Darkthrone
Soulside Journey

For the fourth episode of "Discovering Forgotten Death Metal" I will introduce you to Darkthrone's illegitimate child (or perhaps I should call them Black Death… ?).

Yes, you heard right, an unrecognized child of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto, a child that is a blemish on their career, an uncomfortable child, a sign of high treason. Imagine that there was a period (from 1986 to 1991) when Darkthrone were four and not two. And imagine that there was a period (always from 1986 to 1990) when Darkthrone, like many others, didn’t even know what Black Metal was: yet we are precisely talking about those Darkthrone who are considered among the greatest exponents/inventors of the genre and who have more than ten albums of pure Black Metal behind them. How come? Well, our friends began playing far back in 1986 under the name, indeed, of Black Death and their proposal was a proto Death Metal comparable to that of Mayhem's "Deathcrush". However in 1990, they released this "Soulside Journey" for Peaceville Records which no longer has anything "proto"; "Soulside Journey" IS Death Metal. I'll say worse, it’s a scholarly Death, with all the right elements to actually be called Death Metal; yet it should not be forgotten that they released it in 1990, meaning when this genre was also just an outline so we can place them among the fathers of Death or, to not exaggerate, at least among the first to join it. A real disgrace for the two Norwegians who, starting from the next "A Blaze In The Northern Sky", will change skins and try to hide their past with Black masterpieces of the caliber of "Under A Funeral Moon" and "Transylvanian Hunger."

So, no sonic minimalism here, on the contrary, quite good technique (a quality that does not go hand in hand with a certain type of Black) and, above all, intricate and non-repetitive compositions; having said that, anything is possible so don’t be surprised if you see square wheels.

Neither Fenriz on drums nor Nocturno Culto on guitar are two clowns and in a sense, this album could refute all the accusations of musical ineptitude aimed at the two because of their sparse sound. The former, behind the skins, is not repetitive at all and, instead, manages to vary times often even while renouncing the use of Blasts. The rhythms, in fact, are perhaps more linked to Thrash than to Death even if the slowdowns can only and exclusively be traced back to Death Metal. The sound of the drums is also much more "rounded" compared to the subsequent works, with a remarkably privileged kick drum and a less insistent snare drum; it’s hard to believe that you can even hear some small syncopations, some plays on the cymbals, and that (still harder to believe) the pieces are all quite slow and I would dare say with a strong Doom aftertaste. But now let’s move on to the greatest shame, the guitars.

The riffing not only doesn’t feature anything Black, but it also has almost nothing Thrash (the "corner kick save" of Fenriz on drums); the riffing is pure Death metal, not far from the Floridian school. However, let’s give it to them, our Norwegian friends still manage to give it an extra touch of darkness, a more languid aura that many (not all) Death works from the time lack: all this, I repeat, without ever straying from the boundaries of this genre. You'll hear solos, as cheesy as you like, but a real rarity for Darkthrone. You'll hear twin guitars that are not cheesy at all and actually pleasant but equally rare for Darkthrone, you'll hear scales, you'll hear chords so heavy and not frosty that you'd have a hard time believing it's the same six-string that two years later would play "Nastassja In Eternal Sleep". You'll hear in the riffing everything you would never expect from this current couple. And the bass? You can actually hear the bass, and how you can hear it: it even has some little breaks and a kind of (horrid) solo at the end of "Sempiternal Sepulchral". A feature that instead sets them apart from other Death groups of the time is the presence of some keyboards, used excellently and enviably by many other bands; some notes carried by the wind add that bleak atmosphere that makes "Soulside Journey" an album different from the others (impossible not to mention the deadly opening of "Grave With A View"). As for the vocals, there are fewer surprises; Nocturno Culto sings growls, but a rather clean growl that won’t horrify anyone as it’s somewhat similar to the vocalizations present on "Panzerfaust". Instead, I would prefer not to talk about the lyrics, so rich in "Fuck" and "Fucking" as to challenge Phil Anselmo.

Now there are four scenarios. You are avid fans of Darkthrone and then you are ready to forgive them for anything including a fling with the enemy (meaning the album in question): make this album yours, maybe (I see it tough, though…) you'll see some connection with their subsequent discography and anyway you will have in your hands a good Death Metal album with which to let everyone hear that if they want, your idols can even play decently. You are die-hard Black Metal fans and you hate Darkthrone for what they did; make this album yours, winter is cold and the plastic of the CD case doesn’t burn poorly at all. You are die-hard fans of Death Metal and you are willing to overlook Darkthrone’s present; make this album yours and you will have an excellent Old School work that undeniably contributed to the birth of a genre. You don't give a damn about Death, Black, Darkthrone: make this album yours and start listening to some good music starting from those who laid the foundations. Got the concept?