Blood Red Throne
Altered Genesis

THE REVIEW

Year 2005. It's been almost twenty years since the birth of death metal. That "butchers' thrash," as someone had improperly called it at the time of "Scream Bloody Gore" by Death, an extreme musical genre rooted in pure violence and frenetic rhythms introduced by Possessed and company, bringing pure innovation to the metal world that had dominated the scene in the first half of the 80s. But why am I saying all this? Because since then, practically millions of death metal records have been released, always and continuously retracing the same clichés, in a general mimicry that has saturated the market and dramatically lowered the quality of the works offered... Until it violently frustrated the true metalhead who demands more from a death metal album than the usual violence or, shall we say, chaos for its own sake (see "lack of originality," "lack of ideas," etc.). So far, we all agree.

This is why when "Monument Of Death" was released, former Hammerheart was pleasantly shocked by the event that doesn't happen every day, witnessing a death metal band "with guts" that ticks all the boxes to make any extreme (and not) metalhead go mad: violence, technique, originality, songwriting. All concentrated in a single band. I mean, are you kidding me? This album can't be anything but a temporary phenomenon. Yet it wasn't so. Because what Blood Red Throne presents to us now with the new "Altered Genesis" is an album of pure, intense death metal, that in every blessed aspect manages to surpass its predecessor and if it weren't for the proposal, which in any case remains anchored to the tradition of the genre (albeit modernized), what we have here could easily become a landmark!! The technique is terrifying, the violence impressive, pure speed and granite-paced cadence seem to play tag (even with a sudden appearance of melody out of nowhere...), the thrash-derived riffs (almost catchy, sometimes!) blend wonderfully with grind, and all with an original way of playing, and above all, with "pure death metal songwriting" of simply excellent craftsmanship (continuous tempo changes, solos, impressive instrumental interplay), which is exceedingly rare nowadays... In short, the consecration. No need to discuss the tracks individually... Better move on to scores:
Score for DeBaser: 4
Score for the average metalhead: 5
Score for those who love death metal and are looking for something to save them from the saturation of the genre: + Infinity