Released by Peaceville Records
Release date : May 31st, 2019
Genre: Black Metal
Tracklist:
Muffle Your Inner Choir
The Hardship Of The Scots
Old Star
Alp Man
Duke Of Gloat
The Key Is Inside The Wall
Line-up:
Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell – Drums
Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum – Strings, Vocals
Darkthrone is one of the leading bands in the Norwegian Black Metal scene. They were formed back in 1986 as a Death Metal band under the name Black Death, but five years later they have embraced a Black Metal sound, influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost.
They have released seventeen full length albums and most of the time they have been a duet with the choice to remain outside the music mainstream. In fact, their last live performance is dated in 1996. This year Peaceville Records presents their eighteenth record entitled “Old Star”. With the sequel of the acclaimed “Arctic Thunder”, Darkthrone has remained loyal to the style they have adopted the last thirteen years by adding oldschool Metal elements to their classic Black Metal sound.
“Old Star”is a tribute to the heavy metal of the late seventies and the eighties. The classic Darkthrone mood has been enriched with doom, thrash and death elements, but also a British Metal tone is present at times. “I Muffle Your Inner Choir” starts with speed riffs and with a slow tempo just over halfway through with doomy riffing and slow drumming, that leads to a faster ending. The intro of “The Hardship Of The Scots” gives a more epic heavy metal mood to the tune, but soon enough it is transformed in a mid tempo track with passionate vocals and a storm of aggressive riffs in a fully dark atmosphere. This is the most outstanding tune of the album with a classic metal melody at the final section. It’s time for the title track, that seems to be the weakest point of the album, even if it’s a good quality doom with short riffs and incisive vocal parts.
“Alp Man” maintains the doomy sound but the slow thrash riffs’ domination makes the track much more infectious. The classic Black Metal sound of Darkthrone returns with “Duke Of Gloat” although they throw some oldschool speed lead guitar parts in a more savage mood. A great final act is given by “The Key Is Inside The Wall”, a tune that starts in a black style but soon it accelerates with a heavier version of British Metal guitar sound and it returns back to doomy mode and so on, throwing also some death metal riffs in the pot.
“Old Star” is an impressive collection of songs that keeps the quality of the sound of the Norwegian duet to high levels. Undoubtedly, the addition of more heavy metal genres into a black metal record makes it accessible to a major audience.
Ratings: 7/10
Written by: Katerina Paisoglou
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
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