DarkThrone Unintentional yet interesting in the resulting sequence of events DarkThrone’s debut effort begins the burning down of death metal’s establishments and the rising from the ashes of a new generation of black metal in the anti-formulations, despite clear parallels of definition. Soulside Journey belongs in the characteristic realm of early 90s Scandinavian death metal initiated by Nihilist/Entombed, Carnage and Dismember. The music operates in a more complicated structure than what is the norm for most early European Death Metal, yet its language is essentially a shared one. The dark atmospheric groove of this style of music is evidenced here, though there is a more sinister darkness running through this work that seeks to nestle within the obscure and explores a curiosity with evil. There is a sense of a spirit lurking behind the death metal communication stalking the proceedings in the intention of observing each structural component to effectively shatter its foundation for the black metal rebirth soon to follow. The music executes underneath a gathering of dark clouds throughout and despite the semi-technical instrumentation on display shies away from the burden of attention and resembles a soul on a journey towards ultimate isolation. In the delivery of the genre’s more traditional occurrences, this can almost be taken as the group’s purging of exploration of the common execution of this style, and this seems closer to reality than the idea of an original intention of building up towards breaking down. The emphasis is shifted more heavily towards the instrumentation and the structural. This would shift intensely in the opposite direction rapidly. No destination is discovered here, though the journey has been set in motion. Quickly to be denounced by its own creators, Soulside Journey is a unique interpretation of early 90s European death metal that would become an even more curious proposition in light of the band’s following approach. 1/2005 Tracklisting :
DarkThrone The process of deconstruction in motion, A Blaze In The Northern Sky is a horrifying and bewildering expressionistic response to the debut, turning the initial formula flat on its ear. In pursuit of the capture of wickedness driven by a hatred towards a blind world devoid of understanding and the prison of life, DarkThrone discover not just an appropriation of sound but an ideology. The music is raw in a primeval sense, a regression of sorts towards the primitive and ugly sounds of early 80s black metal pioneers Hellhammer/Celtic Frost and Bathory. Arrangements are constructed to follow suit, while the delivery is intentionally unrefined and haphazard, a direct rebellion to the somewhat technical approach and sound of their death metal debut Soulside Journey, as well as what, in many early 90s Norwegian black metal musician’s eyes, had become a derivative and soulless operation in the name of placid death metal. "My flesh yearns for the tombworld" The soul of this effort is one of violent rejection and cryptic evil. The terrifying howls and screams of Nocturno Culto are the cries of a misanthropic spirit self-banished to deep, cold forests blanketed in pitch-black midnight. Unholy in confrontation into frightening depths of spiritual/mental conflict through freezing distortion and violent, simple-yet-smart in regards to structure dynamic drumming, DarkThrone seek for and reach towards the netherworlds of black metal, striving for an element of approach heretofore never achieved within this form. Despite the veneer of instrumental and compositional unrefinement (they have already previously established ability in each), this group knows exactly what they are doing. A Blaze In The Northern Sky is the essence of early 90's Norwegian black metal. It is here where diabolical matter, purity of hatred and impenetrable darkness function in synergy in denouncement of structural norms, even within its own realm, to tear down the fragments of existence. The atmosphere here is a thick black, an evil black, which, parallel to its compositional simplicity, insists upon focus on emotional/spiritual state of being within the imprisonment of humanity and its inherently condemned habitat. DarkThrone reflect the ugliness of existence through hellish terror in a vortex of inner desolation and malevolence. 1/2005 Tracklisting :
Purchase DarkThrone's A Blaze In The Northern Sky DarkThrone It is here where DarkThrone master their craft and fully seize and present the fundamental elements of "True Norwegian Black Metal", a music genre which they assisted in pioneering. Having rerouted their approach on the previous effort, initiating the beginning steps to achieving ultimate representation of the core of this art, DarkThrone now embody the total, complete essence of the intentional vision of definition of the ideology behind black metal music. Structural variation operates within a minimalist aesthetic now razor-sharpened in execution and extremism of violence. Guitars form riffs frozen in ice, a chilling buzz of distorted streams anchored by Fenriz’s slaughterous pummeling, a rhythmic simplification intensified through diversification of compositional enhancement. Culto’s infernal shrieks, here slightly more faithful to sonic construction and flow, bleed with an intoxication of venomous furor, the voice of demonic murderer of hallowed virtue, a contradiction in hateful affliction and indifference, a torn-apart soul struggling with life’s, perceived or otherwise, unendurable circumstances. "You must know that I can no longer see the difference of dream and reality" These songs are not the epics of A Blaze In The Northern Sky. They were not written to achieve such. Rather, these are works in simplicity flowing in a frozen stream towards cold and unforgiving forests. The music is cutthroat, frigid and grim in a manner simply unheard or felt in any form of metal music before it, and despite countless imitators, extremely few have matched it since. Instead of choosing the stone over the sun and considering the grip on the stone as a destination in itself, DarkThrone exist through the stone in violent defiance of the sun. 1/2005 Tracklisting :
