Tracklist: 1. Earth's Last Picture
2. Blackwinged
3. Gather for Attack on the Pearly Gates
4. Black Victory of Death
5. Majestic Desolate Eye
6. Blasphemer
7. Ravnajuv
8. The Serpents Harvest
Total Death marked the beginning of mid-era Darkthrone period. A forgettable period for the most part, showing the band slowly but surely straying from black metal and eventually aiming towards crust punk. The first signs of this change are apparent on this album, notably on “Gather for Attack on the Pearly Gates” which enters a punk groove a third of the way into the song. Other songs feature familiar Celtic Frost-style riffing while others even touch the brilliance of their earlier albums, which all in all makes Total Death a great black metal album and the strongest release of their mid-era period.
Darkthrone’s style change is obvious right away. Gone are the droning guitar tones and hypnotizing repetitive blast beats, having been replaced by slower riffs in a similar vein as “Triumphant Gleam” off Panzerfaust, although not as powerful due to the weak production. Classic Darkthrone moments can be found here, however – namely in “Earth’s Last Picutre” and “Ravnajuv,” the latter of which would fit comfortably on Transilvanian Hunger. Other standouts include “Blasphemer,” a fast paced thrash metal track, and “Blackwinged,” and angry song featuring strong drumming and catchy riffs.
The main problem with the album is undoubtedly the production. The drumming especially is incredibly muddy and indecipherable at times and the guitar tones are very weak. While the production may be objectively “better” than, say, Transilvanian Hunger, it’s certainly not better for black metal. Pair the mediocre production with decent to great songwriting skills and you have Total Death – the start of Darkthrone’s forgettable period but a criminally underrated, solid black metal album.
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