Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal - guest review
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal - guest review
Tracklist
01. At First Light02. Entrenched
03. The Killchain
04. Granite Wall
05. Those Once Loyal
06. Anti-Tank (Dead Armour)
07. Last Stand Of Humanity
08. Salvo
09. When Cannons Fade
10. A Symbol Of Eight [Limited Edition Digipack Bonus]
Guest review by
Helios1 May 09, 2024
I can certainly say that they made the right call here, because listening to Those Once Loyal truly does feel like listening to the perfection of an artist's craft. The album carries a distinct identity and personality that manifests across every track in a different way. The two-part opener covering "At First Light" and "Entrenched" carries a sense of panic and urgency as a strike team rushes into battle against an insurmountable foe, before this battle calms down, giving way to the impeccably groovy "The Killchain". The rest of the album carries the groove forward, becoming progressively more somber as the tracks continue, culminating in the epic finale "When Cannons Fade", a perfect closer to a perfect album and to the band's discography.
The sound of the album is composed of a mix of various styles, though primarily death metal; whereas there are occasionally thrashy or speed-oriented segments on certain tracks, and undeniable groove metal writing on tracks like "The Killchain" (as mentioned) and "Granite Wall", the grim atmosphere, crushing guitars, creeping bass, and pummeling drums, all paired together with Karl Willetts' deep, raspy, almost burping death growls, constantly remind you that what you are listening to is nothing but death metal. In that regard, however, the influences of other metal styles also make this record in particular far more accessible than something like, say, None So Vile or Close To A World Below, and for that reason, I would have to recommend this as an essential "starter album" to anyone interested in death metal.
If you're still reading this review, I'd strongly advise that you click off the tab, pull up whatever streaming service you use, and start blasting this on whatever kind of sound system you have - or, if you're a physical media purist, look for it at your local record store or nab it online.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 10 |
Written by Helios1 | May 09, 2024
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
9.0
9.0
|
Rating:
9.0 |
At last, the mighty Bolt Thrower have returned, with their inimitable style of pounding extreme Metal. 'Those Once Loyal' is Bolt Thrower's 8th full length studio album, and longtime fans of the band (such as myself) will have a fair idea of what to expect - mainly midtempo, crushing yet groove-laden Metal with great riff after great riff, complete with Bolt Thrower's own unique sense of melody. Although the standard version of this album has 9 tracks, the digipak (which I was lucky enough to get) also has a bonus track entitled 'A Symbol Of Eight'. Needless to say, it's worth obtaining the digipak if you get the chance. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments:
6
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80 users
 Posts: 3433 |
Posts: 3433
Hey, nice review, and welcome to Metal Storm! This is indeed a great "starter album" for death metal. One of my first death metal experiences was a Bolt Thrower album, but it was The IVth Crusade. I only later got around to listening to Those Once Loyal, which I'd also consider as the peak of their craft. Now you've motivated me to listen to this bad boy again...
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Posts: 64428
If all band had balls to quit after last good banger, snd let new bands come huuuh but we all need money.
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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Posts: 6653 Written by Bad English on 02.06.2024 at 14:45 What a coincidence that I was listening to this beast earlier today only to then see your comment afterwards. I agree, they ended their discography in the best way possible!
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Posts: 64428 Written by AndyMetalFreak on 02.06.2024 at 16:44 Only Sentenced did it better whit The Funeral Album
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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 Posts: 15359 |
Posts: 15359
I consider Bolt Thrower cousins of Obituary, slower more groove or plodding bits with forays into speed. Well I think Obituary mostly peaked 30+ years ago (a couple of their recent releases surprised me) ... Bolt Thrower seemed to hone their craft and improve, for the most part, with each release. I consider this return just a notch below For Victory, which, to me, is their opus. Nice to see them get love.Followed both bands for over 30 years now.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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