Written by Puff on 18.06.2010 at 03:58

Or rather Unholy Darkthrone lol.
But still I gotta say I freakin love Circle The Wagons.
Best new effort from the starting Norwegian bands with Ordo Ad Chao imo.

I thought it was decent at best.

Written by Got Mayhem? on 16.06.2010 at 23:47

Just listened to the holy trinity of "ABitNS", "UaFM" and Transilvanian Hunger" again for the first time in way too long and now I'm freezing. For all the talk of Darkthrone clones in the BM scene, not a single one of them have managed to come close to matching this atmosphere. Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone indeed...

Makes it only more sad to see how this band sucks nowadays. These albums are the real Darkthrone that left its mark in the history of metal, the one people will still remember and talk of in a few decades. The Motorhead-wannabee albums bring nothing new at all. It's a pity when bands suffer such devolution instead of evolving.

Written by Lord_Regnier on 20.06.2010 at 20:30

Written by Got Mayhem? on 16.06.2010 at 23:47

Just listened to the holy trinity of "ABitNS", "UaFM" and Transilvanian Hunger" again for the first time in way too long and now I'm freezing. For all the talk of Darkthrone clones in the BM scene, not a single one of them have managed to come close to matching this atmosphere. Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone indeed...

Makes it only more sad to see how this band sucks nowadays. These albums are the real Darkthrone that left its mark in the history of metal, the one people will still remember and talk of in a few decades. The Motorhead-wannabee albums bring nothing new at all. It's a pity when bands suffer such devolution instead of evolving.

I'm kind of split on the new style. On one hand I definitely don't listen to it or enjoy it as much as their old stuff, but on the other hand I do have respect for Nocturno and Fenriz for just doing whatever the fuck they want musically. I definitely don't see it as 'selling out', considering that I'm sure more people, even new fans, are more interested in hearing Kathaarian Life Code than Blacksmith of the North.

What do you think of their short DM era?

I'm definitely in the new stuff hating camp. I just find it to be very nothingy.

Written by Got Mayhem? on 20.06.2010 at 20:38

I'm kind of split on the new style. On one hand I definitely don't listen to it or enjoy it as much as their old stuff, but on the other hand I do have respect for Nocturno and Fenriz for just doing whatever the fuck they want musically. I definitely don't see it as 'selling out', considering that I'm sure more people, even new fans, are more interested in hearing Kathaarian Life Code than Blacksmith of the North.

What do you think of their short DM era?

Oh, I never said they sold out or became commercial or mainstream. I don't think they did. I have no problem with their attitude and nothing personal against Fenriz or Culto. My problem with current Darkthrone is purely a matter of music: Imo, their music sucks and I don't enjoy it at all.

As for their Death Metal stuff, I heard very little of it and didn't like it. You need to know that I'm a big fan of Black Metal but I don't like Death Metal at all, apart from very rare exceptions. For example, I don't like bands like Deathspell Omega or Averse Sefira because it sounds already too much like Death Metal to my ears. And I can stand only old school DM. I utterly hate Brutal Death.

Written by Lord_Regnier on 20.06.2010 at 20:53

Written by Got Mayhem? on 20.06.2010 at 20:38

Oh, I never said they sold out or became commercial or mainstream. I don't think they did. I have no problem with their attitude and nothing personal against Fenriz or Culto. My problem with current Darkthrone is purely a matter of music: Imo, their music sucks and I don't enjoy it at all.

As for their Death Metal stuff, I heard very little of it and didn't like it. You need to know that I'm a big fan of Black Metal but I don't like Death Metal at all, apart from very rare exceptions. For example, I don't like bands like Deathspell Omega or Averse Sefira because it sounds already too much like Death Metal to my ears. And I can stand only old school DM. I utterly hate Brutal Death.

Yea, I wasn't trying to imply that you thought they had sold out, I was just throwing random opinions in.

