Darkthrone

What we all know as the Goatlord album is basically a rehearsal tape of the material planned for Darkthrone's second full-length. Recorded in 1991, this followed the path started with Soulside Journey, and one can only speculate how the finished product would have sounded. Obviously, it would have featured a more professional production and would lack the raw feeling that this has. However, this never happened. After the release of Soulside Journey, and as they were working on these songs, three of the four members of Darkthrone seemed to be truly inspired by the old black metal albums of Bathory and Hellhammer, among others. They had also developed some sort of friendship with the guys in Mayhem, most notably, Euronymous. As it turned out, they decided that the Goatlord material did not represent their true musical passions and it was scrapped. Instead, they regressed to the primitive sound of old school black metal and the underground was soon shocked with the arrival of A Blaze in the Northern Sky.

In the meantime, the Goatlord rehearsal sat on the shelf, collecting dust. Fast forward to 1994, during a time when Fenriz was extremely prolific, participating in several projects and working on his own quite a bit. With frequent access to Necrohell studio, he decided to take this aborted album and to add vocals to it. Even still, it remained unheard for quite some time, finally seeing the light of day in late 1996 when it was released on Moonfog records. Popular opinion seems to be that this was some sort of cash grab for Darkthrone or Satyr, yet this view is completely ridiculous. If Darkthrone had ever been a band that existed in order to make money, they would not have abandoned death metal during a time when it was popular and trendy. They certainly would not have embraced the lo-fi necro sounds of '80s black metal at a point in time when no one really cared for or understood this. As well, once this did catch on, they would have taken all of the countless offers to play live and to be paid accordingly. Simply put, there was something about this music that appealed to Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, imbuing them with the feeling that it was deserving of an official release for those that would appreciate it. It was likely that they knew it would meet with some criticism, especially when one considers that, in 1996, Darkthrone still possessed quite a bit of mystique and had just released several of the best black metal albums to ever be recorded. It was a brazen move, to go back and embrace their past, after spending some years distancing themselves from it.

Regarding the actual songwriting, this is really all over the place. At times, it seems rather complex and difficult to follow, as there are hardly any recognizable structures. Rhythms change often and suddenly, sometimes giving the songs a rather random and improvised feeling, even though the band was rehearsing all the time back then. There is of course an overly technical death metal vibe, with Fenriz going against what the music called for and playing with a rather hyperactive style that was not always necessary. It is a good thing that he went on to learn what so many other drummers fail to, that showing off does nothing for the overall product and is often detrimental to the music. Nevertheless, what one finds with Goatlord is that Darkthrone has always been a band that puts the guitar riff first and foremost, and this album is dripping with an utter dark feeling that is conveyed by the brilliant riffs. It is too bad that the songwriting suffers from poor organization. In some cases, there is too much going on within the tracks; so many great riffs pass through, briefly, when whole songs could have been built around some of them. There are a number of melodies that would not have been out of place on an old '80s Black/Death release, mixed in with other riffs that are totally possessed with a feeling of total doom. One can clearly hear influences from the likes of Autopsy and of course Celtic Frost, as usual. Also present, as on Soulside Journey, are the trademark tremolo melodies that Darkthrone would become famous for, during their classic years. Though the songs are mostly mid-paced and shift gears frequently, there are occasional fast riffs with blast beats. However, these are forgettable when compared to the really slow riffs, which are much more memorable. The band could have, easily, moved on to make a form of Black/Doom, had they wanted to. The only complaint is that the slower sections would have benefited from less over-the-top drum work. Regardless, there is no denying the absolutely gloomy feeling of this material. There are points here where you can really hear the beginning of the transition from Soulside Journey to A Blaze in the Northern Sky. Still, they had not yet gone into the realm of cold and grim atmospheres, despite the incomprehensibly eerie feeling that this possesses.

