Darkthrone

Transilvanian Hunger (1994)

Transilvanian Hunger is a perplexing entity, a life-affirming example of the great abstract in art. Here we find the most basic of aesthetic; harsh and abrasive power chords played over a steady, pulsating "trance" drumbeat that barely ever changes (for instance, there is a distinct lack of drum fills except in rare cases). The ultimate expression of minimalism in music. Or is it? Listen again. The melodic phrasing is quite complex; compared to the Metal of the 80s the length of each phrase is noticeably longer. These elements give the music a sound that is rich in both darkness and monolithic wonder. 

Simply put; most cultures through-out history have been fixated on seeing the world through light (sun) and darkness (night or moon). Our perception of the world is full of fear of the unknown if our treasured light is taken from us. We can no longer see or make out the entirety of our surrounds with out a source of light. Darkthrone take this information and use it in an abstract sense. There is a pervading sense of distance and isolation on Transilvanian Hunger; a world where there are no definitive answers, no verifiable truths, no morality systems to underpin our actions; the ultimate embrace of the meaningless of the universe via the personification of the night. Darkthrone deliberately take out any source of resolution; whether it be in the music phrasing and composition or in the ideological underpinnings of their presentation (which compared to most Black Metal bands were virtually bare). All that is left is the listener and the wilful abandon of the night time - a place of shadows, unseen beings and freedom from the safety of our cosy lives by the fireplace. By being thrown into the unknown we can become more comfortable in the darkness beyond our everyday mundanity and strengthen the vibrancy of our souls.

Under a Funeral Moon (1993)

Dark and cryptic black metal that revels in creating a contradictory link between minimalism and complicated abstraction in the way of rhythmic and melodic patterns. This decadent music flows beautifully, changing mood like the breeze changes direction, unknowingly like a stalker in the night. Often ritualistic, often militaristic, often occultist, but always ascendant like the full moon in the night sky. An earthy, organic feel is provided by the brittle, half-buried nature of the production. The eeriness doesn't end there, clever sound manipulation, such as the pieces often deconstructing on whim, or a drum beat breaking under its own pressure, slowing a half-beat behind the music... and out of time rhythms and obscure melodic ideas, all add to the intrigue. Under a Funeral Moon searches for the primal beast of man and paves the way for a new thought process based on our hidden naturalistic spirit that has until now it seems been shrouded in darkness.