Not without incident

NACHTMYSTIUM - Holocaust of Eternity [CD/2000]
NACHTMYSTIUM - Nachtmystium [CD/2003]
NACHTMYSTIUM - Demise [CD/2004] 6/10=Latest full-length from a rather prolific Midwest USA black metal band, in the necrokvlt style. Simple, but often aspiring to some true beauty within their compositions. Good stuff, not great.
NACHTMYSTIUM - Eulogy IV [CD/2004]
NACHTMYSTIUM - The First Attacks 2000-2001 [CD/2004]
NACHTMYSTIUM - Reign of the Malicious [CD/2005]
NACHTMYSTIUM - Instinct Decay [CD/2006] 7/10=Interesting because of its mixture of primal US black and odd sci-fi synths which actually add a semi-unique atmosphere. It's the best I've heard from them yet.
NACHTMYSTIUM - Worldfall [DVD134/2008] 4/5=Great new EP with some tracks from the sessions for the newest album.
NACHTMYSTIUM - Assassins Black Meddle Pt. I [DVD131/2008] 7/10=An interesting turn to the style, psychedelic black metal with a lot of atmosphere. Now on Century Media...

NASTROND - Toteslaut [DVD49/1995] 8/10=Filthy primal fucking Swedish black metal. Excellent.
NASTROND - Age of Fire [CD/1996]
NASTROND - Celebration of the Four [CD/2004]
NASTROND - Muspellz Synir [DVD112/2008] 8/10=If you have never heard this kvlt Swedish band, you owe it to yourself to check them out. Dense, disturbing, their first album in 12 years and yes it was worth the wait.

NASUM - Industrislaven [CD/1995] 7/10=Nasum was always one of the better death/grind crossover acts, with that punishing Swedish sound.
NASUM - Inhale/Exhale [CD/1998] 8/10=A tour de force of grinding Swedish death, very socially and politically conscious in the lyrics like most bands of this type.
NASUM - Human 2.0 [CD/2000] 8/10=I like the music a little better here, although there are less tracks they tend to be a bit longer.
NASUM - Helveta [CD/2003] 8/10=More excellent grinding madness from this Swedish band, there is a lot of depth, listen to the background for some sweet sounds that drive the pummeling mix home.
NASUM - Shift [CD/2004] 8/10=The last album before Mieszko perishes in the Southeast Asian Tsunami of 2004, just as sick as the last three. He really made the band with his production, they should call it a day now I hope.
NASUM - Grind Finale [CDx2/2005] 5/5=Fuck, what a fan package, tons of obscure EPs and unreleased material to celebrate this band's career and the passing of Mieszko. Over 150 FUCKING SONGS! Mandatory for grinders.
NASUM - Doombringer [DVD116/2008] 4/5=More of those wonderful record labels cashing in on the dead, but at least the live set sounds awesome.

NATTEFROST - Blood and Vomit [CD/2004] 8/10=Gee, it's a solo album from Nattefrost of Carpathian Forest. I wonder what it sounds like?
NATTEFROST - Terrorist [CD/2005] 8/10=Primal, barbaric Celtic Frost/Hellhammer/Bathory worship, courtesy of our man Nattefrost. Never fails to deliver either in Carpathian Forest or on his solo albums.
NATTEFROST - Hell Noise and Live Terrorism [DVD131/2008] 3/5=Limited CDR with some random material and live tunes on there.

NECRODEATH - Into the Macabre [CD/1987] 6/10=Pretty good thrash metal debut, Italy's answer to Kreator.
NECRODEATH - Fragments of Insanity [CD/1989] 6/10=Another decent thrash metal album for the time, but his Italian band would see a brighter future.
NECRODEATH - Mater of All Evil [CD/1999] 8/10=The 'comeback' album, and what an album...one of the better thrash albums of modern times.
NECRODEATH - Black as Pitch [CD/2001] 8/10=Not content to pummel us with just one great thrash album, they do it yet again.
NECRODEATH - Ton(e)s of Hate [CD/2003] 7/10=Maybe it's just that I am too exhausted from the last few albums, but this is still pretty good.
NECRODEATH - 100% Hell [CD/2006] 7/10=I enjoyed this as much as their last record, but it seems like a bit of the modern Swedish melodeath/thrash influence may have crept into their style here.
NECRODEATH - Draculea [CD/2007] 8/10=Italian mother fucking thrash gods make good on yet another outburst of violent energy. Awesome. Inspiring.

