Darkthrone
Old Star
Peaceville Records
Darkthrone has become the new Motorhead, bringing the world quality new releases every few years of music full of headbanging fury and greasy, crusty punk. And darkness, lots of darkness. Their new album, Old Star, is crustier and darker than the rings of dried shit caking Satan’s Asshole, and that’s saying something. From start to finish, it is a joyous celebration of all that is Heavy.
Things start off fast with “I Muffle Your Inner Choir,” raw and punky and brittle and full of adrenaline. They slide into “The Hardship of the Scots” next and it’s maybe my favorite track off the album. This one goes slow, man, and scorches. You can almost taste the Bathory burning leather. And that guitar tone couldn’t be sweeter. “Old Star” remains with the mid-paced trudge and segues into “Alp Man” that continues the slog but brightens it a bit with some cool riffs and melodic twists. “Duke of Gloat” brings a burst of speed back, refreshing and shocking after all the sludge of the three previous songs. “The Key is Inside the Wall” closes the record, and it’s a summation of what has come before, with long, slower passages streaked with some walloping, crashing riffs that hurdle the song forward with reckless abandon.
So, yeah, we get a sort-of Doom record from Darkthrone, but not really. They appear to be reaching back and getting in touch with their Bathory/Celtic Frost roots here, embracing the darkness of those bands, including their ability to slow it down and grind your face in crushed glass.
You know what you’re going to get with a new Darkthrone record and this one delivers pretty much on every level. It’s heavy, it’s riffy, it speeds along and bashes you over the head with barbaric glee. Maybe you’ll be listening to it a year from now, maybe not, but right in this instant, it sounds pretty damned good.
Four Wands out of Five
The Wizard Has Spoken!
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