Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 08:32 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Black Heavy Metal
Country: Norway
Label: Peaceville Records
Release date: June 2021
So here is the thing with Darkthrone! For over 35 years the band is progressing, has already released 18 complete records, but still, every fucking time since 1995, their new material it’s a huge surprise. What am I about to listen this time? Which genres are evident on this one? Who will be the signer? How much will they experiment? And so on. However, with a few exceptions (in terms of tracks, not whole album), they manage not only to offer us something subversive, but also to make us love them again from the beginning, as if they were introduced for the first time to their audience.
Less than a week ago, the Norwegians released their 18th (EIGHTEENTH) album, entitled in a way that I consider to be symbolic, to wit “Eternal Hails ……”. In every aspect, we are talking about an album, where Darkthrone keep tracks’ quantity (five tracks in total) and album’s length likewise those of the last records, with some of them exceeding even 7 minutes. Not only that, but they are also adding new elements to their music style, resulting on evoking excitement. Yet, is familiar enough to reach nostalgia vibes. The atmosphere created is quite ominous, and dark, while at the same time the album lurks a primitive feeling, transporting the listener to an eerie/ damp cave, away from any kind of living creature.
More specifically, Darkthrone seems to be exploring the Black – Doom idiom, which they had already reached to some extent on the 2019’s “Old Star”. However, this time has more heavy elements, raising the standards. In the opening track, “His Master’s Voice”, Darkthrone introduces us to this strange limbo between Black and Doom, where guitars emit Sabbath vibes, with scattered elements from the first releases of the Norwegians. Pleasant is presence of the bass that fills and maximizes sound’s volume. On the other hand, on drums we don’t see any particular technique or progression. However, the tempo unfolds a more epic dimension of all compositions. The particularly interesting “Hate Cloak” follows, where we ‘ve actually got Tom G Warrior’s singing an unreleased and adventurous Candlemass track. Mold, mud and dystopia. We move on to the “Wake of the Awakened”, that may have a strange words’ sequence, but is definitely album’s best moment. Up tempo, with galloping style, creates the tendency for the listener to go out in the woods and start hunting. The ritual atmosphere is intensified by the keys of the Moog synthesizer that give a more ritualistic essence. The extremely dark passage with the slower rhythm section and the black riffing that follows is exceptional. One track before the closing one, “Voyage To a Northpole Adrift”, we find more epic elements and a structure with much more atmospheric tones. Several areas could also be described as “post”. As a closing track Darkthrone chose “Lost Arcane City of Uppakra”. Despite, there are fans cheering for it, personally I do find it mediocre. Quite repetitive, with depressive elements, that are a far cry to the general Norwegians’ style. I consider it a middle-of-the road track. It is also the most “spaced” theme of all the compositions, especially from the fourth minute onwards. I get that it may stands as an outro, but the way it sounds make us doubt for what’s coming next. It won’t surprise me if they release a post psych album after this one.
As for the production, it is definitely far from any kind of polish. It sounds like amateurish in a way, but I think the band aims to take us back in old-school times, without that meaning the sound is retro, there’s no such case. It’s as if time has frozen and they are still creating this early ’90s atmosphere.
Also a plus of the album is the fact that Fenriz was set aside from backing vocals, asNocturno Culto has done amazing work managing his voice. It fits perfectly in the wider style of “Eternal Hails ……”. With its screams he travels you to the early period of the band, while with its deeper, doom transitions he intensifies the already tense atmosphere and offers theatricality and drama to the album.
The – quite special – cover is a creation of David Hardy, an artist known for his space touches. It’s called “Pluto and Charon” and was conceived in 1972. With a more open mind approach, this was to be perhaps the ideal choice for “Eternal Hails ……”, as it matches to album’s main meanings. On the one hand Darkthrone who once again try to expand their boundaries and horizons as their new tracks have a more exploratory mood, and on the other hand, we see a a former planet, now a tiny one, that has occupied astrophysicists for so many years, while same goes for the Norwegians and extreme music lovers.
To cut a long story short, “Eternal Hails ……” was well received pretty much everywhere. I love the fact that they do not rest and constantly push themselves to the limits. Stagnation is dangerous. Fully recommended, even to more traditional doom listeners who enjoy Pentagram or Saint Vitus.