NECROMANTIA/VARATHRON - Black Arts Lead to Everlasting Sins [CD/1991] 6/10=Kvlt black/death metal from Greece, had really grinding guitar sound. The Varathron tracks are better, slow melancholic ritual black/doom metal.
NECROMANTIA - Crossing the Fiery Path [CD/1993] 7/10=More of that evil Greek metal, this sounds appropriately grim and decrepit. Very simple, but just has oodles of charm to it. Note = they use 2 distorted basses, not guitar here.
NECROMANTIA - Scarlet Evil Witching Black [CD/1996] 9/10=Perhaps the greatest Mediterranean black metal album ever. Pure evil, yet with the Romantic overtones of that setting.
NECROMANTIA - The Sound of Lucifer Storming Heaven [DVD95/2007] 7/10=It's been a long wait, 7 years since their previous album, and they return with a solid effort of grim, understated symphonic evil darkness. Welcome home.
NECROMANTIA - People of the Sea [DVD140/2008] 4/5=Nice, evil new EP, gotta love the Cthulhu overtones. Only two tracks.

NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - The Call [DVD80/1992] 3/5=Early EP offering on Wild Rags records from the Swedish legends.
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - The Nocturnal Silence [CD/1993] 10/10=Hail fucking Satan! Excellent, pure Swedish death metal, possibly the best album ever in that particular genre, and I'm including Entombed in this evaluation.
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - Spawned By Evil [CD/1996] 4/10=A new tune, plus covers from Slayer, Venom, and Bathory. And that's all there really is to it...
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - Darkside [CD/1997] 8/10=Eh, well how could I expect another album as good as The Nocturnal Silence? Not likely. But they still did a damn fine job with this.
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - The Third Antichrist [CD/1999] 6/10=Didn't like the mix, and that was crucial in my evaluation here. Still 100% Necrophobic, but not as pronounced or mighty as their early records.
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - Bloodhymns [CD/2001] 7/10=Closer to the source, this is a good album in all departments, though not as memorable as Darkside or the infamous The Nocturnal Silence.
NECROPHOBIC (SWE) - Hrimthursum [CD/2006] 8/10=It seems 5 years was well worth the wait, this is their best album since Darkside almost a decade ago.

NEGATIVE PLANE - Et in Saecula Saeculorum [CD/2006] 10/10=Probably the best American metal I've heard in some time, filthy black vocals over Mercyful Fate style classic metal...absolutely, impeccably AWESOME.

NEGURA BUNGET - Zirnindu-Sa [CD/1998] 6/10=Romanian black metal, I was excited that they might use some great folk melodies or ethnic instrumentation from that region, but they don't, still pretty unique sounding though.
NEGURA BUNGET - Sala Malska + From Transilvanian Forest [CD/1998] 7/10=A huge improvement, with one newer EP and one old demo EP, pretty bizarre at times and I like it, especially the creepy bass playing and some ethnicity in there.
NEGURA BUNGET - Maiastru Sfetnic [CD/2000] 7/10=This album is a bit scattershot, but still a bizarre slab of black metal chaos sounding not quite like anyone else.
NEGURA BUNGET - 'N Crugu Bradului [CD/2002] 8/10=Ladies and gentlemen, we have evolution...Negura Bunget have gone from just another weird black metal band to something COMPLETELY different....creepy Romanian black art.
NEGURA BUNGET - Inarborat Kosmos [CD/2005] 7/10=This is only a four-track EP running at under 20 minutes length, but Negura Bunget continue to impress with thier curiously exotic take on black metal. Very cool.
NEGURA BUNGET - Om [CD/2006] 10/10=A masterpiece, an album cosmic in its scale but still very true to Bunget's Transylvanian roots. If you are a fan of dark music, you should own this.

