I feel like no matter what style Darkthrone plays, they’re the best at it. You can argue Mayhem or Emperor or Immortal was the best of the Norwegian black metal crop, but at the end of the day, the correct answer is Darkthrone. In the late 2000s, they started playing crusty blackened speed metal inspired by Motörhead, and absolutely killed it doing so. Throughout all the twists and turns in Darkthrone’s career, some even forget that they started out as a death metal band! Over 30 years of creative evolution has lead them to their current form as the world’s premiere blackened doom band. It’s a stage that they couldn’t have reached without decades of dedication to metal. Yet just like a glass of wine, Darkthrone has grown finer with age.
Eternal Hails…… is the third album of Darkthrone’s doom era, following 2016’s Arctic Thunder and 2019’s Old Star. While most tend to paint doom metal with a broad brush (and rightfully so in most cases), Darkthrone incorporate subtle nuances to separate each release from the last. Arctic Thunder was pure Celtic Frost/Hellhammer worship. Old Star came off as a black metal take on Black Sabbath. Eternal Hails…… is more or less the mediator between Frost and Sabbath, with a healthy dose of black metal for good measure.
The album consists of five lengthy sagas, opening with “His Master’s Voice”. Its ominous intro segues into a ripping hellstorm of Celtic Frost inspired thrash, boasting d-beats, infernal riffs, lo-fi production, and all. After tearing it up for 5 minutes, they slow it down with a barrage of epic Candlemass riffs to close things out. The doom continues on “Hate Cloak”, which starts out dreadfully slow before kicking up to a Sabbathian chug. The twists and turns on this song are almost enough to be labelled progressive…almost.
“Wake of the Awakened” is the most blackened song on the album. The riffs have a thick, doomy consistency, but are played in a savage and sinister fashion that recalls the Transilvanian Hunger days. The guttural vocals of Nocturno Culto and aforementioned primitive production add an extra black metal touch. Darkthrone may have abandoned their corpsepaint, but they haven’t abandoned their frostbitten roots…even though “Voyage to a Northpole Adrift” would have you think otherwise. The longest track on an album of long tracks, “Voyage” incorporates elements of black metal, doom metal, d-beat, and prog to create a mind melting concoction mesmerizing metal. I was hesitant to use the prog label when describing this album, but between “Voyage” and the last few minutes of the closing “Lost Arcane City of Uppakra”, I can unequivocally say such elements are indeed present.
Time will tell if Eternal Hails…… is my favorite Darkthrone doom album. Hell, time will tell if Darkthrone even continues to be a doom band after this album. Knowing their track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if come the next album cycle they blow up the rulebook completely and reinvent themselves yet again. I’m convinced they could drop a modern metal album and do no wrong, but of course they’d never do so. Such an act would be a betrayal of their ethos. Darkthrone are fans of all things heavy and true. Therefore they’ll continue to make music that is heavy and true. The funeral moon shines on.
10 out of 10
Label: Peaceville Records
Genre: Black/Doom Metal
For fans of: Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, Black Sabbath