Info
- Band(s): Throne of Katarsis
- Label(s): Candlelight Records
- Release Format(s): CD
- Release Year: 2007
- Review Date: April 18, 2007
- Author(s): GeraldR
With the alarming outbreak of broken English and dubious taste around here now at epidemic proportions (I hope it isn’t contagious), one almost wonders is there even any point in divulging that ‘An Eternal Dark Horizon’ is that most rare gem in the current Black Metal scene – a credible UG release on a decent-sized label. It doesn’t happen often and I’m always the first to slag off the big labels for forcefeeding the public bog standard drivel that has more in common with Madonna than Euronymous, so kudos to Candlelight for having the balls and vision to unleash this demonic feast.
Tastefully atmospheric but maintaining a reassuring touch of real menace, croaking multi-instrumentalist Grimnisse and skinsman Vardalv have concocted a majestic slab of frozen, woodland-inspired blackness for their debut album proper. Though this collection has arguably been a work in progress for the best part of three years, the tracks are all newly recorded and sound coherent, vibrant, fresh and relevant.
Two of the songs – ‘Under Guds Hud’ and ‘Nattaander’ – are reworked versions of cuts from the band’s unreleased 2004 demo ‘Blodslakt’, while another pair – ‘Funeral Moonlight’ and ‘Symbols of Winter’ – originally appeared on Throne of Katarsis’s first (and only other) demo, ‘Unholy Holocaustwinds’, which denizens of the deepest recesses may have picked up in any one of three different formats down through the years, including a sumptuous limited edition from Paradigm Recordings.
Thus, the ten-minute title track is the only completely original tune found hereon. But it’s easy to treat ‘An Eternal Dark Horizon’ as a genuinely new release. With an adequate-yet-thin-ish production, ‘An Eternal Dark Horizon’ shouldn’t be too raw or grim to offend; hopefully it will serve to enlighten people. I urge anyone who listens with regularity to mainstream black metal to give this more feral classic Mayhem-inspired offering a try – it won’t hurt. Those who follow the lower leagues, where the real action is taking place, already know that the corpsepainted Kopervikians are the goat’s bollocks.
Throne of Katarsis
- Country: Norway
- Style: Black Metal
- Links: Spotify
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Candlelight Records
- Country: United Kingdom
- Style: Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Youtube