As for the sound, the darkness of Goatlord is somewhat derived from the fact that it has such an unprofessional sound. The fact that it is a rehearsal recording lends a raw and old school feeling that only adds to the hellish vibe. For a rehearsal, this actually sounds very good. Often, the low-end would dominate everything else, yet the riffs cut through with a sharp clarity that one would not fully expect. Compared to the instrumental version, it seems that a bit of treble has been added here, which was a really good move. The overall impression is still kind of muddy, but the guitars rise from this murkiness and slice right into you, when necessary. The vocals are a little high in the mix, similar to Panzerfaust, but not to the extent that it becomes a problem. Due to the general raw and under-produced sound, Fenriz's harsh and unrestrained vocal performance really seems to fit far more than what Nocturno Culto would likely have done if the album had been recorded as planned, back in 1991. It would be natural to guess that he would have utilized a style similar to that of the debut record, which is hard to even imagine while listening to this.

Speaking of the vocals, regardless of what anyone may think, Fenriz totally makes this album with his vocals. This may be one of the hardest parts of the album to digest. I know that, the first time I heard this, I could hardly understand what the hell I was listening to and thought it was bloody horrible. I refused to bother with this for a couple years, honestly. However, once I decided to give it another chance, the vocals grew on me. Of course, one would never have expected to hear Fenriz doing his best King Diamond impersonation and, upon first listen, I thought they'd brought in some useless whore to sing on the album as so many other bands had done. Yet somehow, when I later returned to Goatlord, it was so clear what he was going for and I was able to appreciate it. He shows quite a bit of range, compared to what one might expect, with some deeper and throatier voices coming and going, though mostly sticking with the sort of hellish and raspy sound as heard on Isengard's Høstmørke. He also makes good use of rather sinister whispering and tortured wails. In truth, this may be the most brilliant vocal work that Fenriz ever did. Overall, his performance is so over-the-top and even theatrical that it really brings the music to life and adds a lot to the atmosphere, in a way that Nocturno Culto probably could not have done, at this point. Without the great effort put into the vocals, this album would have been rather flat and lacked the eerie and nightmarish vibe that it is known for.

The most important thing to do when approaching Goatlord for the first time is to keep an open mind. It is such a unique album, not only within Darkthrone's catalogue, but just in general. I have never encountered anything else remotely like this. It would be easy to say that, if you are a fan of Soulside Journey, then the music presented here will likely appeal to you. Yet it is not so simple, as the vocals really make this a completely different beast. At any rate, it really does work well as the missing link between the debut L.P. and A Blaze in the Northern Sky, while also venturing into territory that few others ever have. This may not be for everyone, not even all Darkthrone fans, yet it is highly recommended for anyone with a true passion for dark and hellish music. Even if you don't get it at first, be patient. It will definitely grow on you.

(12 Oct. 2012)

For a band with the longevity of Darkthrone, and such ties to the '80s, it would only be appropriate that their material has been the subject of various bootlegs over the years. As is the case with their countrymen, Mayhem, just about any random recording done by Darkthrone has been subsequently bootlegged a dozen or so times. This particular bootleg, A Night of Unholy Black Metal, seems to have turned up in the mid-to-late '90s, with dates ranging from late 1996 to some point in 1998. Whatever the case may be, it appears to have emerged during the band's downtime, between Total Death and Ravishing Grimness. This is an interesting collection, as it features material from a few distinct periods in the band's history.

The first chapter consists of five songs that were taken from a live performance from 6 April 1996, in Oslo, Norway. This was from a gig that also featured Dissection and Satyricon, with Satyr actually playing bass for Darkthrone. It would seem that, from early on, he was playing a supporting role for the band. For such a brief set, the band still managed to cover most of their albums, though they played nothing from Panzerfaust. Maybe, they were eager to play something newer, which is why they included "Blackwinged", but "Quintessence" would have been a better choice. Nocturno Culto and Fenriz were certainly more into the dark atmosphere of their black metal days, as the set begins with the chiming of a funeral bell and video of the gig shows that they had torches on the stage. This may have been a few years too late to possess the same cult feeling of the old Mayhem shows with Dead, but the atmosphere is similar. The sound quality is not the greatest, with some hissing and a lack of clarity, but it suits the music in a way. The bass is surely loud enough, sometimes coming through a little too well. For anyone that is familiar with these songs, this recording is not difficult to follow, at all. One might even say that "Under A Funeral Moon" and "Transilvanian Hunger" are not too far below the studio versions, in terms of quality, though that would probably be going too far. "Blackwinged" is a little hard to get into, as the bass blocks out the guitar, and you can even hear a couple guys in the crowd talking, fairly clearly. All in all, the set does well to capture the old black metal feeling. A shame that is was so short.

