Darkthrone
Panzerfaust

It is always difficult to review a masterpiece while remaining objective regarding its content. And perhaps Panzerfaust is not a masterpiece? With its icy atmospheres, its cold riffs, and its oppressive rhythms? Nevertheless, I am attempting to review it, trying to remain objective even in the face of True Norwegian Black Metal. Yes, I define it this way because Darkthrone has everything that a black metal band should have, they have the fundamental characteristics in short (something that few other bands in the current scene possess and that few had in the past scene, bands such as Mayhem, Satyricon, Shining, Ondskapt, Emperor etc.) to make black metal.

At the time Panzerfaust was produced, black metal was at the end of its "golden age," by then Dead, Euronymous had died and the activities of the black metal mafia had ceased; Helvete had closed and Varg was almost in prison for the murder of the Mayhem frontman. Yet, Darkthrone still had a lot to give to the scene, and from the minds of those two geniuses known as Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, Panzerfaust emerged. Composed of seven tracks of unique beauty, Panzerfaust goes straight to the listener’s heart, who cannot help but be struck if not shocked. Surely the most common reaction among classic metallers is "this is disgusting" or to shake their heads as if to say "these people are out of their minds..." something that probably happened to everyone at their first approach to black metal. Yes, because this album, like black metal, is not easy to understand, and to feel the sensations that Nocturno Culto and co. felt when they wrote it, it must be listened to. For me, who has been a blackster for years now, this is no longer difficult but I advise anyone who has these feelings of disgust when listening to black metal, to try to understand it thoroughly, down to its smallest nuances.

The CD opens with the track "En Vind Av Sorg," a track as icy as its riffs and the drumming of Nocturno Culto. He sings in a slightly different way than usual, but not worse for that, but the difference is noticeable for someone like me who only has "A Blaze in the Northern Sky" and this. In the second track "Triumphant Gleam," Nocturno Culto and Fenriz continue their work of destruction with a song faster and more captivating than the first. Then we move on to one of the most beautiful tracks "The Horders of Nebulah" of the album, which from the first note immediately imparts anguish with the guitar intro that I personally will listen to 10 times every day. The drumming supports the oppressive rhythms of the song without excelling. Another excellent track is "Hans Siste Vinter," with faster rhythms than the previous one, the drumming always and in any case to support everything without parts where Fenriz showcases his abilities. It is worth noting that in black metal the drums are precisely for supporting the rhythm and rarely do you encounter "heavy" drumming parts as in death metal. Then it moves to "Beholding the Throne of Might," a good track always along the same line as the others. "Quintessence," what to say... one of the most beautiful tracks of the album, always with chilly riffs in full Darkthrone style and Nocturno Culto always exceptional on vocals; the track always stays on the oppressive line of the others... anyone who has listened to the album will have noticed how it alternates fast tracks with slow ones. It transitions to "Sno og Granskog," dominated by a more or less spectral or medieval sound in the background. All to close a wonderful album truly recommended to everyone!