Darkthrone - Ravishing Grimness LP

DARKTHRONE (Norway) - Ravishing Grimness (2011 Peaceville Re-issue on Black vinyl). After a long hiatus and silent period after 95's "Total Death" which was only interrupted by the release of "Goatlord" (which as you all might know is of a far earlier recording date) Darkthrone returned with a very solid, unpretentious, honest, and strikingly mature album in "Ravishing Grimness", the band's 8th full-length studio effort originally released in 1999.

The production on this is weird for Darkthrone to say the least, although similar in style to "Total Death", the bass drum is entirely subdued, while the guitars are a classic wall of sound Darkthrone didn't attempt before or after, apparently according to Nocturno Culto there are three guitars running throughout the length of the album which gives it the fullness this material needs. In content terms, this is very removed from the eerie and evil atmosphere of "Under a Funeral Moon" but the songwriting leanings are rather reminiscent of that album as there are plenty variations in motion within the songs themselves.

If no-nonsense stripped down and serious Black Metal is what you seek, be sure to give this a listen as it sure does hold value in "Lifeless", "The Claws of Time" and "Ravishing Grimness" to warrant the price being asked.  **originally published on metal-archives.com by KoldVoid**  Peaceville – VILELP350