayer song on Reign in Blood.
From the beginning, Necrophobic aimed for something darker than conventional Swedish death metal. Their music combines death metal’s weight and aggression with the cold atmosphere, tremolo melodies and occult themes of black metal. Recommended for listeners of Dissection, Unanimated, Sacramentum, Watain and Dark Funeral.
1. Bloodhymns — Digipak, Hammerheart Records
Released in 2002, Bloodhymns was Necrophobic’s fourth album and their first following The Third Antichrist. It maintains the band’s melodic blackened death metal foundation while delivering a sharper and more aggressive attack.
“Act of Rebellion,” “Roots of Heldrasill,” “Shadowseeds” and “Mourningsoul” combine fast drumming, dark guitar harmonies and Tobias Sidegård’s harsh vocals. The album is brutal but never sacrifices the melodic guitar work that separates Necrophobic from more straightforward death metal bands.
This Hammerheart Records digipak is a strong choice for listeners who want the band at their most direct and hostile.
2. Death to All — Limited Reissue with Slipcase, Century Media
Originally released in 2009, Death to All marked a particularly intense period in Necrophobic’s catalogue. Compared with the more expansive Hrimthursum, this album is shorter, faster and more concentrated.
“Celebration of the Goat” immediately establishes the attack, while “Revelation 666,” “La Santisima Muerte,” “For Those Who Stayed Satanic” and the title track balance relentless speed with dark melodic passages. Members of Watain also contributed guest vocals to “La Santisima Muerte.”
It is a compact album with no unnecessary material—eight tracks of Swedish blackened death metal delivered with precision. This limited Century Media reissue comes housed in a slipcase, giving it additional collector appeal.
3. The Third Antichrist — Digipak, Hammerheart Records
Released in 1999, The Third Antichrist was Necrophobic’s third full-length album and the bridge between the earlier darkness of The Nocturnal Silence and Darkside and the harder attack of Bloodhymns.
“The Third of Arrivals,” “Frozen Empire,” “Into Armageddon,” “Eye of the Storm” and “The Throne of Souls Possessed” offer a strong balance of speed, sinister atmosphere and memorable guitar harmonies. The production retains enough rawness to sound dangerous while allowing the riffs and melodies to remain clear.
For listeners who want the classic late-1990s Swedish blackened death metal sound, The Third Antichrist is the best starting point among these three titles.