Darkthrone, one of black metal's longest running anti-ambassadors, have one hell of a history: Known for actively disregarding usual music biz tropes, they formed in Norway in 1986 as generic death metal quartet Black Death. Their debut as Darkthrone, Soulside Journey, was released in 1990, but it wasn't until they fell under the thrall of Mayhem, Bathory, and Celtic Frost-- and busted out the corpsepaint-- that they found their own path. Second album A Blaze in the Northern Sky (1991) is therefore considered to be the group's first true statement, and along with Under a Funeral Moon (1993) and Transilvanian Hunger (1994), one-third of the band's classic trio of records. (To get a sense of the early sound, neophytes should check out A Blaze's "Kathaarian Life Code", Transilvanian Hunger's title track, and "The Dance of Eternal Shadows" from Funeral Moon.)
During this period, the band recorded songs with lyrics by Burzum's Varg Vikernes, who was famously found guilty of three counts of arson for burning churches and is currently incarcerated for the murder of Mayhem bandmate Euronymous. Now an Odalist, Vikernes was once an outspoken proponent of neo-Nazism and fascism. Although Darkthrone never openly shared his violent tendencies, they did include the following statement in a Transilvanian Hunger press release: "We would like to state that Transilvanian Hunger stands beyond any criticism. If any man should attempt to criticize this LP, he should be thoroughly patronized for his obviously Jewish behavior." They later retracted it at the label's urging and today purport to take an apolitical stance, but the cloud remains.
A duo since Transilvanian Hunger, drummer/vocalist/main lyricist Fenriz and guitarist/bassist/vocalist Nocturno Culto are still ruffling feathers, albeit in a less alarming fashion. "Too Old Too Cold", the single for Darkthrone's upcoming 12th album, The Cult Is Alive, is a "death to false metal" call to arms. Playing punk riffs in the realm of Turbonegro, Culto grumbles, "Nothing to prove/ Just a hellish rock-n-roll freak/ You call your metal black/ It's just spastic, lame, and weak." It's their catchiest song to date, though it completely lacks the evil ambiance of earlier classics. Okay, let the black metal webboards argue about whether or not Motörhead, Crass, and Exploited-like Darkthrone is still the real deal; the band's own site is ambiguous about the whole thing: "We are still performing metal. Blackmetal you say? well, yeah, maybe, depends on who is listening." Ah, Stanley Fish would be proud.
It's interesting to ponder where the band's going with this newer, more accessible sound. There are a few issues that may concern diehards: Too Old, Too Cold is their first ever single, and they're also releasing their first ever video for it. The four songs included here, recorded in the band's home studio, are crisper than anything they've done. In the past, Darkthrone intentionally deconstructed their technical skills and recorded on lo-fi equipment, questing for a certain purity in their approach-- and this? These tracks are less technically interesting than past efforts, but they offer more oomph than 2004's middling Sardonic Wrath.
We're also treated to the band's first cover, a Danzig-esque remake of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Love In a Void". It's fun to hear Siouxsie's haunting "too many bigots for my liking/ Too many critics... too few writing/ Rabid dogs that just ain't biting" transformed into something both violent and dorkily Viking-esque, but the reworking pales in comparison to the original. The best track is "High on Cold War", largely because of the shredding guest vocals by Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson, who tackles the first two verses with Culto taking over after that. The EP closes with the Celtic Frost-ish "Graveyard Slut" with Culto on vocals.
There are moments to savor, but all in all, the four tracks are largely unremarkable. Still, I'm inordinately excited about The Cult Is Alive for one reason: Darkthrone recorded its best material for Peaceville then left the label in 1994; ever the romantic, their return to the label strikes me as an almost symbolic move. (Either that, or smart marketing: Peaceville also reissued the 2001 best-of compilation, Preparing for War, as a box set complete with a bonus CD of extra demos and a DVD of live performances and interviews.) So, unless you're a diehard, then, it may be wise to steer clear of this single and sleep with one eye open until the release of The Cult Is Alive.
