Throne is a relatively new blackened death metal band (2017) from the depths of Michigan with members from other local acts like Winterus, Mourning Wolf and Inevitable Frost. But Throne is clearly the new prime focus of the members, and deservedly so, as it’s a blistering debut album of searing, militant and commanding black/death metal.
Though the press for the bands says it’s for fans of Suffocation, Dark Funeral, Hate Eternal and Belphegor, and Angelcorpse,(all valid, especially the latter) I’m actually reminded of Illinois’s Blood of the Wolf, with the same style of clinically balanced black/death savagery that uses death metal’s low end and growls and churning marches with black metal’s tremolo melodies and rasps. And like Blood of the Wolf, they effectively render their sound with a surgical precision that rarely lets up, except for the occasional well-placed war mongering march and a couple of rather sudden interludes.
From opener “Amongst the Sinners, They Came Forth” to closer “All Creation Wept” (the above interludes notwithstanding), Throne keeps a rusty blade at your throat for a quick, savage half an hour and a razor sharp but nasty production from Andy Nelson (label mates Jesus Wept and Mulilatred) . Standouts include the aforementioned opener and closer as well as the title track, “Born of Death” and utterly killer “Beyond Malice”… Aw fuck, the whole album is just unrelentingly killer.
Another solid release from the newish label Redefining Darkness along with the likes of Angerot, Carnal Ruin, Wretched Fate, Sentient Horror, Pyre, Six of Swords, Sarcator, Tombstoner and Supreme Carnage and a band (that isnt HM2 death metal) I’ll be excited to hear more from in the future.