NEPTUNE TOWERS - Caravans to Empire Algol [CD/1994] 8/10=A Fenriz sideproject, basically a continuance of the instrumental synth work from the Darkthrone debut, I really love the use of primitive synthesized ambience.
NEPTUNE TOWERS - Transmissions from Empire Algol [CD/1995] 9/10=This is even better than Caravans, in fact, this is amazingly bleak and beautiful, another two lengthy tracks, and sadly the last from this project.

NEPTUNELL - Empires [DVD49/2003] 10/10=Phenomenal dark ambient from this one Finnish guy, amazing vision that will appeal to fans of early Mortiis or Summoning.
NEPTUNELL - Gallant Northland [DVD49/2004] 10/10=Once again I am in rapture, fantastic work.

NEURAXIS - Imagery [CD/1997] 6/10=Cryptopsy's rise to success spawned all manner of technical Canadian death metal bands. This was one of the first, and this album isn't bad despite its almost complete lack of originality.
NEURAXIS - A Passage Into Forlorn [CD/2001] 7/10=Improved musically, they offer some vastly more original material here, but the choppy, boring vocals ala Cryptopsy/Kataklysm just do not compare to the great chops present.
NEURAXIS - Truth Beyond... [CD/2002] 8/10=A great record, the vocals are a little better on this one, and although I shudder at the thought Neuraxis went a little more melodeath here, the rest kicks ass.
NEURAXIS - Trilateral Progression [CD/2005] 7/10=These guys excel at dynamic and technical Canadian death metal, but this just isn't an album I'm going to remember 10 years down the line.
NEURAXIS - Live Progression [DVD94/2007] 2/5=Forgettable live performance.
NEURAXIS - The Thin Line Between [CD/2008] 9/10=Far and away their best release yet, crystal clear production, great riffs and dynamic grooves.

NEUROSIS - Pain of Mind [CDx2/1987] 4/10=Their early hardcore stuff...this was pretty messy and pretty cool at the time, but does not hold up either to time or to the band's excellent change of style.
NEUROSIS - The Word as Law [CD/1991] 6/10=Still some of their hardcore roots showing, but this is where you begin to see Neurosis as they would become.
NEUROSIS - Souls at Zero [CD/1992] 9/10=Probably their best record...so damned original when it came out...and so cult...great doomy soundscape metal with droning guitars.
NEUROSIS - Enemy of the Sun [CD/1993] 8/10=Not quite as sick as its predecessor, but still in the same vein and another really good mark on their report card.
NEUROSIS - Through Silver in Blood [CD/1996] 8/10=Some hail this as their career album, I prefer Souls at Zero but this is certainly kickass as well.
NEUROSIS - Times of Grace [CD/1999] 7/10=This is a pretty cool album with shimmery production, but it just isn't as good alone as it is with the Tribes of Neurot's Grace accompaniment.
NEUROSIS/TRIBES OF NEUROT - Times of Grace/Grace [CD/1999] 8/10=Someone had the inevitable great idea of melding the albums together with CoolEdit, so now you can hear it the way it was meant, in perfect sync, without needing to play the albums on separate players.
NEUROSIS - Sovereign [CD/2000] 6/10=An EP, but it's Neurosis so it's a good length and a good value.
NEUROSIS - A Sun That Never Sets [CD/2001] 6/10=This isn't bad, and is surely interesting...but it's really becoming more of the same, except perhaps a bit lighter.
NEUROSIS - w/Jarboe [CD/2003] 7/10=Takes getting used to, but once you have, Jarboe of the Swans' crooning meshes well with the Neurotic droning guitars.
NEUROSIS - An Eye for Every Storm [CD/2004] 6/10=Not very impressed by this new album...still Neurosis of course, so if you like them you'll play it a few times.
NEUROSIS - Given to the Rising [CD/2007] 8/10=It's another memorable record from the mighty Neurosis, frankly it's the best thing I've heard from them since Through Silver in Blood, whereas the last few were just decent.

