Darkthrone has been making music for almost as long as I’ve been alive, and they’ve dabbled in all kinds of heavy and extreme genres from Death Metal to Crust and of course, Black Metal. The records that Darkthrone released during their black metal era are maybe the most influential of any the genre has ever seen, and provided the soundtrack to the lives of nerds the world over.
Many years ago, back when I had free time (pre-college and pre-fatherhood), I would play board games twice a week in friends living rooms, and A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon, Transilvanian Hunger, and Panzerfaust were permanent fixtures on the turntable while we were playing Descent, Mage Knight, Power Grid, or any other overpriced chunk of cardboard. Those records don’t see much action anymore, but they defined that period of my life.
Darkthrone have churned out a new slab of wax every two or three years since their first album in 1991, and whenever one comes out I make a point to find it and give it a serious listen. This time around, the boys have combined the fruits of their previous experiments in Heavy Metal, Crust, and Black Metal, and the results are very impressive. The album is called Old Star and it’s my favorite of theirs since Transilvanian Hunger. There are zero low points; all killer, no filler. I’ve posted this for your enjoyment. Do yourself a favor if you love heavy music and buy this record.