Just as I was giving up hope, along comes this album. “Det Iskalde Mørket” is pure, relentless, hate-ridden and hell-driven Black Metal from Norway. The format is straightforward. Vardalv beats the drums to death, while his compatriot-in-hatred Infamroth (also known as Grimnisse, his band and no doubt Sunday name) does the rest.
Satanic fires burn with the first burst of violence “The Winds of Blasphemy Have Returned”. All I could imagine while listening to this high-octane track was filthy clouds belching forth over the neighbourhood. The control of the tempo is very tight, which makes it all the easier to be swept along. Although of the modern age, having existed since 2003, Throne of Katarsis set down their standard on “Lysets Endeligt” as a band who are devoted to old-style Black Metal. It’s impure and made to sound as if it’s coming out of someone’s kitchen. The pace then slows down and the horror just becomes more sinister and intense. One of my favourite albums is Gorgoroth’s “Destroyer” and this track has the same degree of turbulent chaos and nastiness. It’s been a while since Satan joined me in my home, and here he’s on impressive form. Next is “The Darkest Path”. The dark smoke rises. A riff from the book of Burzum heralds the atmosphere of a funeral. Deep underlying groans accompany the Black guitar strains. After some more nasty bile, it’s back to the distant loneliness of the guitar, very reminiscent of early Burzum. A huge roar precedes a shift back to a near funeral pace, as the track ends as uncomfortably as it began. The 18 minute track “Det Iskalde Mørket” is dominated again by a strident Burzum-style riff running up and down the scale in sinister fashion, accompanied by the uncompromising battering of drums. It all starts with a Satanic choir, and features deathly screams which just reinforce our confirmation that all is not well. The atmosphere is rancid. It reeks death and Black majesty. Infernal whisperings lead us into “Summoning The Horns” before the onslaught begins. It’s the intensity which makes this so majestic, whether it’s the rasping guitars, the punitive percussion, the sad but strident guitar interludes, the despairing screams or the body of the deathly rant. Grimnisse/Infamroth spits out venom. The drums crush into our skull. The despair heightens. It’s dark. The Credit Crunch becomes Red Nose Day by comparison. It’s Norwegian Black Metal at its finest.
“Det Iskalde Mørket” is a bit of a text book of Black Metal, but equally it has all the technical quality which makes Norwegian Black Metal so atmospheric and inclusive. It will appeal to devotees of Burzum, Gorgoroth, Mayhem and the like but it deserves to have a wider audience. Everyone needs unmitigated darkness.
www.myspace.com/throneofkatarsis
http://www.throneofkatarsis.com
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