The next part features a live recording taken from a gig in Finland, back in 1991. The sound is pretty terrible, with the drums overpowering the rest and being a bit of a pain on the ear. The songs are hardly formed, as well, making the show feel kind of awkward. Apparently, Nocturno Culto wasn't feeling too well, so the songs practically became instrumentals, though one has to wonder how fully developed they were anyway. "Paragon Belial" and "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" were far from the versions that would appear on A Blaze in the Northern Sky, with more of a Death/Doom feeling, as a matter of fact. The other two songs were works in progress for the then-upcoming Goatlord record. They sound rather directionless, with far too much activity behind the drum kit and not enough atmosphere. The bad recording doesn't help matters, either. The most interesting thing about this part of the collection is likely Fenriz's stage banter.

The final chapter of A Night of Unholy Black Metal actually takes the listener back to the sort of atmosphere that was present at the beginning, with a handful of rehearsal tracks from 1992. Nocturno Culto has made no secret that this period of the band's existence holds special memories for him and has often cited Darkthrone's time as a three-piece as passing far too quickly. Back then, they were uninterested in playing live and even recording albums was less important than gathering and rehearsing the material, over and over, in what amounted to primitive black metal rituals. The sound quality is not the best, but it is not terribly inferior to the studio versions of these songs as heard on Under A Funeral Moon. The playing is very tight and one can tell that these guys knew the songs well, inside and out. The vocals are difficult to hear, at times, but this is remedied for the last two songs, as they are instrumentals. While not sounding as good as the band's third full-length, the same morbid atmosphere is definitely present.

A Night of Unholy Black Metal is certainly worth getting, if you ever run across it. While the tracks from the '91 gig are rather useless, the '96 Oslo show and the '92 rehearsal are rather meaningful pieces of Darkthrone's history and of the early Norwegian black metal scene, itself. Though this style and atmosphere is still seen as being very important to Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, they have long since moved on, making albums like this all the more valuable to those that have an appreciation for this music.

(6 Sept. 2012)

2001 was a dark period for real black metal. The trendy symphonic bands had claimed most of the attention from labels and fans alike and those bands that were attempting to keep true black metal alive were forced deeper underground. The truth of the matter is that most bands were trying to jump on the synth bandwagon and abandoning the core values of this music, while the few that did their best to keep the flame burning were doing a poor job. Nocturno Culto and Fenriz were in an odd position, by this point. They did not wish to join the masses, yet their own trademark sound had been stolen and the underground was being flooded with sub-par clones. Not quite ready to make a huge musical shift, and already reeling from the fact that the two previous records were not well-received, Darkthrone made a safe record that was not too similar to the early output yet contained no real signs of change or experimentation.

Plaguewielder is the ninth studio album from this Norwegian band and it is rather mediocre compared to most of their releases, though still being a few steps ahead of Total Death and Ravishing Grimness. Naturally, it does not compare with the "Unholy Trinity" of A Blaze In the Northern Sky, Under A Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger. As a matter of fact, it isn't even up there with Panzerfaust, but it is the best of Darkthrone's mid-period and the last one to be recorded in this style before they began the major shift in sound.

The album begins with an intro that hearkens back to their first black metal record, soon followed by the type of sound that fans had come to expect from the band by then. The opening tremolo riff is accompanied by more of Fenriz's sloppy drumming, as seen on the previous album. Thankfully, he wakes up after a minute or so and the song sounds a bit more appropriate. The variation in the drumming adds a new dynamic, and may have been done for the sake of not sounding like the old stuff, but most would agree that the songs were clearly written to be faster. The same thing occurred on the last album, with Fenriz choosing drumming patterns that went against what Nocturno Culto had in mind for the songs. A slower section arrives, around the middle of the song, and doesn't do much to add to the atmosphere. While containing some of the better riffs on the album, "Weakling Avenger" is a little too long and needed the more primitive style of drumming that was present on the band's classic releases. It's not bad, but it could use improvement.

