IronDuchess wrote:
Afro_D-Shak wrote:
Darkthrone has always been a bit flaky about their personality when it comes to music. When they made the switch to black metal after Soulside Journey they were clearly following a trend, but their transition over to crust was made completely of their own accord without regards to any sort of scene. Who knows what they'll do next. Judging from the "Fenriz' Band Of The Week" updates on Darkthrone's Myspace, though, it seems they're really into super underground stuff, whether it be heavy metal, thrash, or death. So at least we know they won't be making a pop album anytime soon.
I disagree. If they'd wanted to follow a trend they would have kept playing death metal, since that really was what was "trendy" in '91. Fenriz has explained in many interviews that they simply wanted to play something more primitive (even in their demos you get that feeling, too), which according to their influences really did make sense as well fit into their whole DIY philosophy. To call black metal a trend in '91 when they began recording A Blaze would be pretty erroneous. There was not much of a "bandwagon" to jump on. He also expresses disillusion with what death metal was becoming, and in many ways A Blaze was a reaction to it right down to the cover art. The way their music has developed since supports those statements. Their crust era arguably developed out of a similar detest for modern day black metal.
I also think the review misinterprets the lyrics to I am the Graves of the 80's. It's more likely a statement on what he's, in the past, called "plastic mr. fancy metal" and the tendency in "black metal" these days to lose the black metal ethos and the original purpose it served for the early Norwegian bands. The band is obviously interested in the early eras of metal and punk, not in turning into a crust punk/shoegaze band or something ridiculous like that. They seem perfectly content to stick to the roots. In Until the Light Takes Us documentary he further elaborates on that in the portion of the documentary after he does the interview with the German journalist.
Anyways, I've only heard the songs on youtube so far since my local record shop hasn't got Circle the Wagons in yet, but I keep checking back and will definitely be picking it up when they do. I actually wasn't a big fan of their stylistic change at first, but then Dark Thrones and Black Flags really clicked with me and now I really enjoy the last two albums, and seems Circle will be great, too.
Exactly.
They were eschewing the current "trend", which was death metal at the time. At any rate. how could they be following a trend when:
a) Black metal was far from the trend in 1991 /92.
b) They were at the very forefront of what is known as the second wave of black metal. Sure there was the fledgleing first wave, i.e. Bathory, Mayhem and a few others, but the second wave was the catalyst. How can the vanguard be followers?
Anyway, Darkthrone has never made an album I dislike (except maybe Total Death; not that I dislike it, but it just doesn't live up to what I have come to expect from them), so I know i'll like this as soon as I get around to picking it up.
