Blood Red Throne may feel that their exhilarating redefining of old-school values has been unfairly overlooked in recent times. As with 2011’s Brutalitarian Regime, this self-titled onslaught of precision bombing and hellish filth is as concise and devastating as anything produced by more high profile extremists.
As ever, the Norwegians’ understanding of what makes the best death metal so powerful remains at the very heart of their sound. The opening Soulseller says it all. Four breathless minutes, bulging with breathtaking shifts in speed and meter and topped with some of the most thrillingly clear but demonic growls imaginable from of Yngve ‘Bolt’ Christiansen, it is a commanding demonstration of what happens when skilled technicians focus on groove and impact, rather than mindless showboating.
Again, on the catchy Deatholation, Blood Red Throne wring maximum violence from seemingly straightforward death metal elements, evoking the wicked highs of the early 90s while never sounding dated. A class act.