The next song is "Raining Murder", and it begins with another decent tremolo riff that is joined by some rather boring drum-work. After a minute, the drumming shifts and then compliments the guitar melodies a lot more. Unfortunately, there are some effects added to the song that only serve to create more noise and distract from the riffs. One cannot be certain, but it would really seem that, by this point, Nocturno Culto was doing his best to keep the band alive while Fenriz was rather apathetic and doing his best to create a feeling of mediocrity. He was clearly bored with the type of music that they had been making but wasn't ready to move forward yet. As the song progresses, there is a mid-paced section that actually fits in in rather well. As it nears its conclusion, the pace slows down even more, giving a feeling of dreariness and doom.

"Sin Origin" shifts gears and goes right into Hellhammer-mode, which somewhat kills the flow of the album. For one reason or another, most bands fail to remain interesting when they aim to rip off Hellhammer / Celtic Frost. While they succeeded in doing this on Panzerfaust, it simply isn't as good this time around. With the two previous songs containing slower and mid-paced sections, the last thing that was needed at this juncture was another plodding tune. The track is excessively long as well, though the ending riffs create an uneasy feeling and are a worthy addition to the record.

This is followed by "Command", which is another mid-paced song. It definitely would have benefited from being preceded by a faster and shorter track. Despite this, it is actually one of the more impressive songs on the album. The slower riffs are dismal while the fast sections do well to create a sense of tension and this is one of the few times where the dynamic range of the songwriting is actually a positive thing. This is one of the most impassioned vocal performances of Nocturno Culto's career. Everything slows down in the middle, leading to a new riff that introduces incredibly fierce screams that are absolutely inhuman. The drumming that follows is a clear sign that the punk vibes were always present in Darkthrone's music, just not as overt as they would be in later years. The song is repetitive at times, and could be slightly shorter, but is the best track on the album.

"I, Voidhanger" opens with some odds riffs and odd timing. About halfway through, the pace picks up and resembles something more normal for a Darkthrone record. Like most of the other tracks, this one sounds over-analyzed and goes on a little longer than it should.

Plaguewielder ends with "Wreak", which clocks in over nine minutes in length. It starts out with a catchy riff that soon transitions to something faster. The shift is a little unnatural and one gets the sense that the riffs were kind of thrown-together. The production of this album is not as raw as most fans would have liked, and that may have contributed to the negative impression that it left on many listeners. Much like the cover artwork, the production is too organic and lively. A cold, minimalist approach would have really suited these songs much better, as well as removing some of the unnecessary parts. The final song really drags until the four-minute mark, when a brilliant tremolo riff finally breaks free from the stagnation and reminds one of the glory of Transilvanian Hunger. Has this track been stripped down and only the best riffs left, along with a production job more similar to the Necrohell sound of the past, this would have turned out much better. The song plods along for another couple of minutes before the mournful tremolo melody returns, accompanied by the correct style of drumming, which creates a sorrowful atmosphere and also imbues the listener with a sense of disappointment, seeing how great this could have been.

Darkthrone's mid-period was a sad thing to behold. Total Death was completely neutered by the dull production job and the random song arrangements. Ravishing Grimness was killed by more awful production and incoherent songwriting (with the two members working against one another, rather than together). Plaguewielder was lambasted from the beginning for the colourful cover art alone, but the music is not as awful as many would claim it is, though it does clearly show that the band had no clue what exactly they wanted to do. It would appear that Fenriz was ready to move on to something else, while Nocturno Culto wanted to keep some connection with their old style. The Hellhammer influence was a little too noticeable on this album (as with the one before), though one could almost sense some inspiration from Burzum and even their own earlier works. While there are a few really good riffs and a couple decent songs, this record could have been so much more. It would take the band several more years to work out their creative problems and finally make the transition to what they are doing now, but the path was a painful one.