Personally I think the DM they came out with was definitely above average, but it wasn't anything special enough to make a big name for themselves. Ironically, forging their own anti-commercial style of thin, buzzsaw metal has made then into one of the biggest names in the BM genre. Hindsight, who could have known?

I approach new Darkthrone albums as metal history lessons. You've got your thrash, speed, black, some Punk and, in Dark Thrones and Black Flags, I swear I can hear some Mercyful Fate. They're sort of comparable to Quentin Tarantino in that they take bits and pieces from old stuff, then glue it together in new ways. The biggest difference between Tarantino and Darkthrone (yes, I'm fucking serious), excluding the whole movie/metal discrepancy, is that people who don't know anything about film history might well say Tarantino is their favorite director. I imagine it'd be difficult to find a metal n00b who would call Darkthrone his favorite band. But I guess that says more about the accessibility of film and the barbed-wired-and-land-mine-strewn-gated metal community.

Anyway. If someone who has been listening to metal and Darkthrone longer than I have wants to knock some sense into me, by all means, get to it.

F.O.A.D. is, imo, their best work to date. Sardonic Wrath is a close second.

When it comes to Darkthrone, it can be summarized very shortly, as far as I'm concerned.

"A Blaze In The Northern Sky", "Under A Funeral Moon" and "Transylvanian Hunger" are very interesting albums, though nothing impressive in terms of technicality.

Everything else I heard from Darkthrone sucks.

I'd say Sardonic Wrath is well worth a visit too and I've recently changed my mind on Circle The Wagons which I happened to think is a rather excellent heavy/punk album which some great tunes and a lot of attitude. I'm still not convinced on the previous records of the new era, for me they seem to be caught bewteen black and heavy and it doesn't quite work.

Written by Guest on 09.03.2011 at 15:11

I'd say Sardonic Wrath is well worth a visit too and I've recently changed my mind on Circle The Wagons which I happened to think is a rather excellent heavy/punk album which some great tunes and a lot of attitude. I'm still not convinced on the previous records of the new era, for me they seem to be caught bewteen black and heavy and it doesn't quite work.

Re-visit F.O.A.D. then. Brass-tacks crust heavy thrash black attack snacks. 'Raised on Rock' is classic.

Darkthrone is an example of a band that changes style without sucking. Souldside Journey wa a great dm album, before releasing a trio of classic bm albums, a period of average releases, and now to their good'ol ass kicking classic heavy fucking metal. I actually like their albums from F.O.A.D onwards the best, although ABITNS and UAFM are classics. Transylvanian Hunger, while a classic album, is quite overrated. People talk about some kind of amazing atmosphere from it... Well, I see it as a collection of above average minimalist black metal tunes, that when played as an album, get quite borng.

I also love this video of Nocturno Culto performing Under a Funeral Moon with Satyricon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gskOZ0aKKM8

Written by Guest on 18.03.2011 at 03:50

Darkthrone is an example of a band that changes style without sucking.

I hope you're aware lots of people (and most Black Metal fans) don't share this opinion and think their crust punk shit stinks.

Written by RavenKing on 18.03.2011 at 06:06

Written by Guest on 18.03.2011 at 03:50

Darkthrone is an example of a band that changes style without sucking.

I hope you're aware lots of people (and most Black Metal fans) don't share this opinion and think their crust punk shit stinks.

The only album that really sounds like crust punk at all is The Cult is Alive. Everything after that is just heavy metal, with punk influences-More like Motorhead than anything. And yes, I'm aware that most bm fans dislike their new work- People have a tendancy to dislike bands changing style.

Written by RavenKing on 18.03.2011 at 06:06

Written by Guest on 18.03.2011 at 03:50

Darkthrone is an example of a band that changes style without sucking.

I hope you're aware lots of people (and most Black Metal fans) don't share this opinion and think their crust punk shit stinks.

