A DarkThrone Upon an Astral Fortress

All it really takes is firing up your music-playing program of choice to realize that DarkThrone have been on an absolute tear over the past few years. Old Star released in 2019, and it was only last year that I was reviewing Eternal Hails, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when I was given the opportunity to review their latest effort, Astral Fortress.

I quite enjoyed Eternal Hails, the commitment to longer-form songwriting and flirtation with electronic soundscapes while remaining firmly entrenched in the art of the riff displayed a lot of confidence, and allusions to the possible future of DarkThrone’s output. It didn’t take long after first firing up Astral Fortress to realize that it’s an even more refined step in the same direction.

It’d be easy to say “if you liked Eternal Hails, you’ll dig Astral Fortress,” and while I think that statement is generally true, I found Astral Fortress to lean a bit more on the Celtic Frost side of DarkThrone than Eternal Hails. Which, considering how big of a Panzerfaust fan I am, I didn’t mind at all. “Caravan of Broken Ghosts” starts off with a neat acoustic session, then ends in a driving, old-school Black Metal riff that sounds straight out of 1990. This focus on simple, atmospheric, mid-paced riffs continues all the way through “Stalagmite Necklace” before the pace slows down drastically and we’re treated to the centerpiece of the album: “The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea.”

At ten minutes and ten seconds long, “The Sea Beneath the Seas of the Sea” is the second-longest DarkThrone song ever recorded, bested only by “Kathaarian Life Code” off 1992’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky, and like the latter song, it maximizes every second. What we’re treated to here is a borderline classic-rock take on Black Metal, with Fenriz and Nocturno Culto weaving sonic threads between equal parts Celtic Frost and Grand Funk Railroad, without ever coming off as contrived. It’s definitely the highlight of the album and unlike anything else the band have ever done, an experiment that thoroughly paid off.

After that, we’re the more “traditional” “Kevorkian Times” takes the reigns before “Kolbotn, West of the Vast Forests” takes us on a short, atmospheric, instrumental interlude before the final track, “Eon 2,” the title being a nod to the last track on DarkThrone’s debut Soulside Journey. While not being as openly Swedeath-inspired as it’s precursor track, there are definitely shades within it, and it’s a fitting bookend to an album that, while bringing obvious influences to the table, feels 100% DarkThrone from beginning to end.

Astral Fortress is available on Peaceville Records.

If you liked this review, check out Justin’s interview with Richard Stanley.