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Emeritus
Reviews 99
Approval 95%
Soundoffs 103
News Articles 7
Band Edits + Tags 1,069
Album Edits 607
Album Ratings 992
Objectivity 69%
Last Active 12-30-22 11:40 am
Joined 09-27-13
Review Comments 12,944
| Darkthrone’s Discography Revisited
Plenty of bands I love have fairly lengthy back catalogues full of albums I rarely touch in favor of spinning the more reliable classics, but it’s always fun to go back through and listen to the slow progression of one band over the decades, so I’ve started going through Darkthrone’s LP discography from debut to the present day and jot down a few thoughts, updated ratings, and comparisons for the fun of it. | | 1 |  | Darkthrone
Soulside Journey
Darkthrone’s death metal debut is largely overlooked due to the trio of classic black metal albums that follow, but that’s rather unfortunate considering the quality of material here. This is just a really solid album full of great riffs, gravelly vocals, punishing drumming, and some really cool bass-lines that are rarely mentioned. It’s also really well produced.
Prior Rating: 4/5
New Rating: 4/5 | | 2 |  | Darkthrone
A Blaze in the Northern Sky
What can I say? A clear classic. Due to the lingering death metal presence, there’s something quite unique about this one. I at least do have a tendency not to “count” this album quite as much, in terms of being a quintessential black metal exemplar due to that dual-nature, but it’s one hell of an album, and really intriguing with its fair share of lumbering riffs and use of more moderate tempos, like on the gargantuan opener Katharian Life Code. In The Shadow of the Horns is an easy highlight, one of the most iconic bm tracks of all time, the filthiest opening riff in history, and Culto’s ghoulish shouts. The whole album sounds great, striking a balance between the crust-y lo-fi sound while maintaining a crunchy-crisp quality. Nice bass-guitar presence on this one too. Feels like winter man. The prejudice holding me back from fully embracing it was the feeling that it wasn’t “all in” on the black metal sound yet, but that’s a feature, not a bug.
Prior rating: 4.5/5
New rating: 5/5 | | 3 |  | Darkthrone
Under a Funeral Moon
Playing this immediately after Blaze is like comparing the darkness of dusk to the dead of a moonless night. Natassja rips into a dissonant, speedy, tremolo-picked riff complemented by reedy production, thin shrieks, oddly muted drumming, then before you know it the track ungracefully cuts out. I can only imagine what it would be like to hear this shit for the first time in the early 90s. This odd opener proclaims that Funeral will be a different beast entirely. Gone is the “fun” factor from Blaze, this is pure cvlt. The following tracks disabuse us of that notion a little bit, with more laboring, marching riffs popping up here and there, but it’s definitely handling business differently. I tend to view this album as the quiet middle-child of the trio, overshadowed by Blaze’s boldness and TH’s reputation, though it’s the band’s first proper black metal album, full of classic tracks, iconic riffs, fantastic drumming, bleak trebly soundscapes.
Prior rating: 4.5/5
New rating: 5/5 | | 4 |  | Darkthrone
Transilvanian Hunger
The title track/opener here is, to me, the single most iconic, exemplary, distilled essence of the black metal style ever concocted. Absolute classic, trve kvlt, uber necro. The production this time around is even more suffocating and all-encompassing than Under… — it chokes you in thick fog inside a desolate forest bathed in the coldest moonlight of mid-winter night. Skald Au Satans Sol is another essential track, with a bombastic, jittery opening riff. Unmistakable. Slottet and Graven create such an enveloping atmosphere. This is black metal. Pure and simple. One of the earliest records in the style I ever listened to and it remains one of the best.
Prior rating: 5/5
New rating: 5/5 | | 5 |  | Darkthrone
Panzerfaust
The more time goes on, the more I’m sure that Panzerfaust is peak Darkthrone. Not as iconic or influential as the three prior, but musically, atmospherically, sonically — it perfects the formula to a degree never surpassed. En Vind Av Sorg is the spiritual successor to TH (the track), with more of an understated melodic charm than a cadaverous cocophany. It might be my favorite DT track of all time. This album sounds better than Funeral and TH, which works wonders. It’s not quite as crisp and thin, definitely a little rounder and blunter, but there’s a certain substance to it. It packs a fucking punch. That’s something you feel when Triumphant Gleam gallops in and Ted screams his lungs out. I don’t think he’s sounded more aggressive than he does on Panzerfaust, before or since. Vocals mixed a little too high perhaps, other than that I have no notes. This album is my favorite front to back DT album. It has Hordes man. It has fucking Quintessence.
