Nox's Totally Objective Review of Darkthrone
All takes are my own and are 100% peer reviewed, correct and definitive
Intro
“Darkthrone” is one of the most pivotal black metal projects of all time and yet their discography is also extremely diverse featuring a variety of sounds and textures. I’d rather a band experiment and get it wrong then release the same album for 36 years. With that said, not every “Darkthrone” album is good but when done correctly, you can see the reason for the group’s long-lasting and well-earned legacy.
What is Darkthrone’s best album?
Picking a “best album” is difficult because — to me — it not only factors enjoyability but the quality of the compositions on the record, its lasting impact and overall relevance to the band’s discography.
In terms of sonic experiences, you would be hard-pressed to find a more significant and captivating record than 1994’s “Transilvanian Hunger.”
Why?
“Transilvanian Hunger” is a landmark album for the band that offers a visceral soundscape that is both abrasive and soothing. Much like a Burzum record, the repetitive nature of the riffs and song structures create a “spell” effect that lures in the listener. This pull is then castrated after every track by a purposeful multi-second pause. The instrumentation on this album is cold and Culto delivers guttural vocals with an almost staccato rhythm that contribute even more so to the album’s repetitive nature.
“Transilvanian Hunger” is perhaps the project’s most “auteur” record as Fenriz composed the entire piece himself in late 1993 with Culto contributing vocals. 1993 comes across as a dark time for the band and it seems that this record came out of a moment of pure inspiration by Fenriz when he thought of the opening riff of the title track which served as the blueprint for the remainder of the album.
This record may sometimes be seen as a “normie pick” when it comes to Darkthrone and black metal in general but, when you dig beneath the surface, you’ll see why the album has had such a lasting impact and why it’s not only Darkthrone’s best album, but one of the best in the genre.
What is Darkthrone’s worst album?
Darkthrone’s worst album isn’t immediately obvious. Some might point toward’s F.O.A.D. during the height of the band’s crust punk era as the epitome of “bad Throne” but after revisiting it, I find I quite enjoy much of the instrumentation on it. The record that stands as the worst Darkthrone to me is 2006’s “The Cult is Alive.”
Why?
I am hard pressed to find a track I enjoy on this record, with the riff on “Forebyggende Krig” or “Graveyard Slut” being the closest I could find to enjoyability. Albums like “Arctic Thunder” might commit the sin of being boring and “F.O.A.D” might be anti-Darkthrone in style but I just don’t like or enjoy this album.
Even worse, to me this is the moment that marked the downward spiral for the band. Fenriz described this transition in writing style in the commentary for “Hate is the Law” from “Sardonic Wrath.”
“Up to this album, we were all about riffs, riffs, riffs, riffs,” he said. “ Never really thought about songwriting. That came on the album after this one.”
Well if this is what Darkthrone looks like after songwriting, I’ll take the riffs-era any day.
What is the most underrated Darkthrone studio album?
If “The Cult is Alive” marks the death of Darkthrone then “Old Star” certainly marks its resurrection. “Old Star” continues to be one of my most listened to albums by the band.
From the start of side A with the pummeling “I Muffle Your Inner Choir” to the fantastic closer “The Key is Inside the Wall” this album captivates my attention with killer riffs. The weakest track is definitely ‘Duke of Gloat” but even then it pulls through in the second half with a guitar solo that breaks up the dull and monotonous central riff of the track.
It's hard to say what genre “Old Star” is but, for me, it strikes a perfect balance between the crust punk era and the band’s heavy metal inspirations. Nobody talks about this record positively or negatively and it’s unfortunate because this is in my top three favorite albums by the band.
What is a Darkthrone album you think is overrated?
This is a difficult pick for me as this was the first “Darkthrone” record I ever listened to and was one of my first black metal albums in general. With that said, the band’s most overrated album is “A Blaze in The Northern Sky.”
This is a landmark release that in many ways became the face of the genre and helped introduce the world to black metal. It’s full of unforgettable riffs and some of the most unique vocal performances Culto and Fenriz ever gave.
However, what people consumed as 100% pure black metal turned out to be a mix of black metal and blackened death. Fresh off putting together “Goat Lord” material, the band hit the studio and produced an album that features 3-4 black metal tracks with the rest consisting of blackened death—just listen to “Paragon Belial.” Yes, “Kathaarian Life Code,” “In the Shadows of the Horns” are goated but as I revisited this album for the tier list, it just didn’t feel the same.
I bumped “A Blaze in the Northern Sky” down from S-Tier to A-Tier simply due to the fact that it isn’t perfect. “Where Cold Winds Blow” just isn’t a good track and some of the tracks on the album have weak moments that get better later in the song but still exist nonetheless.
I appreciate “A Blaze in the Northern Sky'' for how unique it is and how different it is from the rest of the band’s catalog. I love the haunting iconic album cover with Zephyrous practically floating in the darkness. I love Fenriz’s vocal flourishes underneath Culto’s phenomenal delivery. I love the riffs on “Kathaarian Life Code,” “In the Shadow of the Horns,” and even the second half of “Paragon Belial.”
As it stands, “A Blaze in The Northern Sky” is a true highlight in the genre and in band’s discography but it isn’t a 100% perfect black metal monolith for every band to base themselves off of.