BLOOD RED THRONE

I'm aware of Terje Vik Schei (aka Tchort) more from Emperor's 'In The Nightside Eclipse', and various Green Carnation releases than I am Blood Red Throne. I don't know why I'm late to this particular party, but this is my first real dig into their music. Which is a shame, because 'Souls of Damnation' is a fine death metal album (borderline blackened thrash at times too), full of grooves and precision riffery; not to forget some memorable, if slightly off-putting, bass gymnastics. Largely mid-paced and sounding more evil and pissed off than a thousand wannabe metalcore heroes, the quality bar is set very high. However, it is track three 'Harme' which really gets my funk on with its fist-punching verse riff and apocalyptic choruses. And, whilst each member of the band performs admirably (although Erlend needs to ease off those bass plunks a little), it is Vald's vocal skills that make me sit up and take notice. Growling and screeching is done by many a band of course, but Vald infuses his delivery with such venom and class, it towers above the droves of imitators found in today's saturated market. I'll be putting this on repeat for a good while longer, as any fan of death metal should. It's not progressive, or indeed ground-breaking, but it serves its own mandate well, and without swallowing any trends on the way. Good on them.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Earache Records

Album

SOULS OF DAMNATION

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

38:44

RELEASE DATE:

1st June 2009

TRACK LISTING

1) The Light, The Hate
2) Harme
3) Throne Of Damnation
4) Human Fraud
5) Demand
6) Your Cold Flesh
7) Prove Yourself Dead
8) Not Turgenjev, But Close
9) Ten Steps Of Purgatory

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Norway

"...'Souls of Damnation' is a fine death metal album (borderline blackened thrash at times too), full of grooves and precision riffery..."