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Throne Of Katarsis

Ved Graven

Written by: PP on 19/12/2011 02:37:19

Like my colleague EW put it in his review of the previous Throne Of Katarsis album "Helvete - Det Iskalte Mørket" two years ago, they are pretty much as quintessential Norwegian Black Metal as it comes. From the horrendous echoing shrieks to the mid-tempo low-end tremolo riffing and rapid-fire drumming, they mimic the sounds of Darkthrone and Burzum to such an extent that anyone who has checked out this genre in the past will immediately know what to expect for the remainder of the album from the moment they press play.

Basically, it's going to depend on your point of view of the 'true' Norwegian black metal sound in general on whether you'll view that as being advantageous or to the detriment of Throne Of Katarsis. Because things have not really changed at all on their latest album "Ved Graven". We're still dealing with a sound that's drowning in reverb, monotonous shrieking, and an overall soundscape that's pretty much the polar opposite of any word associated with 'bright'. It's a cold, brooding sound, that conveys the essential feeling of black metal in its purest form, so for that reason alone it's always going to be a decent product, because if you think about it, they are going for a distinctly evil and satanic mood, and that has been created to a great degree of success throughout the album.

For someone not as well-informed of the dark underground known as Norwegian black metal as EW, such as the undersigned, Throne Of Katarsis do come across as mildly interesting and, at times, even excellent, such as on the misanthropic piece "Helvete Kaller". The way the loss of all humanity is conveyed here is admirable, and deserves credit for its ability to create an all-encompassing atmosphere of evil and hopelessness through inhuman distorted shrieks and progressive black metal instrumentation. Though "Ved Graven" isn't exactly an original album as mentioned earlier in the review, it's still an album that only Norwegians are capable of writing.

Download: Helvete Kaller
For the fans of: Burzum, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth
Listen: Myspace

Release date 24.10.2011
Candlelight Records