120. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse (1994)
Yes, Bathory is essential. Yes, Burzum is essential. Yes, even ******* Ulver are essential. However, you don't know what it means to be essential until you listen to this record. Coming out of a time where black metal records were beginning to shred their death metal counterparts in terms of exposure, this probably was the pinnacle of that era of black metal. I regard this highly as my 5th favorite album of all time. The shrieks are apocalyptic, the depressing atmosphere is breathtaking, and the instrumentation is top notch. I was left with probably the most impressive black metal record I had ever listened to. It beats the hell out of bands like Bathory. There are too many standouts on this record to list, but I'll give you one for your listening pleasure. This is a must for anyone who even remotely likes metal. For me it was the gateway drug into one of metal's most expressive genres.