Prior rating: 5/5
New rating: 6/5 | | 6 |  | Darkthrone
Total Death
Given how much I love Panzerfaust, it’s somewhat odd that I don’t really extend much thought to Total Death. Granted, it doesn’t have the best production value, with a somewhat muted warmth or space-y feel that, while cavernous, also blunts the edge noticeably, and that’s probably the biggest downfall and difference between this release and its predecessor. Whereas Panzerfaust is in-your-face with its more aggressive, pummeling production, Total Death keeps you at a distance. It also doesn’t have the same density of quality tracks, even though everything here is quite good, it just never reaches the front-to-back consistency of Panzer or TH, nor their peaks. With the drawbacks considered, it’s still a really good album and a solid entry in the “pure” black metal era of the band, certainly overlooked and undeservedly overshadowed. The first three tracks are some of the best in DT’s early history.
Prior rating: 3.5/5
New rating: 4/5 | | 7 |  | Darkthrone
Goatlord
There’s a great album buried in here somewhere. It had the riffs and the drumming, it even has some cool vocals, albeit mixed far, far too high, and the faux-female vocalizations are more humorous than novel or useful. That said, if this was actually given the time and care necessary, with a re-recording and quality production, this could be Soulside Journey-tier. As it stands though, it’s decidedly lackluster, and judging it for what it is, not what it could be, it’s an underwhelming, muddled, amateurish, demo-quality product.
Prior rating: 3.5/5
New Rating: 3/5 | | 8 |  | Darkthrone
Ravishing Grimness
This one actually surprised me on the re-spin. It’s one of those albums that I overlook because it’s nestled so inconspicuously after the odd Goatlord, far past the “prime” years, and before the more notorious Plaguewielder. It’s just sort of…there. BUT, it actually sounds reaaalllly good. The production is on-point, the riffs and atmosphere are fantastic, it has The Claws of Time and the title track as standouts, but everything else is also highly enjoyable. Apparently Fenriz only contributed lyrics, wrote The Beast, and performed his drumming, while the majority of songwriting duties were provided courtesy of Nocturno, and for what it’s worth he really pulled it off. This sounds like a prototype for the “easygoing” blackened style these guys would return to after the crust-punk era.
Prior Rating: 3.5/5
New Rating: 4/5 | | 9 |  | Darkthrone
Plaguewielder
Hmmm. There’s a notable decline in quality at Plaguewielder. The production does the music a major disservice, seeming to split the difference between Total Death and RG with the resultant flatness failing to inject much life or character into the mix. Another problem: the thinner guitar tone simply isn’t strong enough to carry this album, which it is forced to do anyway given the non-existent bass, more primitive drumming, and tired, intermittent vocals. For a riff-driven album, that’s a big issue. There’s still some decent ideas on this album, it’s not an absolute bore or anything offensive, but there’s so little to recommend Plaguewielder over pretty much anything else in the DT discography. It doesn’t do anything especially well or interestingly. It really feels like a bit of a filler album. At least the remaster art is pretty. I, Voidhanger too.
Prior rating: 3.5/5
New rating: 3/5 | | 10 |  | Darkthrone
Hate Them
Definitely an improvement over Plaguewielder; it sounds better, there’s more energy, some newfound direction, and opener Rust is a primary example of all of those elements coming together. I’ve passingly listened to this album before, but apparently didn’t feel strong enough to have even rated it before. I think that makes sense, there’s not really much to say. It’s a quality addition to the catalogue and the start of the next era of DT albums to come, but I personally think they did better than this later on. Still, it’s a solid slice of galloping crusty goodness embedded in the black metal style. Fenriz’s drumming really shines and Ted’s vocals sound great here.