DarkThrone Through a trance-inducing presentation of repetition, Transilvanian Hunger flows in hypnotic courses. In this form of minimalist structure, the music pulses through obscure melody and unyielding rhythm in an orbit of continuous motion. The orchestration here is deceptively simple, as within the borders of structure there exists delirious complexities hidden underneath the wall of sound, which reaches extreme depths of the "necro" recording values that was one of the identifiable characteristics that this style of music was founded upon. There is essentially no bass here, as guitars stream in a sea of treble and drums are bashed in repetitive violence, showcasing an unparalleled stamina of duration. The vocals are scathing shrills of torment that hang above the music, existing in a dimension of their own, yet vital to the musical proceedings. What results is one of black metal’s most essential and significant recordings, as this work perfectly illustrates, in each aspect of its entirety, the intention of this particular musical movement, and how its mastered in the full spectrum of presentation. In the pursuit of the ultimate expression of the Cold and the Grim, DarkThrone strive for and achieve their imagined ugliest form of presentation, in sonic and visual form. The music attacks in confrontation with worlds of light and within its own realm of haunted night, conflicted with bitter indifference and misanthropic desire. In this, DarkThrone have constructed the ultimate satanic rejection of life in the world of the living, and now find themselves standing at the threshold of the black forest of isolation, torch in hand with a glance towards a holy establishment. In the moment of truth of themselves, the worth of actions are weighed in light of their ultimate accomplishment, yet passion such as this wants to be ignorant of reason, and flames will still burn. This portrayal is beautifully orchestrated, though they would never want to admit such. "Feel the Call Freeze you with the
Uppermost Desire Transilvanian Hunger marks the peak of DarkThrone’s, and perhaps the entire black metal genre’s, intensity, passion and concept of expression. This is the work which seems to have become the most influential from their discography, yet this demonstration, in feel, composition and conceptual purpose, will never be equaled. It is a product of a moment in time of an exceptional movement, something that is impossible to formulate outside of its limits, which are now lost in dying embers. 1/2005 Tracklisting:
DarkThrone Panzerfaust marks the point in which DarkThrone offer their final essential statement in the work of their self-proclaimed and upheld "True Norwegian Black Metal". Without necessarily presenting material of venturesome nature, DarkThrone apply trace aspects of their past explorations to an album high in 80s blackened metal inspiration, specifically Hellhammer/Celtic Frost. While this is the first work produced by the band that does not explore a concentrated perspective on this trademark sound, it seethes with passion in both delivery and expression. A thicker, if not much less "necro", recording supports the variation of structure and tempo here, breaking from the continuous high-velocity minimalism of its predecessor for exercises of thrashing fury and doomed crawls. The vocals take on a demanding presence, upfront in the mix and agonized in torment. The atmosphere is dark, dank and cavernous, with songs like "The Hordes Of Nebulah" depicting a black swamp of despair rather than the frozen northern forests normally associated with this act’s environmental soundpicture. "And when fires have Burned As much as this is DarkThrone's clearest emphasis on a regressionist agenda, this is music that is central to the core of DarkThrone’s realm and that of the identity of their region. They haven’t left for the cosmos just yet, and in certain moments they are at their most corrosive, particularly in terms of the tortured vocals, which pierce with anguish, especially in "Quintessence". These are cries of insanity, bleeding over from the black well of suffering and desperation. Panzerfaust fails to find its place among the band’s three previous albums as a work of historical significance or a crucial voice in DarkThrone’s legacy. This music is attempting an aim of another sort, one which, while aesthetically pleasing, seeks to relish inspirations of the past and occupy itself in different shades of pre-established forms. Oh, it’s grim and cold and black and everything else a DarkThrone fan could desire, yet once the initial few listens have taken place the understanding of its correct position soon arrives. 1/2005 Tracklisting:
