Review : DARKTHRONE – “Circle The Wagons”

Darkthrone – Circle The Wagons
released April 6, 2010 on Peaceville Records

Rating : 3.5/5

In the five years since Darkthrone rejoined the Peaceville roster, they have steered themselves further and further away from their mid-period black metal, which was itself a shift from the band’s death metal origins. This is the fourteenth time Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have teamed up, although our appetite was whetted in late 2009 with the former’s collaboration with Sarke, and the latter’s split with Nattefrost.

If you have enjoyed how Darkthrone has adapted their sound to incorporate crust punk into their stripped-down black metal, with shades of Motörhead, classic thrash, and even a dash of Sabbath, then you are probably already shotgunning beers over an open flame with this music blaring into the mountain woods. Starting with a tribute to “paper fanzines” and “real old metal with a raw sound”, lead track “Those Treasures Will Never Befall You” contains one of the album’s best riffs and chorus. But I love how many directions we’re pulled on “Running For Borders”, which has my favorite guitar solo on Circle The Wagons opposite a doomtastic groove.

Fenriz and Culto split songwriting duties right down the middle once again. Each completely composes their respective songs, with the exception of “Black Mountain Totem” (for which NC wrote the music and Fenriz penned the lyrics). They also returned to Dennis Dread’s stark, distinctive graphics for the third album in a row.

Apart from the opening pair of tracks, I also liked the album’s longest and shortest songs, which are positioned right next to each other. The horrific revenge tale “Stylized Corpse” does a great job mixing things up with a multitude of riffs, plus has the amazing line “Let the chipmunks feast on your heart”. The sub-three minute title track rocks some rare harmonized vocals on the chorus that really burrow into your brain over time.

Circle The Wagons definitely has its moments. I got a bit bored by the end, and I don’t think “Bränn Inte Slottet” works best as a concluding “InstruMETAL” (their spelling). But awesomeness reveals itself everywhere, as Darkthrone continues to forge its unique place in Metal.

FCC : 3, 7, 8
Try 1, 2, 4, 5

01. Those Treasures Will Never Befall You
02. Running for Borders
03. I am the Graves of the 80s
04. Stylized Corpse
05. Circle the Wagons
06. Black Mountain Totem
07. I am the Working Class
08. Eyes Burst at Dawn
09. Bränn Inte Slottet