This is not recommended for anyone new to the band; however, die-hard Darkthrone fans should give it a listen and judge for themselves. If possible, adjust the stereo with the bass all the way down and the treble on high and it will nearly sound like it came from Necrohell. This isn't a great album, but it contains some good riffs that are worth hearing and it is certainly more enjoyable than some of their other offerings from this era.

(12 Oct. 2006)

In early 2010, news came that Darkthrone would soon release their 15th studio album. In recent months, fellow Norwegian bands such as Gorgoroth and Immortal had released decent albums, and most in the black metal scene were eagerly anticipating the new Burzum record, as well. Coming on the heels of Belus, Circle the Wagons was already at somewhat of a disadvantage. However, it was also very off-putting right out of the gate.

Over time, many people had grown to accept Darkthrone's musical direction, whether they liked it or not. Personally, I slowly warmed up to the later albums and began to appreciate what they were doing. After Dark Thrones and Black Flags, I was really looking forward to the follow-up album. Yet when I first saw the album cover and some of the song titles, I was scratching my head and wondering what the hell had gotten into Nocturno Culto and Fenriz. Why would a Norwegian black metal band utilize Native American imagery? It has nothing to do with metal, of any kind, and is certainly beyond the realm of what one would expect from a Scandinavian band. It may seem petty, but this alone made me a little reluctant to give the album a chance.

Eventually, I forced myself to listen to it and see what it had to offer. Strangely, as with some of the band's recent output, it was a little difficult to listen to. It has nothing to do with the quality of the music, since they have really put a lot of effort into these releases. However, they do such a good job of hearkening back to the old days that, after one of two spins, I'm overcome by the urge to go listen to old school records instead. In a sense, this seems to have been one of the intentions behind all of their records. In early interviews, they would claim that they needed to make a certain record just to get people to go back and give their attention to the old Bathory and Hellhammer / Celtic Frost albums. The difference now is that their inspirations are much more varied, at this point. On the video that accompanied the limited edition, they made clear which albums were essential to the recording of Circle the Wagons, including records from Agent Steel, English Dogs, Nuclear Assault, Puke and Motörhead. The thing is that it's not always as overt as what they had done in the past, and a lot of the influences are worked in more subtly.

Right from the beginning of "Those Treasures Will Never Befall You", it is evident that the band has picked up right where they left off with the previous album. The music is raw and energetic, with a really organic sound. Recorded at Necrohell II, this is the total opposite of what most bands are going for, these days. The production is rough, yet very natural. It's more reminiscent of releases from the early-to-mid 80s or even some 70s albums. While being filthy in a sense, it's still clear enough to hear what's going on and to appreciate the effort that has gone into the songwriting and the overall arrangement. The one element that will probably be most shocking is the use of clean vocals on the chorus. It takes you by surprise at first, but it manages to hook you after one or two listens.

"Running For Borders" starts out with a rather gloomy feeling and I would guess it to be another Nocturno Culto song, just based on the overall atmosphere. Whereas the previous song was more upbeat, this one is darker and is almost uncomfortable in a way. Not so much the main riffs, but all of the subtle things that are added. The solo is well done and it's very good to hear more of this, since the 90s seemed to usher in an age of rebellion against guitar solos, in a lot of areas.

"I Am the Graves of the 80s" picks things up with more of a Motörhead/punk vibe, and seems obviously like one of Fenriz's contributions. Naturally, the drumming is much more dynamic than on some of their classic albums, but they still serve the same purpose, never becoming the center of attention like in so much of modern metal. The drum beats include some punk rock patterns that have been noticeable on recent records. Of course, this leads to people dismissing these albums as Black/Punk or something, which is absolutely ridiculous. It's metal, through and through, and the riffs support that, all the way. There are some punk influences blended in, but this is something that has long been associated with metal. Just listen to the first Bathory record and then notice the similarities to Punk bands like GHB, for example. Looking to the middle of this song, the epic guitar riffs begin to bleed through and that is really the key feature of modern Darkthrone. They have absolutely mastered the art of creating riffs that are drenched in the old school feeling and that is something that is sorely lacking, these days.