Prior rating: N/A
New Rating: 3.5/5 | | 11 |  | Darkthrone
Sardonic Wrath
Borderline black n roll, Sardonic Wrath has long been a silent favorites of mine from this middle era, and returning to it now I feel much the same way. There’s just something particularly fun and engaging about this one, though stylistically it’s pretty similar to its predecessors and the few to come afterwards. It riffs and grooves though. Maybe there’s a nostalgia factor, since this was the first Darkthrone album outside of the holy trinity I listened to, and also the first one I heard the band’s commentary tracks for. But I think I can argue convincingly that it really is that good. Straightening Sharks in Heaven (whatever that means) with its swaggering mid-paced riffing is a clear highlight, as is the rhythmic Alle Gegen Alle. Rawness Obselete, with its changing tempos, is one of my favorite DT tracks.
Prior rating: 4/5
New rating: 4/5 | | 12 |  | Darkthrone
The Cult Is Alive
The true Punkthrone era emerges. Tripling down on the crust influences that were already creeping in on the last album, The Cult is Alive goes all in and it makes for a really fun romp. You’ve got the extra wacky numbers like Graveyard Slut that are full on cheese, especially with Fenriz’s vocals, and also some more recognizable pieces like Too Old Too Cold that round things out. At this stage in the cycle, Cult is the most radical departure in style from the second wave sound. As enjoyable as it is, I think it does lack some substance and there aren’t really any essential tracks on here, even if everything is still pretty good.
Prior rating: 4/5
Current rating: 3.5/5 | | 13 |  | Darkthrone
F.O.A.D.
There’s no hiding the crust punk on this one, from title to cover art to opening track, the first impressions of this album leave no room to mistake F.O.A.D. for the old Darkthrone you knew and loved. And y’know what? I respect it. I think the clarity of vision and full commitment to the new style actually makes this album a considerable improvement over Cult in many respects. Canadian Metal is better than Graveyard Slut, doing a similar thing, and Fenriz really lets loose. The production is a little more fitting here, not all that great mind, but you’ve got a noticeable, buzzing bass presence and a dirty overall feel. The drumming is energetic, the riffs and solos are more engaging. It feels like the boys are in sync here, perhaps more sure of themselves and this fresh direction. Sure, it’s a bit messy and unpolished, but I think that also adds to the raw style. It’s nothing amazing, some songs fall flat, but it’s also got fun cuts like Raised on Rock and the t/t.
New rating 3.5/5 | | 14 |  | Darkthrone
Dark Thrones and Black Flags
Maybe I just have a higher tolerance for cheese and rough charm but c’mon this album is fun as heck. A little more over the top than F.O.A.D. while doing a very similar thing, the vocals are even more unhinged, and they try out some weird techniques here and there which often don’t work but it’s cool anyway. The styles are even more mashed up, yet it’s all somehow shoved into the Darkthrone meatgrinder of gritty bm-esque production and trebly guitar tone, so each sausage looks similar enough in its casing for the genre-blending to feel weirdly consistent. I love Hiking Metal Punks — it’s cool as hell and that scream halfway through is straight Adrenalin O.D. rip. Oath Minus sounds like a bastardised Immortal track. The opening track has a really cool main riff even if it turns into a typical DT crust track. Hanging out in Heiger is energetic. Overall I’d take this over the two before it, but they’re all in a similar bucket, faults and virtues alike.
Old rating: 3.5/5
New rating: 3.5/5 | | 15 |  | Darkthrone
Circle the Wagons
The first immediately notable feature of Wagons is that this album has superior production quality to the previous crust-era releases. The boys also lean more into old-school speed metal tropes. Fenriz’s vocals are more controlled. The riffs and songwriting is tighter. It feels like the punk-y rough DIY approach is giving way to something closer to garage-y heavy metal. Sure, it’s still gritty, but now it sounds like they give a damn. Even tracks like Graves of the 80s, which is the equivalent of HMP or Graveslut — the chaotic headbanging caveman song — is handled with much more deliberate attention and, man, it pays off. If the last three albums consisted of drinking music made for drunks, by drunks, this one was at least recorded in relative sobriety. The riffs and composition especially are a cut above the rest. The t/t is a bit goofy, still somewhat charming but probably the low point on an otherwise consistent album.
