This is the first in a series of classic Darkthrone reissues from Peaceville, and I must start by saying that any Darkthrone fan who for whatever reason has not heard this record must do so immediately. Raw Norwegian black metal? Think again. I remember being blown away the first time I heard this because it basically sounds like classic Swedish death metal. It's got that chunky, textured guitar tone, growling vocals, a good sense of melody, a mix of speedy picking and plodding rhythms, killer solos, the works. It can be a little redundant, and the songwriting isn't as strong as some of the bands that were obviously influencing them at the time, but it's still a solid effort in my book. Take for example the destructive and doom-laden riffing of "Grave With a View" (complete with brief use of tasteful keyboards) and "The Watchtower", or the drawn out instrumental passages of "Eon" or the title track. The recording is pretty good. It sounds a bit dated of course, and it doesn't stand up as well as some of the actual Swedish death metal classics from around that time period, but that's not a big deal. The guitar tone is great, the drums sound pretty strong, and the mix is well handled. The vocals are slightly out front and the bass tends to blend in with the guitars, but again, it sounds basically fine. The disc comes in a glossy digipack that keeps the original cover art intact (and I actually love the painting on the cover of this record, it's strange, but very nice), and includes the lyrics on the inner panels, with some tiny color band photos on the back with the tracklist. As is the music, the lyrics are quite different than current Darkthrone material, tending to focus more on the darker side of personal exploration than anything. "Oh, once again I kneel before the altar out in the moist, chilly forest. I proclaim the autumn leaves that fell and those who still attach the tress, the breeze that blew my hair, the one I've known through all these years... the songs I never forgot - a past that now is lost." Also included is CD-Rom footage of the first chapter of a four-part interview between Fenriz and Nocturno Culto (continued on the subsequent Darkthrone reissues), running about 15 minutes and seeing the two core band members smoking and drinking while reminiscing about the early days of the band and the recording sessions for the first album. Not bad. It's cool to see the two interview each other and simply talk about what they remember of recording in Stocklholm with some help from members of Entombed, being influenced by the first Death record, etc. This is good stuff. Even if you don't like Darkthrone, you might dig this record because it sounds completely unlike anything they did afterwards.
[Peaceville]
Running time - 41:43, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Soulside Journey, Grave With a View, The Watchtower]
Peaceville - http://www.peaceville.com