The next song reeks of Nocturno Culto's songwriting, possessing a darker feeling. "Stylized Corpse" is the longest song on the album and begins with some epic and black riffs. The lyrics, as with most of the recent Darkthrone albums, are sometimes ridiculous and unable to really hold up to the early records, but the feeling and meaning are what counts, in this case. Similarly, the vocals aren't up to the same quality as on the Unholy Trinity, but both members do their best to suit the music. The vocals may sound strange to those that haven't followed the band's development, but they've basically regressed to a more uncontrolled Death/Thrash sound that adds to the raw and dirty feeling. The real issue is that the vocals are much more dynamic than in the past, and both Nocturno Culto and Fenriz show quite a bit of range and use that to their benefit. A more straight-forward approach might limit the music and make the songs more one-dimensional. As with several of the other tracks, this one finishes with a great solo and a classic ending.

"Circle the Wagons" is a rather short song, more upbeat and features a lot of clean vocals. Again, this is a little difficult to stomach on the first listen, but it manages to stick in your brain and grows on you after a while. It is one of those cases where the singing is just so awful it is appealing, in a way. There's a decent tremolo riff near the end of the song that could have made for a nice stand-alone track, itself, if they'd built around it. Nonetheless, this isn't a bad song.

The next song is "Black Mountain Totem" and you can hear some of Nocturno Culto's darker riffs returning to oppress the spirit of the listener. It's really strange how something so subtle could have such an effect, but that is the case. There's a great riff, a couple minutes in, that has an epic quality and there's also something filthy and grimy about it. Near the end, the pace changes and new riffs are introduced. The feeling is somewhat ruined by the fact that part of the solo sounds like an old Aldo Nova song, and this really kills the momentum that the song had built up. So, while it should have been an epic ending, it really just annoyed the hell out of me.

The song that follows is rather depressing, just based on the subject matter and the fact that the world economy has been so completely dismal in the last few years. It's not a bad song, but I've found myself strangely unable to listen to it.

"Eyes Burst At Dawn" was the first song that I heard from this album, and it's rather upbeat while having more subtle touches of melancholy in some of the riffs. While it isn't the best song on the album, it was a good one to use for giving people a taste of what was to come, as it sort of embodies the depressing and mediocre feeling that runs throughout the whole record. The best part of the song is the solo that comes near the end, and the strange and otherworldly tone that is achieved.

The final song is "Bränn Inte Slottet" and it begins with an odd chanting of the song title, accompanied only by drums. Slowly, this is joined by bass and then guitar, creating kind of a dark feeling. As the track progresses, some epic melodies are weaved into the sound, building up to the most absolutely depressing part of the whole album, around the three-minute mark. The oppressive feeling that this riff creates is like that of not being able to breathe or to feel your heart beating. It's the sound that one would expect to hear as life is winding down and death is taking hold... a painful death, solitary and utterly horrifying.

In the end, Circle the Wagons is a rather disappointing affair. It isn't a bad record, but it doesn't live up to the expectations that I had from Dark Thrones and Black Flags. Stylistically, it's quite similar in containing about 40 minutes of blackened speed metal, with a wide range of old school influences showing through. However, none of the songs really reach the quality of many of those that were present on its predecessor. The first few songs are decent enough, but then it loses steam and never regains it. And while a dark atmosphere is always appreciated, there's something about several of the riffs on here that seem overly depressing, in such a way that they go against the feeling of the rest of the album. Perhaps, it will grow on me over time, but it definitely seems like a step down from the last record.

(19 Jan. 2011)

Since the release of The Cult Is Alive, each new effort from Darkthrone has been greeted with a mixture of enthusiasm and caution. One is never fully sure what Nocturno Culto and Fenriz might have up their sleeves, given their total willingness to take chances and to give a middle finger to their critics. That is not to say that their albums have become random or nonsensical, for this is not the case. Each one picks up from its predecessor in a rather logical way, yet still there are odd surprises to be found. After Circle the Wagons, the band took a bit of a break, making this the longest that fans have had to wait for a proper full-length since the time period between Total Death and Ravishing Grimness. So, once news came of its impending release in February 2013, many were eagerly looking forward to the emergence of The Underground Resistance. The title is obviously a nod to all of those keeping the old school spirit alive in this modern age of filth and disgust, and the music follows suit.

