Rating: 9.6
Country: Norway
Release Date: 2006
Record Label: Peaceville Records
Track list:
1. The Cult Of Goliath
2. Too Old Too Cold
3. Atomic Coming
4. Graveyard Slut
5. Underdogs And Overlords
6. Whisky Funeral
7. De Underjordiske (Aelia Capitolina)
8. Tyster Pa Gud
9. Shut Up
10. Forebygennde Krig
Band Website: Darkthrone |
Darkthrone - The Cult Is Alive
Nocturno Culto- Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Fenriz- Drums, Vocals
It should surprise no-one that, in an age where fans are trampling over each other in their quest to find the most avantgarde and leftfield heavy band in existence, Darkthrone continue to tread the same well-worn paths that they have traversed since 1989. Their dogged, unflinching insistence has, in some (fucking ignorant) circles, been construed as redundancy and creative stagnancy. Of course, the evolution that they have steadily undergone since 'Panzerfaust' has attracted an entirely new host of detractors, those who lament the demise/decay of Darkthrone's Peaceville “mystique” and mythos. If one were to take these clowns' opinions seriously, one would be lead to believe that Darkthrone of 2006 is but a pair of creatively challenged drunkards intent on wringing whatever life is left of the Darkthrone mythology via alcohol-drenched punk rock.
If you haven't guessed by this point, I have no hesitation in separating myself from the flocks of naysayers who would have you believe that Darkthrone is entrenched in stasis and complacency. While I will be the first to concede that 'Plaguewielder' was largely a drab, monochromatic affair, and that even 'Ravishing Grimness' was a frustratingly uneven affair, 'Total Death', 'Hate Them' and 'Sardonic Wrath' all topped my Top 10 lists upon release. I'm certain that, if we all could have our way, we'd all opt for the unspeakably esoteric and arcane death/thrash that was on 'A Blaze In The Northern Sky', or the harrowingly nightmarish Hellhammer and Bathory cocktail that was 'Panzerfaust', both records that perhaps siphon Darkthrone's ubiquitous influences in a more occult/cryptic fashion. Yet, often I am convinced that I appreciate the new phase of Darkthrone just as much, simply on the basis that the past three records aren't simply musical documents, they're resolute, brazen statements that remain unmoved by prevalent currents. There is just as much conviction, vigor and spirit in newer Darkthrone, perhaps even MORE so, what with their attitude and musical inclinations being laid in more threadbare fashion than ever before, removed from the cosmetic trappings of corpsepaint et al. I have not doubted, for a second, that each and every Darkthrone album has been a product of absolute honesty, and that in itself is all I could desire from a heavy metal band.
Of course, it does help that there's a truckload of great riffs and hours of headbanging to be had along the way, for more than any black metal band since Bathory, Darkthrone are fully cognizant of the sheer force and thrust of the almighty RIFF. Unquestionably, the finest Darkthrone moments have been riff-centered, a distinct characteristic that has always distinguished and demarcated them from other Norwegian bands of the second wave. Darkthrone have never made their influences a secret, and they continue to mine the same inspirations to extraordinary effect here- Hellhammer, 'Morbid Tales'/'Emperor's Return' Celtic Frost, Slaughter, Death Strike, Amebix, 'Welcome To Hell' Venom, 'War & Pain' Voviod. Of course, infused into all this is a slight crossover sensibility that betrays Fenriz's unswerving love for all things Discharge, something that has surfaced in recent mentions of the likes of Uncurbed, Skitsystem and World Burns To Death in interviews.
I have noticed that certain imbeciles are up in arms about this being Darkthrone's “punk rock” record, a comment that I sincerely hope is made in jest, for this quality has been present, in varying degrees, on each and every Darkthrone recording. It is true that the lyrics on this recording are more pared-down and straightforward than the often poetic excellence that we have come to expect from Fenriz (and some of the lyrics are plain unimaginative, re: “Too Old, Too Cold”), but it is extraordinary that Darkthrone have been drinking from the Hellhammer well for most of their careers now, yet most of these nitwits have failed to acknowledge that Tom G Warrior's merry men could themselves be seen as an evil crustcore outfit.
No matter, on to the music itself. Many have contended that Darkthrone never offers any surprises, and I really do have to qualify and consolidate this statement with a wide grin. This is exactly what you'd expect a Darkthrone record to be- vicious, atavistic 1 st wave death/thrash with gruesomely reverbed/delayed vocals, coffin-shaking rhythms and RIFFS for years. “The Cult Of Goliath kicks things off in PUNISHING fashion, pitch black sheets of 'Under The Sign of The Black Mark' guitar making way for a Nocturno solo (!!!! When's the last time that happened?) and an absolutely CRUEL 'Panzerfaust' break that erupts 02:59 through the track. “Graveyard Slut” is “Welcome To Hell” with Tom G Nagell on vocals, an absolutely PULVERISING Fenriz-penned number that features a riff that is arguably among the finest to appear on a DT recording…fast forward to 02:12 and you'll see EXACTLY what I mean here (plus you'll be on the receiving end of yet another cool, whammy-intensive Ted solo!). “Underdogs and Overlords” drinks deeply from the chalice of Bathory's 'The Return', a cantankerous, buzzing, bloodstained vortex of spite, while “De Underjordiske (Aelia Capitolina)” , in its strident, martial rhythms and deliberate, dirgey pacing, arguably sounds more conventionally KVLT BLAKK METUHL than anything that has bore the Darkthrone insignia since 'Panzerfaust'.
Words must be spared, of course, to “Shut Up”, a “Call From The Grave” -esque, inebriated marauder that resolutely explains Darkthrone's ultimate stance towards those of you who would accuse them of diluting and defaming the Darkthrone legacy (as if you fucking twats had any agency in the construction of said legend!). Contained within said song are Darkthrone's statements towards critics, the endless hordes of substandard 'Transilvanian Hunger', 'Panzerfaust' and 'Under A Funeral Moon' replicas that have sprouted of late, as well as an uncompromising consolidation of the fierce individuality that permeates everything Darkthrone, an attitude that remains thoroughly nonplussed by the mercurial fickleness of today's music industry. The Bathory -drenched, absolutely LETHAL mid-paced romp of “Forebyggende Krig” closes the album with consummate style, and apart from the somewhat tepid and unchallenging beer-metal hit single “Too Old Too Cold” , we are left with yet another awe-inspiring example of first wave black metal, proof that the lessons of the style's forefathers are not yet lost on us, that Darkthrone will CONTINUE to hold the torch aloft in a precarious new age. Pure fucking genius all the way through.
I'm not entirely sure if I have any ink left to devote to those of you who have dedicated your internet lives to heckling and jeering Darkthrone, for it is truly your loss if you exclude yourself from the riff-intensive glory of this record. Damn near everything is perfect on this record, from the amateurish yet intensely efficient Nocturno solos to the full, rich, biting mix (one that balances the trademark trebly, acerbic guitar sound with the omnipresent, gain-soaked low-end immaculately, while accentuating the UNMISTAKABLE touch of Fenriz with a typically natural drum sound) to the performance on all fronts, the band sounding absolutely as impassioned as they have ever been. I hesitate to suggest that this is better than 'Hate Them' or 'Sardonic Wrath' yet, largely because I find the aura and lyrics on those records slightly superior to this (rather different) beast, but I do not, for ONE SECOND, reckon that it is anything less than NECESSARY for anybody who considers themselves an enthusiast of sneering, unapologetic HEAVY METAL. The best band in music now.
April 18th, 2006 |
