Anatomia NOR: Darkthrone III (of IX)
FIRST PERIOD – UNHOLY TRILOGY OF BLACK METAL
1992-1995
2.A Blaze In The Northern Sky (1992)Running time: 42:05, 6 tracksInitially, the band wanted to create the ultimate, truest, and wildest Death Metal album ever. There still are rehearsals avalaible, with the classic lineup. Unfortunately, the final result did not satisfy anyone, which ended up with the band being reduced by half, and it was decided that this would remain until the end of the band's history. Neither Fenriz nor Nocturno Culto were satisfied with the album just being musically extreme. No, both the sound and visual aspects also had to match the relentless onslaught of sound. Inspired by Euronymous and Sarcófago, Darkthrone applied corpse paint to their faces and then did a photo session, which was most likely intended for either an interview or the back cover of the album. However, it ended up as a front. Black-and-white photo in a rather silly pose. The album title referenced the infamous church burnings in Norway. Anyway, the band unintentionally set a standard for Black Metal. Today, the album is not really that shocking, but I can imagine the look on the label executives faces, when they saw what the band brought them. It's a bit like Madonna suddenly starting to record Outsider Country music on the streets at minimal cost (and effort), expecting to make a fortune out of it. Of course, Thrash, Death, and Black drew heavily from Punk music, but Black Metal, beyond its musical approach, was also inspired by the ethos of uncompromising attitude, especially towards record labels. So, as the story goes, the band said that they either release the album as it is, or they can go fuck themselves. Surprisingly enough,
Peaceville Records agreed to these terms, and probably to their biggest surprise, the album turned out to be a massive success, big enough that
the band, without any promotional expenses, became the main breadwinner.
All in all, a perfect situation: cheaply made, cheaply released, zero promotion, minimal costs, maximum profits. Maybe that's also why I'm not
really into Black Metal, because it has turned too much into a contest
of 'who's more shitty, and more authentic,' instead of growth and
surprising the listener. Even Darkthrone themselves, by the way, would suffer the consequences of what they started, but let's not get
ahead of ourselves. Stylistically, which, as everyone has already said everywhere, both hipsters and the band itself, you can still hear the echoes of Death Metal. I don't really hear it myself, but I won't argue with those wiser than me. For me personally, there are more influences from Celtic Frost and Bathory than anything else, and frankly, Darkthrone would pay a tribute for these bands much better.
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3.Under a Funeral Moon (1993)Running time: 40:41, 8 tracksAfter the huge success of 'sophomore,' just a year later (that period was probably the most productive in Darkthrone's history), a follow-up was created. This time, everything is a bit more organized, thought-out, and theoretically better than the predecessor. However, in my humble opinion, the problem with this album (as with many other albums by this band) is being caught between two important records, which causes the album itself to be somewhat neglected and fade into the background. Of course, there will always be zealous defenders, as well as people who built an altar to this creation. And that is perfectly understandable, since it is a more pure in terms of quality. While 'Blaze' was an experiment and no one knew if it would work, here it is done with full certainty regarding the style and atmosphere. There are also some early hits that, for better or worse, will become standards when it comes to Black Metal. In my opinion, the album is somewhat underrated and treated more a bit like a step toward the perfection that was their next work. I must admit that I am guilty of the very thing I criticize, which is why every time I forget, I play this album to remind myself as to why I like it. |
The first Darkthrone album I ever heard. But that's not why it's the best. It's the best because people the general consensus says that it is the best Darkthrone album, which doesn't leave much room for an argument. Perhaps we should start with the fact that this album is dedicated to Dead from Morbid / Mayhem. Let's also add that, both visually and sonically, the band took another step forward and completely immersed themselves in darkness and filth, to the point where I wonder how they managed to get out of it. This is also the point in history, where Varg Vikernes goes to prison, Immortal calls themselves Holocaust Metal, Enslaved transitions to full Viking Metal, Emperor smoke cigars and wear a monocle, while becoming famous, and Satyricon still naively continues what their older colleagues started, even though, they will also move to a higher level soon. A total, complete album. But I've also noticed that this album is more appreciated
by Death Metal fans, rather than Black Metal crowd, as the latter prefers other
Darkthrone records. Apart from my favorite 'Slotted I det Fjerne' (Castle
of Mysteries), and the title track, the music maintains a consistent vibe and
level that they never managed to replicate before or after. It has been
frequently copied and plagiarized (also by Gorgoroth), but rarely
matched. In time, I would move forward, but for a very long time it was the only DT album that I really cared about. After the completion of the unholy trilogy, it seemed that it was the
end of the band's glory. Both yes and no. The band never surpassed their
classics in the eyes of fans, but before their crisis, they produced
an album that is somewhat considered the fourth part of the trilogy, and
over the years it is even sometimes regarded as the band's best album. For the first time, the band kinda went against the grain, because instead of cashing in on their fame, they wanted to do what their hearts truly desired. The proper audience appreciated it, and so did I. Initially, I only wanted to have in my collection the period up to DT's fourth album. But in the end, I was tempted by this album, then by a few others, and I decided, 'screw it, I’ll have the entire discography.' And so, "Panzerfaust" had this effect. |
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