Why do you say "I hope"?
It's not like he should give a shit about the rest not liking their latest stuff and change his opinion. I like both eras of Darkthrone (and the little era of death metal as well) and the fact that many people don't share that opinion is insignificant.

Written by Guest on 16.03.2012 at 20:23
So you folks out there, equipped with magical crystal balls, foresee what's gonna happen?

Fenriz is gonna pull a Morbid Angel and make Darkthrone an EBM (as in electronic black metal) band, featuring Skrillex as a special guest producer.

I have been a die hard Darkthrone supporter my entire metal-listening life...I actually prefer their crazy blackened-punk than their old releases even!

But if they go electronic...I'll give up haha. I just can't stomach that shit.

Unless it is FatBoySlim or Daftpunk. Or Justice.

About fucking time... cannot wait.

Written by Guest on 28.03.2012 at 20:10

So here we have Fenriz lecturing about BM (roots -> '92) aka Black Metal University:

This is so bizarre. Lots of puppies to you for pointing this out.

I like it haha. I think it is actually pretty funny haha.

I'm assuming a change in style is in order if they're writing 10-minute tracks. Their current black metal/crust punk hybrid would sound terrible if dragged out for that long.

Either they drop the crust punk or they get hella atmospheric. Maybe both.

I liked them far better when they were a black metal band they just seem like another run of the mill metal band now:(

Written by winds of mayhem on 18.06.2012 at 07:49
I liked them far better when they were a black metal band they just seem like another run of the mill metal band now:(

Crust punk is a run-of-the-mill metal genre now?

Written by Troy Killjoy on 19.06.2012 at 01:52

Written by winds of mayhem on 18.06.2012 at 07:49
I liked them far better when they were a black metal band they just seem like another run of the mill metal band now:(

Crust punk is a run-of-the-mill metal genre now?

I was just about to quote him as well... Haven't you heard all the bands that are playing tha shit now? SO MAAAAANYYYYYYYY. Maybe the dude is just confusing "average" with "run-of-the-mill" which I can forgive I guess... I know I'm one of the few who enjoys both their old and new stuff.

To be fair there's as much heavy metal as there is punk in newer Darkthrone records. To my ears anyway.

Written by Guest on 19.06.2012 at 02:15

To be fair there's as much heavy metal as there is punk in newer Darkthrone records. To my ears anyway.

Oh yeah, specially in their latest two. Their most crust album is probably The Cult Is Alive. I still wouldn't call it "run-of-the-mill" as I don't find that term fitting at all despite if I like those albums or not.

Written by Guest on 19.06.2012 at 02:15
To be fair there's as much heavy metal as there is punk in newer Darkthrone records. To my ears anyway.

Agreed. They've kind of adopted a blackened heavy metal approach with crust punk leanings. Still far from being a run-of-the-mill outfit, being that I can't name five bands off the top of my head that try to employ the same style.

It's been a mix of all three with a different influence at the fore depending upon which of their most recent albums you listen to.

10 minute tracks for the new one might mean a more old DT approach... or maybe some semi-Doom influence.

Written by BitterCOld on 19.06.2012 at 05:08
10 minute tracks for the new one might mean a more old DT approach... or maybe some semi-Doom influence.

Or maybe Fenriz caught wave of the recent post-metal surge spreading through some of the bigger-name bands a la Ahab.

Regardless, I'm very interested to see what they'll come up with, whether it's a return to form or another evolution in their sound.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 19.06.2012 at 05:15

Or maybe Fenriz caught wave of the recent post-metal surge spreading through some of the bigger-name bands a la Ahab.

Regardless, I'm very interested to see what they'll come up with, whether it's a return to form or another evolution in their sound.

haha. seeing as they've always seemingly moved away from the trend, i doubt that. a couple of this retro doom projects recently coming to light (the split wtih Nattefrost and Valhalla, which he was in) coupled with length and the slower tracks off "Circle The Wagons" planted that seed.