Prior rating: 4/5
New rating: 4/5 | | 16 |  | Darkthrone
The Underground Resistance
This album is a tighter, focused, unified approach to the classic heavy-metal leanings of Circle the Wagons. It takes what worked on the prior album and doubles down, with greater focus, longer tracks, and more attention to detail. It’s evident that the duo are letting loose and having fun, allowing their unabashed influences to run wild, but this album is proof positive they can retain that free abandon and sheer energy, without also dropping standards and messing around. By contrast, the crust-punk albums were maybe a bit of a crutch, an excuse to try something different without “committing” by also adopting the careless aesthetic and punk-y attitude to go along with it. UR feels more mature while somewhat “completing” the transformation of Darkthrone from black metal pioneers into old-school metal heads. This is the Darkthrone I like, Ted and Fenriz getting together fun-loving metal enthusiasts, making music they actually listen to.
Prior rating: 4.5/5
New rating: 4.5/5 | | 17 |  | Darkthrone
Arctic Thunder
I love this album. Tundra Leech is one of my favourite Darkthrone songs and the main riff gets stuck in my head constantly. I also love the transition into its solo section. Burial Bliss is another all-timer, with a melodic opening riff and Culto’s hoarse voice. Boreal Friends is a banger, Deep Lake Trespass has a really cool riff-driven atmosphere complemented by Fenriz’s drumming pattern, and the callback to the Tundra Leech riff is awesome. Arctic Thunder is just really, really good on every level and a perfect example of the new Darkthrone. I’d take this over The Underground Resistance even, so it’s finally time to bump my score.
Prior rating: 4/5
New rating: 4.5/5 | | 18 |  | Darkthrone
Old Star
Another really solid entry in the latter-era Darkthrone style, a bit more blackened perhaps than Arctic Thunder, with more tremolo-led tracks and some of that dissonant atmospheric noise, but very much carrying on in a similar heavy-metal rooted fashion. The opening 1-2 punch of Muffle and Scots is a killer start to a properly satisfying record. Once again the production is great and very fitting. The closing pair of tracks are also standouts, with strong, driving riffs and memorable compositions. Key in the Wall has a really cool main riff and closes the album on a high. I think this album dips a little in the middle, but it’s still really damn good. Once again, I think I’ll boost my rating here, it’s not quite at the level of the prior two, but it’s close.
Prior rating: 3.5/5
New rating: 4/5 | | 19 |  | Darkthrone
Eternal Hails
First off, great album art. This is one of the DT albums I haven’t given much time to, so much that I haven’t rated it before. His Master’s Voice starts things off with a mid-paced riff, gruff tone. I don’t know what’s up but the production sucks, there’s a muffled, cavernous echoing on the bass-end that really muddies things within a band of reverb. It’s incredibly distracting. It’s a problem on the slower, growlier Hate Cloak too, which features some sparse, isolated palm-muted riffs and bare-bones percussion. Normally I’m not picky, but when the recording actively detracts from the music, it’s a real problem. Suddenly, the main issue disappears on Wake of the Awakened, which sounds relatively balanced, although the mix is a bit jumbled. Nothing really blows me away in this album. The final track is really cool, with some space-d out synths quiet plucking, subtle drumming. Very atmospheric and spooky. Quite unusual and experimental. Not enough to save it.
New rating: 3/5 | | 20 |  | Darkthrone
Astral Fortress
This is the only album that’s not really a re-visit, since I don’t believe I’ve heard anything from this one at all. It was released at a time when I was only really interested in music I already loved, and had paused exploring new releases, so it’s entirely fresh to me. Thankfully it sounds much better than Eternal Hails. Caravan of Broken Ghosts is sick and ends with some punishing drumming. After the slower, doom-y approach of the prior album, we’re back to blackened heavy metal, with nice, clean, tremolo riffing on Impeccable, more dry croaking vocals from Nocturno, and an overall old-school feel. Stalagmite Necklace features some cool synths and a slower pace. Sea is another chugging, lumbering track with a really cool feel. Since this is my first impressions only, I’ll slap it with a tentative rating, but there’s a lot of room to grow for this one. I’m really impressed and I like this album a lot.