DarkThrone The tale behind Goatlord is its intention as the follow up to DarkThrone’s Soulside Journey debut. As they became increasingly discouraged with death metal as both an appropriate means of their expression and as a movement of substantiality, DarkThrone scrapped the process for Goatlord, and instead began their legendary journey as one of black metal’s most significant acts with 1991's A Blaze In The Northern Sky. A few years later, DarkThrone recorded vocals for the Goatlord material and released the album to the public. Structurally, and in terms of instrumental execution, this material speaks a similar language as Soulside Journey, albeit with a much murkier sound quality, as this album was never actually produced. The recording comes across as a sort of rehearsal session, as the sound dips and rises oddly. Yet, despite this , all instruments come through with clarity, and this sound adds to the dank and vile nature of the atmosphere this music produces. These songs are explorations of rhythm and riff sequence in the form of death metal, yet the vocals, presented loudly in the mix, are blackened and the inclusion of suffering moans and female chants provide this album with a ritualistic mood. The music summons demons and is submerged in evil ambience, emanating from dungeons of ceremonial sacrifice. It’s a strange listen, mainly due to its origins of construction, and it is also the most inessential DarkThrone work for ones who seek the band’s most significant recordings., not so much for its musical worth and the overall enjoyment of the material, but more so for its place in the universal order of things. 1/2005 Tracklisting:
Purchase DarkThrone's Goatlord DarkThrone Ravishing Grimness is essentially a rock n’ roll album by DarkThrone, operating in minimalist structures driven by simple riffs and straightforward rhythms. The music is primitive in nature relating in that way to older DarkThrone music, patterned similar to Transilvanian Hunger in terms of composition approach while much less raw in sound and reliant on mid-paced tempo. Riffs are repeated at length while songs shift mechanically from one passage to the next, while the band indulge in their well documented Celtic Frost/Hellhammer and Bathory influences, content to now wallow in retro-metal worship after spending five years of their career creating works of symbolic impact. Songs like "Lifeless" and "The Claws Of Time" are enjoyable in a lazy sort of way, powered by memorable riffs and interesting shift sequences that entertain rather than provoke, console rather than confront. The album is laid back and easy to listen to in comparison to any of their previous works. One can invite friends over and drink beer while cranking the Motorhead black n’ roll of Ravishing Grimness, as this is easily the least misanthropic DarkThrone album recorded. It’s a party album for "true" black metallers. This album is falsely appointed as a continuation of DarkThrone’s grim black metal. It is "true" DarkThrone only on the surface, as recognizable aspects of the band’s sound are still evident. But the fact of the matter is that DarkThrone have apparently reached a point where they believe their statement has already been made, and can now coast through on the fumes remaining from their works of foundation. Ravishing Grimness has its share of appeal, but it simply does not ignite in the manner of DarkThrone’s past works, instead sounding like the work of men exhausted from the extremity of youth 1/2005 Tracklisting:
DarkThrone Operating within a stygian filthiness to place an emphasis of strain around simplicity of structure and execution, Hate Them asserts itself in a similar fashion as its recent predecessors where DarkThrone has settled to rock n’ roll their way through their established sound and identity. Perhaps more related to the approach taken on Ravishing Grimness, these songs are arranged in straightforward structures and delivered in a manner akin to the average revved up rock band with an ugly appetite. In this approach, DarkThrone seem to be dwelling in an altogether different realm (1985 underground metal) compared to the system of operation of most current metal bands. Not much has changed in the soundworld of DarkThrone over the past four or five albums. Where in 1991 they made the decision to function from a primal perspective despite possessing the ability to actually play their instruments, this primitivism was the sonic transporter for an expression of misanthropy, isolation and evil portrayed through passion flowing icily in the veins of individuals intoxicated with purpose. Since Panzerfaust, DarkThrone have become increasingly sedate and languid, churning out works which satisfy from an immediate and surface standpoint, though fail to ignite inspirations in a captivating form as they mastered in pre-1996 work. Hate Them pleases in that each surface component of DarkThrone’s sound is represented through these songs so that the average listener will be comforted in the illusion that this is the same band who created Transilvanian Hunger. The recording is raw, the structures are minimalist, Culto is screaming and Fenriz is hitting. It’s DarkThrone playing black metal in the "true" form as they always have. Or is it? Listen to this band’s earlier efforts in the same session as Hate Them and recognize a certain lack of feeling and purpose in comparison. "It’s sin again I can appreciate Hate Them on its own merits simply for the fact that its regressionist aesthetic and compositional format dwell within the realms of what is currently unconventional. I like the manner in which DarkThrone approach the execution of their song structuring. However, it has become clear that this band have lost their zeal and sense of purpose. They continue to make albums because it is all they have ever done, yet their inner flame is steadily dying. Hate Them cannot possibly be held in the same capacity of this band’s earlier, purpose-driven works, which is a revelation of DarkThrone’s current reasoning behind creating music. 1/2005 Tracklisting:
DarkThrone Discography Soulside Journey (Peaceville, 1990) |