Though I'd intended to ignore the latest release from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, several have requested my thoughts on this record, so I'll take a stab at it. In general, I'm not one to advocate remaining loyal to a band once they no longer make quality music. However, in the case of Darkthrone, I've been far more lenient and tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. For my personal taste, they've made some of the best black metal albums in existence, but those days are long past.

The disappointment began with 2004's Sardonic Wrath, which I found to be mostly dull and quite a drop from its predecessor. Then came the polarizing The Cult is Alive in 2006, at which point I fully gave up on the band for a while. Their new direction grew on me, with F.O.A.D. and Dark Thrones and Black Flags (my personal favourite of this period). I thought that Circle the Wagons was rather weak by comparison. That was followed by The Underground Resistance, which seemed like an improvement at first. The problem is that, other than "Valkyrie" (which is the least Darkthrone-ish of all the songs on that record), I haven't felt compelled to listen to it since the night I wrote my review for it, back in March 2013, which was only the second time I'd listened to it. With regards to that album, my first impression was that of mild disappointment. Perhaps it was out of some sort of loyalty that I tried to find something positive to say about it anyway. Or it could be that it was a fine album, but just nothing worth going back to.

However, with the October 2016 release of Arctic Thunder, I'm hardly inspired one way or the other. After they released the first track, I kept seeing comments online about them "returning to their black metal roots". I knew this had to be some form of lunacy, so I wasn't surprised at all to hear for myself that this was definitely not the case. I wonder why people even bother bringing up the old days when talking about a new Darkthrone album. All I hear is the same sort of stuff that these guys have been doing for the last several years, for the most part. A lot of '80s-inspired riffs that don't do much more than to make you want to go back and listen to the old school metal that influenced this material, as opposed to listening to the album itself. Fenriz refrained from contributing lead vocals this time around, thankfully, but Nocturno Culto's voice has been pretty bad for over a decade now. He doesn't sound quite as awful here, but his performance is still a far cry from those of the past. It's difficult to imagine that it's taken over three years for them to come up with this, much like the previous album. "Tundra Leech" has some decent doom riffs with a tremolo melody on top of it. After the first couple minutes, it sort of loses my attention until the lead solo, which still utilizes the strange tone that they've been using for the last several years. Songs like "Burial Bliss", "Boreal Fiends" and "Throw Me Through the Marshes" feature more generic and forgettable riffs that could have been taken from any random song on the last four or five records. The latter includes some clean guitar parts, reminiscent of "Valkyrie", but far less epic in nature. It reappears, from time to time, giving a little bit of a gloomy feel, but nothing really worth remembering. The solo is similar to the one from "Black Mountain Totem", again hearkening back to Aldo Nova's "Fantasy". Just in case you're wondering, that is not a good thing. "Inbred Vermin" is another song that fails to stand out, until the doom riffs at the end come along to create a sombre vibe. This is completely ruined by the more upbeat title track that follows. "Deep Lake Trespass" begins with a somewhat interesting riff, then crumbles less than a minute in, alternating with generic passages that seem rather disjointed. As for the closer, more random Celtic Frost worship that sounds like it took about two minutes to write.

Arctic Thunder isn't a terrible album. It's not the worst record that Darkthrone has ever released, by any means. In fact, had it been the follow-up to Hate Them, I'd probably look more favourably upon it. But with so few ups and so many downs in the last several years, this L.P. just fails to impress. The songwriting is sort of dull and mediocre. It has its positive moments, but nothing really stands out, sadly. It can serve as a solid album of background music, but there's not much here to hold one's attention nor to justify the three-year wait. They should be able to pump out this sort of haphazard material about twice a year, easily. The latest offering from Nocturno Culto and Fenriz is thoroughly old school and primitive, but it's also utterly forgettable.