New Rating: 3.5/5 | | 21 |  | Darkthrone
It Beckons Us All
I enjoyed this album a lot when it came out, despite the consensus, and on a re-listen, I think it’s actually fantastic. I love the album art, and the dark, space-y thematics of the album itself. Howling Primitive Colonies is a slow, easy introduction, continuing the direction established by Eternal Hails. Eon 3 rules, the vocals are especially cool (the drums sound muffled though). Black Dawn Affiliation has some really cool riffs and marks an early high point. Bird People is super cool, one of the best modern DT tracks ever, I especially love the tremolo picked quasi-solo melody leading into the energetic latter half. Finally we get to the last track, Lone Pines. My initial impression was that it was an overly-long (a full quarter of this album), meandering, uninteresting piece. In reality, it builds a really satisfying soundscape, the composition is ambitious for Darkthrone, and I actually love it. Surprisingly I love damn near everything here.
Prior rating: 3.5/5
New rating: 4.5/5 | | 22 |  | Darkthrone
Too Old, Too Cold
My final ranking:
1. Panzerfaust
2. Transylvanian Hunger
3. A Blaze in the Northern Sky
4. Under a Funeral Moon
5. It Beckons Us All
6. Arctic Thunder
7. The Underground Resistance
8. Sardonic Wrath
9. Soulside Journey
10. Total Death
11. Ravishing Grimness
12. Old Star
13. Circle the Wagons
14. Astral Fortress
15. Dark Thrones and Black Flags
16. Hate Them
17. The Cult is Alive
18. F.O.A.D.
19. Eternal Hails
20. Plaguewielder
21. Goatlord | |
ScuroFantasma
07.07.25 | I’ll keep updating as I go, adding blurbs and stuff. Gotta love the ‘Throne | Supercoolguy64
07.07.25 | 1 is good agredd | Futures
07.07.25 | this greatly appeals to me | garas
07.07.25 | Good plan. Personally I won't need to do that so, since Darkthrone is my top listened band, ehehe. I'm curious to see your (new) ratings. | Muzz79
07.07.25 | 1 is 1 | Hawks
07.07.25 | Gotta love the ‘Throne [2] | ToSmokMuzyki
07.07.25 | do the demos too cromlech rulz | Valzentia
07.07.25 | Gotta love the ‘Throne [3] | Space Jester
07.07.25 | I’ve been listening to all the commentary tracks for the early albums recently and they’re pretty interesting, Fenriz said that the early death metal material is some of the stuff the relisten to the most. Also he doesn’t really like the bass drum sound on Soulside because they couldn’t afford the studio they wanted and he wasn’t allowed to use his own bass drum and had to use their d drum which is why it sounds clicky
I absolutely love their death metal material and pretty much their whole discography | ScuroFantasma
07.07.25 | The commentary tracks rule, I love listening to Fenriz especially just naming all the shamelessly transparent influences. Dude really loves metal. | Futures
07.08.25 | fenriz is an encyclopedia of metal especially older stuff, always impressive listening to him | budgie
07.08.25 | i remember really enjoying the commentary tracks esp for under a funeral moon | ScuroFantasma
07.08.25 | Also I’ll continue updating this today, I probably should have factored in the time in Australia and not posted it before having a nice 8 hour sleep, but oh well. | ScuroFantasma
07.08.25 | So fun going back through these albums. Not too many surprises with the early material, since this is the stuff I jam the most, although doing this has added to my appreciation for sure, but starting around RG I’m heading into less familiar territory, the stuff I haven’t played so much. | Space Jester
07.08.25 | Stop sleeping on Goatlord bros!!!! | Futures
07.08.25 | shaq i sleep | Grimlin
07.08.25 | Totally agree with you on Panzerfaust! I like/love most Darkthrone, but that one is tops for me 6/5 | ScuroFantasma
07.10.25 | Continuing today with Sardonic Wrath m/ | ScuroFantasma
07.10.25 | Ted’s vocals sound a lot like Enslaved’s Grutle Kjellson on Alle Gegen Alle. | ScuroFantasma
07.17.25 | Finally finished, it was a fun and somewhat surprising journey. I love these guys. I’ll probably do something like this again in the future. For now, I’ll just post my slightly controversial new ranking:
1. Panzerfaust
2. Transylvanian Hunger
3. A Blaze in the Northern Sky
4. Under a Funeral Moon
5. It Beckons Us All
6. Arctic Thunder
7. The Underground Resistance
8. Sardonic Wrath
9. Soulside Journey
10. Total Death
11. Ravishing Grimness
12. Old Star
13. Circle the Wagons
14. Astral Fortress
15. Dark Thrones and Black Flags
16. Hate Them
17. The Cult is Alive
18. F.O.A.D.
19. Eternal Hails
20. Plaguewielder
21. Goatlord | brickhed
07.17.25 | a comparison to adrenaline O.D? now i gotta check it out | Hyperion1001
07.17.25 | eternal hails rules. best of their later era albums. | ScuroFantasma
07.17.25 | Man the production absolutely ruined it for me. Might grow over time but it really does itself no favors. | Hyperion1001
07.17.25 | idk i love the production. if i were ranking their latest era i think it would be
1. Eternal hails
2. arctic thunder
3. astral fortress
4. underground resistance
5. It beckons us all
6. Old Star
but i like all of them to varying degrees. | ScuroFantasma
07.17.25 | That’s an interesting order, why so low for Old Star though? | budgie
07.17.25 | ravishing grimness always been the underrated gem in the discog, but hate them fuckin rules hard too (and too old too cold) | budgie
07.17.25 | and yeah goatlord is garbage and i cant take people who unironically think goatlord is a great release seriously | garas
07.17.25 | "ravishing grimness always been the underrated gem in the discog, but hate them fuckin rules hard too (and too old too cold)"
Big [2] | Hawks
07.17.25 | It Beckons Us All in the top 5??? Damn son, that's their only bad album imo lol. | bach
07.17.25 | panzerfaust gang rise up | ScuroFantasma
07.17.25 | @Hawks I didn’t expect that either but I don’t know man, it just really gelled with me this time and strikes me as their most atmospheric and interesting recent work. It was a tough call to put it ahead of Arctic Thunder and honestly I could interchange those. Highly suggest giving it another spin but Beckons might be your Eternal Hails ;) | Hawks
07.17.25 | I've given it a few jams, but idk bro, it just does nothing for me sadly. :[ I do love Eternal Hails indeed though lol. Probably top 5 DT for me. | Space Jester
07.17.25 | JUSTICE FOR GOATLORD | Space Jester
07.17.25 | “and yeah goatlord is garbage and i cant take people who unironically think goatlord is a great release seriously”
Poser alert | Hyperion1001
07.17.25 | it definitely isnt garbage but it works more as a curio than anything. probably would have ripped if it had ever been finished. | Space Jester
07.17.25 | They said they would’ve wanted Morbid Angel Abominations style production if they’d recorded it which would be sick
Also Ted said they should just get Obliteration to record it and pretend it’s them lol | ScuroFantasma
07.18.25 | That would actually be cool | DrGonzo1937
07.18.25 | nice, man, very nice. | ScuroFantasma
07.18.25 | Thanks bro! | Space Jester
07.18.25 | I do like your writeups even if I don’t agree with all of them. Darkthrone discography is just fantastic, I was ready to only like their classics based on what I’d seen some people say when I first got into them but they’re just so consistently good | ScuroFantasma
07.18.25 | Thanks for reading man | DrGonzo1937
07.18.25 | feel like this would have been better suited as a blog. it's clear to see a decent amount of time got put into it. | 0GuyMan0
07.18.25 | nice work here.
been saving panzerfaust for a rainy day, guess I'll bust it out. | ScuroFantasma
07.19.25 | Hell yeah dude, let me know what you think!
@Gonzo that’s a good suggestion actually. If I do something like this again I’ll consider that route. | 0GuyMan0
07.22.25 | I really liked it. Need to let it sink in, DT doesn't hit me the same all the time, but on first listen it sounded like a really nice combination of UTFM and TH, and is just more pleasantly listenable lol. |
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