DARKTHRONE

THE SONGS

‘THEY FOUND ONE OF MY GRAVES‘
So, immediately, we are hit with a galloping Kill ‘Em All-like riff. A bit reminiscent of a slightly subdued ‘Whiplash’. Once the vocals come in, we are whisked away to the land of early Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. Vocally, this is an absolute ode to Tom G. Warrior. Dead ringer. I believe this is the voice of Nocturno Culto (not sure if this album splits the vocal duties between him and Fenriz). This song is all about the riffs, shifting seamlessly from the aforementioned Swiss legends to a decidedly 80s hard-rock swagger peppered with melodic moments. Infectious.

‘PRE-HISTORIC METAL‘
Again, the primary DNA of this song is Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. There are also some primitive speed metal and proto black metal moments that recall early Venom and Bathory (the “Yellow Goat” era). Throw in some NWOBHM, particularly in the melodic guitar harmonies and the galloping rhythm section, and you’ve got yourself an early Iron Maiden and Angel Witch vibe that grinds to early 90s Darkthrone.

‘SIBERIAN THAW‘
Very cool staccato, start/stop riff with a drum fade-in to start things off. It then transitions into a lumbering Sabbath riff that is as groovy as it is heavy. Things get a bit trippy at about three and a half minutes in with some swirling, distortion-less guitar work over a pronounced bassline. It’s interesting to note that, overall, the guitars are far more in your face, with less of that airy plodding that we heard all over 2024’s It Beckons Us All…

‘DEEPLY ROOTED‘
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m hearing some serious nods to Dokken’s ‘Kiss Of Death’ in this track. On the flip side, there is also a distinct New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal (NWOTHM) thing going on à la Sumerlands, Eternal Champion, Visigoth, Wytch Hazel, etc. The main riff seems to act as a bridge between 1982 Birmingham (think Diamond Head, Quartz, Martial Law, Cloven Hoof) and 1984 Los Angeles hard rock (maybe even slightly cock rock-y). The guys also hit on a ‘deeply rooted’ (pun intended) Jake E. Lee-like strut that permeates the entirety of the track. Very cool stuff.

‘THE DRY WELLS OF HELL‘
Clocking in at just over six minutes, it’s the longest track on the album (surpassing ‘Siberian Thaw’ by thirty seconds). This is mainly due to the twenty-second guitar-only intro. Again, we get some nods to Jake E. Lee’s work on Ozzy’s Bark At The Moon. Tons of high-gain but with a crystal-clear tone that mirrors the sharp, aggressive punch found on Bark At The Moon. Fenriz joins in on the action, contributing his high-pitched vocal delivery reminiscent of 80s power, speed, and heavy metal vocalists. Overall, this song sounds a bit looser than the previous tracks, like it came to fruition during a studio jam session.

‘SO I MARCHED TO THE SUNKEN EMPIRE‘
This one is a bit of an outlier. It’s the album’s only instrumental and kinda plods along without any real direction. It’s cool as an atmospheric piece, but I would have much rather heard a properly plotted track. At the very least, it does a great job of setting up the next song…

‘EAT EAT EAT YOUR PRIDE‘
This one is much more closely aligned with Circle The Wagons-era Darkthrone (which also includes The Cult Is Alive, F.O.A.D., Dark Thrones and Black Flags). It’s got that raw, necro-sounding blend of 1980s speed metal (Agent Steel, Savage Grace), crust punk (Amebix, Discharge), and first-wave black metal (Hellhammer, Celtic Frost). I actually prefer this track over the aforementioned Circle The Wagons-era stuff. Perhaps it’s the production, but it sounds a bit more put together and fully-realized.

‘EON 4‘
The album’s final track continues a series that dates back to their 1991 debut Soulside Journey. This one is a bit all over the place, in a good way. It’s a five-minute journey through thrash, black, heavy and doom metal helmed again by Fenriz and his epic croon. Again, this one feels a little loose… another studio jam, perhaps?