NEVERMORE - Nevermore [CD/1995] 8/10=The best Nevermore record, each song was catchy and it's basically an updated Sanctuary.
NEVERMORE - In Memory [CD/1996] 6/10=Has a great song with 'Optimist or Pessimist?', but a few weak tracks too, not bad for an EP.
NEVERMORE - The Politics of Ecstasy [CD/1996] 6/10=Everything is in place here, good music, production, lyric content...for some reason I just didn't love it.
NEVERMORE - Dreaming Neon Black [CD/1999] 6/10=A few good songs, but some of the most boring stuff they've ever put out, and unfortunately they clog their live set with most of it.
NEVERMORE - Dead Heart in a Dead World [CD/2000] 7/10=This is a good album, their best since the debut, but without the lasting impact.
NEVERMORE - Enemies of Reality [CD/2003] 7/10=It took a few spins but it grew on me, it's about as good as the previous album.
NEVERMORE - This Godless Endeavor [CD/2005] 7/10=It's another Nevermore album with everything, talented musicians, tons of riffs, great production, 100% performances, yet still fails to be anything beyond just very well done.

NIGHTFALL - Parade Into Centuries [CD/1992] 8/10=Along with Septic Flesh, Rotting Christ, Necromantia and Varathron these guys were cult Greek legends, this is an excellent atmospheric death/doom record. FUCK OPETH!
NIGHTFALL - Macabre Sunsets [CD/1993] 7/10=Another great Nightfall record, I loved the blend of doom, death and sort of cheesy synths, though incorporating those into this style was rather novel for the time.
NIGHTFALL - Eons Aura [CD/1994] 7/10=A four-track EP, but fuck...this is some of their best material ever and it certainly warrants the score. Fantastic melodic death metal with a lot of atmosphere.
NIGHTFALL - Athenian Echoes [CD/1995] 8/10=A gothic rock sound had kind of crept its way into some of Nightfall's music at this point, but it did little to alter my opinion of this fantastic band. This is another solid performance.
NIGHTFALL - Lesbian Show [CD/1997] 7/10=It's not their best album, but it definitely rocks throughout. That simpler, gothic approach is now a major part of their sound. Imagine a Greek death metal Billy Idol...
NIGHTFALL - Electronegative [CD/1998] 5/10=Another EP, it's pretty cool but this is no Eons Aura. Some of the songs are in their earlier death/doom style, some are more goth-like.
NIGHTFALL - Diva Futura [CD/1999] 6/10=They are still in their goth/fetish mode fully on this record, perhaps the most difficult to bear but not entirely without merit, certainly there are catchy tunes aplenty.
NIGHTFALL - I Am Jesus [CD/2003] 8/10=It took long enough, but they are back and with a pretty good album, better than the last two releases and with some amazingly memorable tracks and this sad overtone to it.
NIGHTFALL - Lyssa: Rural Gods and Astonishing Punishments [CD/2004] 7/10=For some reason I still enjoy this band and almost all they do...it may be sappy at times but hey, I also love Moonspell. Good stuff Nightfall.

NILE - Demo [CD/1994] 4/10=Not bad, not as into the cleaner vocals but the music certainly showed Nile's future direction.
NILE - Festivals of Atonement [CS/1995] 5/10=It's death metal, and the Egyptian theme begins here. Not very memorable, but wait...
NILE - Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka [CD/1998] 8/10=A great Egyptian death metal record, from our own South. This is groundbreaking and created a huge stir.
NILE - Black Seeds of Vengeance [CD/2000] 8/10=This is also great, and I like it slightly better than the first full-length because the death metal here is very solid.
NILE - In Their Darkened Shrines [CD/2002] 5/10=My problem is they don't use enough Egyptian melody, samples, and instrumentation, and it's becoming just another brutal death band with a gimmick.
NILE - Annihilation of the Wicked [CD/2005] 8/10=This is sick, and more than makes up for the last album. Nile are a great brutal death metal band, and here they have stepped up the Egypt in their sound again. Thank the stars.
NILE - Ithyphallic [CD/2007] 9/10=Simply stunning, their best work yet.

NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Goat Horns [CD/1996] 8/10=A great album, more commercial than their later work, lot of symphonic elements. Very beautiful Ukrainian black metal.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - The Return of the Vampire Lord [CD/1997] 7/10=Has some of their tracks from when they were Crystalline Darkness. This is an amazing EP and that is why I rate it so highly. Check it out.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Marble Moon [CD/1997] 6/10=Another fantastic demo, damn this band has always been after my heart, and I care not if they have NS themes. They rule, and they are entitled to their beliefs.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire [CD/1999] 9/10=A fucking amazing album, might seem too primal at first but listen on at how they captivate the glory, hatred and darkness with wondrous folk elements.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - NeChrist [CD/2000] 8/10=It's even more primal, more raw, though still pretty fucking good. Another successful attempt by this band to produce quality kvlt material.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Lunar Poetry [CD/2001] 3/10=A reissue of their old demo with some of Return of the Vampire Lord on there too. Worth having for fans, but all previously released somehow.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - The Taste of Victory [CD/2003] 7/10=Another high quality EP, clocking in over 40 minutes long. Nokturnal Mortum is possibly the best folk/black metal band, if this fact has yet to dawn on you...
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Eleven Years Among the Sheep [CD/2004] 2/10=A compilation of stuff we've heard before, one point for each disc. Note the controversial record label this was released on. Yeah.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Twilightfall [CD/2004] 4/10=Aaahh...it took some time getting here but it has arrived, the new Nokturnal Mortum...and what a fucking letdown, although some of the Ukraine folk elements still entertain.
NOKTURNAL MORTUM - Weltanschauung [CD/2005] 8/10=Much better than that last one, Mortum is back where they belong. This is an excellent blend of raw black metal, ambience, and beautiful folk landscapes.

NOMINON - Diabolical Bloodshed [DVD61/1999] 8/10=Ferocious oldschool Swedish sound, burning guitars, fucking brutal attack.
NOMINON - Blaspheming the Dead [DVD61/2003] 3/5=3-track EP, probably the weakest material I've heard from Nominon, their albums are great.
NOMINON - The True Face of Death [DVD61/2004] 3/5=Total oldschool Swede brutality, I didn't like this EP's material as much as some of the full-lengths.
NOMINON - Recremation [CD/2005] 8/10=Killer Swedish band playing old-school death metal, not unlike a Vomitory, but with a fuzzier edge to the guitars, this is extremely kickass stuff and now I want their back catalogue.
NOMINON - Remnants of a Diabolical History [DVD142/2006] 4/5=Nice fan package, unreleased tunes, demos, etc.
NOMINON - Terra Necrosis [DVD61/2007] 8/10=Another great album, total retro Swedeath for fans of early Necrophobic, early Entombed, early Dismember.

NON OPUS DEI - Diabolical Metal [CD/2002]
NON OPUS DEI - VI: The Satanachist's Credo [CD/2005]
NON OPUS DEI - ...Sem Al Diavol Va Porti Al Mal [CD/2005] 8/10=Very unique Polish black metal, I love how the vocalist rolls some of the consonants off the tongue, songs range from epic to progressive. Get this.
NON OPUS DEI - The Quintessence [CD/2006] 7/10=Polish black metal and pretty interesting, like the vocals and the riffs are pretty good. They could use a little Polish.
NON OPUS DEI - Constant Flow [CD/2007] 9/10=Pretty twisted and sick black metal with an edge to it...an artistic edge...I daresay. Their best album so far, extremely good.

