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Mark of the Necrogram was my first experience with Necrophobic, a band that has been around since the late '80s and wields a brand of black death that draws particularly on Dissection but also bands like Watain and even Amon Amarth at their most melodic.

With a firm emphasis on melody, it is hard not to be caught in the whirlwind of hooks flying at you from the very first second of this record. Necrophobic follow a very effective formula here, with drums that roll like thunder and guitar work that consist of fiery riffs steeped in memorable melody lines that wriggle their way into your brain. Songs like "Tsar Bomba," "Sarcosanct," "Mark of the Necrogram" and "Crown of Horns" are borderline anthemic, with fist-pumping choruses that are easily sung (or screamed) along to, and I imagine they work very well live. While these songs occasionally verge into Amon Amarth territory, cuts like "Odium Caecum" and "Lamashtu" take a more sinister turn, with the deep, bone-chilling rasp of vocalist Anders Strokirk firmly in command.

Maybe with the exception of "Requiem of the Dying Sun" and the unremarkable outro "Undergången," there are no weak tracks on this record. Even "Requiem..." isn't bad; it's just not as memorable as the rest of the album. My main gripe here is the production, which leaves something to be desired in terms of that extra punch, but I can hardly dock them many points for that. Since picking this up again, "Tsar Bomba" and the title track have been stuck in my head for ages—in a good way.