(28 Jan. 2017)

Darkthrone is responsible for creating some of my absolute favourite albums, though many years have passed since then. Far from being the sort to unrealistically expect Under a Funeral Moon Pt. II (I probably gave up on such hopes by 2004 at the latest), I've at least wanted them to make something that I could enjoy. For a time, it got increasingly difficult, as things kept going in the wrong direction. The songwriting got less interesting, the lyrics became immensely ridiculous and even the vocals (of both guys) were just horrendous. Somehow or another, I actually managed to appreciate Dark Thrones and Black Flags, for the most part, while albums such as The Cult is Alive, F.O.A.D. and Circle the Wagons were extremely off-putting. The likes of Sardonic Wrath, The Underground Resistance and Arctic Thunder weren't offensively bad, but came off as dull and forgettable.

So we arrive to 2019 and the release of a new Darkthrone record, Old Star. I certainly don't keep up with today's underground and had no idea that the band had even been working on anything, nor had I read any recent interviews with the very talkative Fenriz. Even after learning of the album's existence, I had no intentions of listening to it. Nevertheless, one way or another, one of the songs crossed my path and surprised me a little. The last couple releases showed that Fenriz and Nocturno Culto apppeared to be taking things more seriously, no longer going overboard with the self-referential parody, and so I finally gave the album a proper listen and must say that Old Star is the most enjoyable thing that they have released in many years.

It should come as no surprise that the songwriting owes very much to various '80s metal bands, though it feels like the ingredients coalesce in a much more coherent manner than at times in the past. As has been the case for about twenty-five years now, the songs written by Nocturno Culto are the better ones. Two of his tracks, "I Muffle Your Inner Choir" and especially "Duke of Gloat", actually utilize the sort of faster-paced tremelo melodies that connect back with the band's classic black metal period. It's rather bizarre that Fenriz was the one who solely composed Darkthrone's most iconic album, Transilvanian Hunger, but Nocturno Culto has always been the one most likely to hearken back to that era with his songs. He also utilizes slower, doom riffs in the opener and the very gloomy title track. This kind of Candlemass influence is where these guys were definitely on the same page, as Fenriz's songs feature a fair amount of this as well. Still, when it comes to his songs, the strongest and most obvious influence that hits you in the face is Celtic Frost. It may lack the soulful pulling of the strings, found on old songs like "The Hordes of Nebulah", but several of the riffs found on tracks like "The Hardship of the Scots", "Alp Man" and "The Key is Inside the Wall" would have been right at home on Morbid Tales or Emperor's Return.

Speaking of the song titles, one can only guess that the lyrics are the same sort of wretched drivel that Fenriz has been writing for many years, now. I have to assume so, because I just couldn't bring myself to actually read the lyrics in the booklet for fear of diminishing my impression of the album. Starting somewhere around The Cult is Alive, Nocturno Culto began using a ridiculous vocal style that felt like a total mockery and was vastly inferior to what he had done in the early years, and this really highlighted the terrible lyrics due to the mix and the rotten delivery. Thankfully, the vocals on Old Star more closely resemble Tom Warrior, rather than some mental defect chewing on his own face and the vocal track is no longer so high in the mix. Even better, Fenriz does not contribute his own voice to the album.

The production sounds more professional than some of their old albums, but not in the plastic and fake way of most modern bands. One definitely wouldn't mistake this for some horrible Abyss Studio production job, but it still has more of a full and clear sound than Under a Funeral Moon, for example. That said, it still maintains an organic feel and doesn't even have the same level of polish found on various late '80s metal records. Simply put, the sound suits the material.

In the end, the album that I almost never bothered with turned out to be Darkthrone's best release in several years. The songwriting is solid and memorable and there's actually some bit of dark and gloomy atmosphere created, as opposed to just sounding like a random jam session of two guys covering favourites from their youth. Old Star probably works best if listened to as a whole, since everything is just so cohesive and arranged so well. After years of records that range from unremarkable to downright awful, these two have finally offered up something that I am able to fully recommend. Definitely worth a listen, even if you've lost hope in Darkthrone in the last years.






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