For 40 years, Darkthrone has remained one of the most uncompromising and extreme metal acts to emerge from Kolbotn, Akershus. Kolbotn is an urban area in Norway’s Nordre Follo municipality and the traditional center of the Oppegård district, located at the end of the Kolbotnelva River. Norway, of course, has a rich history with death and extreme metal, producing legendary bands such as Enslaved, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Gorgoroth, and Emperor.
Whether you fully embrace the genre or not, or even the controversies that have surrounded parts of the Norwegian black metal scene, there is no denying the impact, power, and relentless energy these bands have had on heavy music and on their home country.
Mind you, I’m far from an expert on the death and extreme metal scene, but diving into the sonic world that Darkthrone has built over the decades, I knew I was in for a challenge. Their new album, Pre-Historic Metal, is as fierce, unapologetic, and in-your-face as anything they’ve released. It is a no-fucks-given assault that cuts straight to the core of pure, headbanging, skull-crushing metal.
Released through Peaceville Records, Pre-Historic Metal finds Darkthrone firing on all cylinders. Crushing doom-laden riffs, snarling Cookie Monster-like vocals, and bleak, shadowy themes place you right in the middle of the band’s hostile territory. Take, for example, ‘Siberian Thaw’.
Yes, there’s an unmistakable nod to Black Sabbath’s ‘Sweet Leaf’ opening riff from Master of Reality, but once the song’s midsection erupts like a deafening explosion behind you, there’s no turning back. Darkthrone keeps the momentum surging, making the sound feel as gargantuan and overwhelming as possible.
The track shifts effortlessly between thrash, a brief electronic detour, and then plunges back into a bloodthirsty assault during its closing moments. It’s another reminder that Darkthrone still knows exactly how to unleash the heavy artillery, reigning terror as though there were no tomorrow.
Opening tracks ‘They Found One of My Graves’ and the title track immediately get your blood pumping, preparing you for a gorefest that feels as though it leaped from the pages of the adult fantasy magazine Heavy Metal. You can imagine in a parallel universe, Darkthrone writing these songs for the magazine. Including stories from the Gladiatrix, after the events of B-17 in Cold Dead War, or tales of the legendary warrior goddess Taarna. Those influences give the album an epic fantasy backdrop without sacrificing its raw aggression.
The post-punk influence also seeps into the haunting depths of ‘So I Marched to the Sunken Empire’. Think Joy Division, Cluster, excerpts from David Bowie’s Heroes era, The Cure’s Pornography, and Harmonia rolled into one as the band guides you through a bleak and unsettling landscape.
The title may initially seem unusual, but it fits perfectly once the music unfolds. At times it evokes the atmosphere of a classic Hammer horror film, while also channeling the eerie Giallo aesthetic of Dario Argento’s 1970s classics. The electronic textures weave naturally into the towering guitars, making them feel as though they’re rising from ancient graves.
From there, Darkthrone returns to galloping thrash with an unmistakable punk edge. The band injects even more speed and crunch while continuing to embrace elements of doom and sludge, tipping their hats to both Slayer and Candlemass on ‘Eat Eat Eat Your Pride’. They close the album with ‘Eon 4,’ a towering finale that feels like a triumphant ride through the Norwegian mountaintops, with guitars and thunderous drums echoing across the landscape as if calling out to the gods themselves.
Whether Pre-Historic Metal ultimately wins you over or not, it’s impossible to ignore the passion, craftsmanship, and unwavering dedication Darkthrone continues to pour into their music four decades into their career. Rather than chasing trends or reinventing themselves, they remain committed to the sound and spirit that made them legends in the first place.
For longtime fans, this album is another satisfying chapter in an already formidable catalog. For newcomers, it serves as a ferocious gateway into Darkthrone’s uncompromising world. And, to borrow the immortal words of Bette Davis in the 1950 classic All About Eve, “Fasten your seat belts; it’s going to be a bumpy night”.
