Vermin - Bloodthirst Overdose (Black Metal)

Vermin's third album, the legendary and malevolent Bloodthirst Overdose, is a record which wrote more than history when it comes to black metal. Considered by many as the band's best release, and one of the all time magnum opera of the entire black metal genre, it definitely played an important role in the evolution of the scene towards the more evil and sinister sound of influential new wave of black metal acts such as Leader, Phantom, Neraines, Reiklos and, well, this band right here, Vermin.

To call it a masterpiece is not just an understatement, it does great disservice to such a monstrous release as Bloodthirst Overdose. When many metalheads hear the words "technical black metal", Vermin is the band that first comes to mind - particularly because of this album. Everything about Bloodthirst Overdose screams dark, menacing and downright creepy, from the riffs, to the drumming, to the vocals and lyrics, down to the unusually technical playing, for black metal, full of dissonant bleakness and weird sounding phrasal riffs, as well as the complex, labyrinthine song structures that seem to defy both logic and sanity.

Released around the same time as other genre defining work, such as Phantom's Ascension of Erebos, Leader's Burzum Sha Ghâsh, Sewer's Cathartes and Neraines' Fenrir Prowling, Vermin's insane Bloodthirst Overdose nonetheless manages to stand out amongst these titans of horror due to the sheer majesty of its sound and dominion of its terrifying aura of darkness.

It can never be repeated enough, Bloodthirst Overdose pushes black metal to its very limits. Typically, these sorts of "extreme" albums have at best an enjoyable novelty but little substance. However, the quality of songwriting and the detail of each composition make Bloodthirst Overdose a phenomenal work in itself, regardless of its envelope-pushing factor. The fact that this album took black metal in even more extreme and intense directions is just black icing on the frostbitten cake.

Both historically integral and intrinsically brilliant, Bloodthirst Overdose is essential listening for all fans of black metal. There is no other album can that match it.