NONEUCLID - The Crawling Chaos [CD/2008] 9/10=Brilliant debut album from a German death/thrash/progressive band...I hear some subtle touches of stuff like Voivod and Solefald and other weird bands. Amazing.

NONEXIST - Deus Deceptor [CD/2002] 8/10=This was an excellent Swedish death/thrash metal album with Johan Liiva's great vocals (ex-Arch Enemy), and the prolific Matte Modin on drums, unfortunately they are history now.

NORTHAUNT - The Ominous Silence [DVD107/2001] 7/10=Noisier and more pronounced than Barren Lands, but I greatly prefer Barren Lands which I find more subtle. Same creepy spoken lines though.
NORTHAUNT - Barren Lands [DVD107/2004] 9/10=Excellent dark ambient from Norway, simple bleak landscapes thrumming away into the corners of your brain, the perfect new century Viking aphrodisiac.
NORTHAUNT - Horizons [DVD107/2006] 8/10=A more thrilling, creepy journey than Barren Lands but shares that album's subtle hauntings. Great.

NORTHER - Dreams of Endless War [CD/2002] 7/10=People are always claiming this is a poor man's Children of Bodom, and they'd be right in that assertion, but this is still an intense ride.
NORTHER - Released [CD/2002] 0/10=You get an album track and a Skid Row cover...
NORTHER - Mirror of Madness [CD/2003] 7/10=Sounds markedly like...the last album. Melodic death/power metal with black vocals and keys, pretty exciting.
NORTHER - Unleash Hell [CD/2003] 1/10=An album track and a non-album track, that they could have just put on the album instead of bilking you out of $7-10.
NORTHER - Death Unlimited [CD/2004] 6/10=Perhaps this is toned back a little from the level of intensity on the previous albums, I just didn't enjoy it as much, but it's still a good album.
NORTHER - Solution 7 [CD/2005] 5/10=Well, it's certainly better than those singles they put out, you get four new tracks and a remix, overall the music is better than on their last album, a full-length like this would work.
NORTHER - Til Death Us Unites [CD/2006] 8/10=Quite good, it's not often I get some decent melodeath and this is probably Norther's best album yet. They toned down the showing off (Finnish style) and actually wrote some songs.
NORTHER - No Way Back [CD/2007] 5/5=Right off the heels of a hot album they record an EP with some of their best songs ever, seriously good stuff here.
NORTHER - N [CD/2008] 8/10=Yet another great album from one of Finland's premiere melodic death metal bands. Straight from the heart with a kick to the pants.

NOUMENA - Pride-Fall [CD/2002] 6/10=After enjoying the newer Absence so much, I went to track down this debut album by the Finnish band, and though it's not bad, it's far less impressive with a lot more generic riffs.
NOUMENA - Absence [CD/2005] 10/10=Did you miss the catchy folk/melodeath melodies of mid period Amorphis? Did you miss 'Amok' era Sentenced? Well this new band does it all, and does it all extremely well. Awesome record.
NOUMENA - Anatomy of Life [CD/2006] 6/10=Quite a disappointment after the perfection that was 'Absence', all that flair for writing amazing memorable songs has fizzled out to something that is just ok.

NOVEMBRE - Arte Novecento [CD/1996]
NOVEMBRE - Classica [CD/1999] 8/10=Awesome melodic Italian doom.
NOVEMBRE - Novembrine Waltz [CD/2001] 7/10=More diverse than Classica, and still worthwhile, but I didn't like it as much.
NOVEMBRE - Dreams D'Azur [CD/2002] 7/10=A remake I believe of their first album, and as such is some killer melodic, melancholic doom.
NOVEMBRE - Materia [CD/2006] 6/10=Another decent record, at its best when they are playing the heavy stuff though, some of the sappy, moody parts with the cheesy Italian vocals can be distressing. They kind of pussied out here.
NOVEMBRE - The Blue [CD/2007] 8/10=A lush spectacle, waves of cascading melodic doom, their best album since Classica. Beautiful.