I’m going to say something potentially stupid, so here goes: Darkthrone doesn’t get enough credit. Yes, incomprehensibly silly thing to say as they’re one of the most important parts of black metal’s second wave, and Fenriz basically is everyone’s heavy metal uncle. But what they’ve done over their past few albums deserves way more love than they get.
They’re back with the expertly titled “Pre-Historic Metal,” their 22nd album and follow-up to 2024’s like-minded “It Beckons Us All…….” that continues their homage to late ’70s and early ’80s metal, and not the kind that was playing hockey arenas. Fenriz and longtime cohort Nocturno Culto long left black metal behind and have done their damnest to conjure the sounds that made them fall in love with this music in the first place. From the first riff to the last, these two eschew trends, fashions, and pretty much anything current and just pound of what makes them happy. And fuck if it won’t make you happy too.
“They Found One of My Graves” unleashes a killer, smoking riff, howls creaking as the leads add color, unloading a thrashy attack before the pace resets. Guitars storm, bringing a rare summer vibe from the ice, smearing as cosmic wooshes discolor, burning away. The title track fires up, vocals echoing, guitars ravaging as Fenriz’s howls bellow, causing your bones to rattle. Sooty riffs attack as feral grunts echo, the guitars firing up and glowing, the playing stomping and quaking. “Siberian Thaw” is slow driving and slurry, the wails hulking as the leads smoke, the title repeated over and over again. Eeriness settles in as the swell erupts, savagely taking down bodies, “Siberian thaw,” practically chanted ad nauseam. “Deeply Rooted” has another strong riff, vocals that scrape the ground, the crunching leaving a litany of bruises. “The silent treatment of the forest,” Fenriz howls, the playing smudging as fires spread, the tempo galloping hard as more bellowing singing fills your chest with the bravado of heavy metal.
“The Dry Wells of Hell” is spacious, the vocals striking as the singing swarms, the pace feeling guttural and raw. The pace punches as the guitars give off light, letting muscular riffs buckle the floor, trudging into hell. “So I Marched to the Sunken Empire” is an instrumental piece that builds interest from the first moment, soundscapes developing before your eyes, fantastical melodies creating streaks in the sky. The weird vibes give off a dreamlike haze, drawing you deeper into your own unconsciousness. “Eat Eat Eat Your Pride” takes charge immediately, howls beckoning as the riffs bend corners, punishing and blistering with newfound speed. True black metal-style guitars generate fog as the drums rattle and crush, mangling and delivering a dusty finish. Closer “Eon 4” (the first “Eon” track dates back to their debut “Soulside Journey”) simmers in muck, hazy leads wafting as calls reverberate, traditional riffing sinking in its teeth. Singing wails as the drumming hammers, voices obscured in the rubble, the pace then trucking all over again, guitars circling and menacing before dashing off into the frost.
It’s fucking Darkthrone. Yeah, I know there are people who still cling a little too hard to their ’90s work, but these two have been on a goddamn roll the last several years, paying home to metal’s roots and their commitment to the lifeblood. “Pre-Historic Metal” is an absolute blast of label-free metal that goes for blood and delivers chaos from their relentless hearts.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Darkthroneofficial
To buy the album, go here: https://usa-peaceville.myshopify.com/collections/darkthrone
For more on the label, go here: https://peaceville.com/
Meat Mead Metal 