Hellbound Underground Sound

Last night, Thee Skum and I went along to Korova in Liverpool to check out a few bands, twas OK but the couple of pints of Hoegaarden listening to Lick and a Promise and The Chase is Better Than The Catch was a good time too!
Anyway, the main crux of today's post is something that came in today's post!

The much-anticipated (at Claw Towers at least) new Darkthrone album, Dark Thrones and Black Flags.
So what have Gylve and Ted come up with for us this time?
In short, this is one of my favourite Darkthrone albums for a long time, carrying on from the "new/old" style that's been obvious on The Cult is Alive and Fuck Off And Die. Anyone expecting a return to the so-called "classic" Peaceville trinity from 92-94 will be dissapointed, but Darkthrone care not for the likes of you.
Like the greatest albums of old, and following their recent tradition, the album is split into two "sides"; a bit unworkable on a CD unless you follow my advice; grab a cold beer or two and listen to the first five tracks, then pause the CD whilst you retreive a few more tins from the refrigerator/shed/hole in a frozen lake.
My CD comes in a super-crazy case that's going to be a nightmare to pull out of the shelf when I'm drunk, and contains some lyrics, and the usual remarks from Gylve Fenriz about plastic mr-fancy metal and satan's purse. No, really.
The Winds They Called the Dungeon Shaker starts the album off, an opening riff reminiscent of Burzum, some amazing clean-ish vocals from Fenriz here. He's really getting into the role of vocalist now and he has a surprisingly unique (and totally metal) voice. That riff is amazing, comes in again at 2.30, total evil sounding. Oh, and the title makes more sense when you realise it's delivered in the chorus as The Winds! They Called! The Dungeon Shaker!
Death of all Oaths (Oath Minus) is one of Nocturno Culto's trademark "finger-moving riff" songs, there's no lyrics included in the booklet, but it's a solid, old-sounding thrasher with a solo after a minute and a half that is totally necro - and some atmospheric evil sounds after two and a half minutes or so.
Hiking Metal Punks if a song with that title and the lyrics "MAMMOTHS OF THE FOREST....WORLDS COLLIDE" doesn't do it for you, then you're going to hate what Darkthrone are doing now. Fenriz wrote this one as well and his metal-scream half way through is amazing.
Blacksmith of the North (Keep That Ancient Fire) is another one of Nocturno's, which is again lyric-less in the booklet. This has a total fist-pumping, headbanger of a main riff, with evil vocals from Nocturno, reminiscent of Shut Up from the Cult is Alive. Norway in September closes side A, to me this is the most reminiscent of older Darkthrone material, but still with Ted's more gruff vocal style that he's used on the more recent records rather than the total black-metal approach of older ones, a great finger-moving riff on this one too...THE LARGER THE LIFE THE CLOSER IS DEATH....total thrashing riff at 3 minutes forty...
Now, more beer before I get into side B.....
Grizzly Trade
Hanging Out in Haiger
Dark Thrones and Black Flags
Launchpad to Nothingness
Witch Ghetto