Monday 2 January 2012

Throneum - Death Throne Entities

 
 
 
 
Throneum - Death Throne Entities (PAGAN Records - LP 2011)
Two years Throneum has made us wait for another album, a follower to the highly acclaimed “Deathcult Conspiracy”. The title of new pestilence is „Death Throne Entities” (as always there’s “death” in it)... Man, how many albums have this band released already? I’ve lost counting, but that’s because Throneum keeps unleashing also so many different efforts and do it so frequently. I know that most of them were EPs or splits, but the number of those releases is impressive and match even Nunslaughter. Eh, but the time flies and sometimes I tend to get slightly nostalgic, thinking about the times when I got to know this band first. It was at the end of the 90's, I was running with my mate a fanzine called Ravenclaw and I got this demo from a band called Throne once. It was titled „Beyond the Numbers and Creatures”. Then there was demo number two („The Underground Storms Eternally”), I did interview with Tom and corresponded a little with him, and meanwhile Throne has changed the moniker for Throneum. Years have been passing and I was buying almost everything that Tom and Co. have been releasing. I collected all the EPs and albums on vinyl (as I think this format fits Throneum better than CD). I have always been buying those materials blindly, not worrying about the music, because the quality was always there and the newest album, „Death Throne Entities”, is yet another cool addition to my Throneum collection. Right after I got a promo CD from Pagan Records, I putted my order for the LP and it was a real bargain since Tom was selling the vinyl for special, very low price. Just take a look on the photo, how great does the new LP look, cool layout, with 8-page booklet… That’s something what vinyl collectors always love to get.
While listening to „Death Throne Entities” I started to think that there are so many old school death metal bands around nowadays, many fuckin great ones, but tell me how many of them really have their own sound and style, that already after the first seconds you know this is that band and no other? Hmm, I don’t think there are many bands like that, right? Of course I have absolutely no problem with it, originality is not something I look for in the music and definitely it’s not a value which let me think this band and album is good or not. What’s more, I dare to say I like and support most of those Autopsy, Dismember, Bolt Thrower or Incantation clones made by the rotten death metal youth. Many of them are great, but it’s also the truth that too many of those bands lack their own personality what in the end may cause a stagnation and monotony in the scene. If that is something you care about…
Why do I write all this?? Well, as a Pole especially, I can be proud that Throneum is one of those bands, which managed to create their own sound and style. Of course they play totally archaic and old school metal, influenced by the great ancient bands, but at the same time Throneum clearly has something unique in their sound and it’s easily recognisable. The new album basically continues what they’ve been doing for the past decade and I don’t even have a will to compare „Death Throne Entities” to the previous full lengths, because I don’t think there’s a point in doing so. Those, who know and have heard Throneum earlier, will know exactly what this band is like and will be familiar with the napalm destruction they bring. And those, who haven’t heard Throneum earlier, well, let me just say that the music from this band is a possessed, massacring and almost chaotic and sharp like a scythe mutation of death metal, which hails the old school and takes the influences from such bands as Order From Chaos, Sepultura (“Morbid Devastation”), Sodom (“In the Sign of Evil”), Death (“Scream Bloody Gore”) as well as “INRI” from Sarcofago and even Vader’s “Morbid Reich” demo and Nihilist demos. And it’s only to name a few… Add to that some obvious black metal’s obscure traces and mind that most of that music is damn rude, uncompromising, wild and morbid, with neckbreaking speed and chaos in the songs, what in the end sounds like a furious beast unleashed and unstoppable. With characteristic vocals from Tom, which are always full of fury and anger, the level of aggression is at the maximum here. Some will love it, but I think for many this album and mayhemic style will be like torture and won’t be accepted. Luckily though, Throneum has their devoted fans and I’m one of them. And I can honestly say „Death Throne Entities” belongs to my favourite recordings in their discography. I like all the aspects of that album, from the raw and furious sound to the possessed vocals.
I didn’t have a chance to listen to “Trupi Jad” split EP with Leichengott, which also was released in 2011, but I’m happy to see Throneum in good form. No more recommendation needed then. Expect 35 minutes of musical massacre in the form of nine brutal anthems (and one of them is Miasma’s cover!). And get the vinyl!
Final rate: 90 / 100

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