•
Rating:
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Black Metal is not a genre like the others, it is truth. Everything else can be music, but Black Metal is truth.
Darkthrone, and especially this album, are a true milestone of this musical genre and extreme music of all time. Their genius lies in having created another way of making Black, a genre not birthed by Darkthrone (although it's a matter of a few years), but continued in an exemplary way, so much so that they became one of the most important, if not the most important representative of Black Metal.
Early '90s, the period when this musical genre born in the Scandinavian forests reached the peak of its importance, driven by those bands that we idolize today, and by their best products like "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" and "Pentagram" (just to name a few), respectively by Mayhem and Gorgoroth. And it's precisely in this period, 1993/94, that Darkthrone unveil their fourth album, which is probably their best product, "Transilvanian Hunger".
The album features eight songs. The product marks an evolution of the group towards a less anti-melodic sound than the previous, yet still extraordinary, "Under A Funeral Moon". What is noticeable, or what should be noticed, is the genius with which Darkthrone presents us with a True Black Metal characterized by the extreme monotony of the tracks, which unfortunately only a few can appreciate, and by an "excessively" raw sound. But the reality is that this band is ahead of everyone now and was ahead of everyone then. The songs offer two guitar chords repeated to the extreme, incessantly, yet never boring. The drumming from the great Fenriz is fast and pounding and is barely heard, the bass is non-existent (just look at the tablatures and you’ll realize that even a child could play it) and Nocturno Culto’s guitar is colder and more chilling than the snow that settles on the peaks of the Norwegian forest pines. A dirty and sharp cold that enters the listener's head and takes them into another dimension... there is nothing flat in this music. The voice is harrowing, it is not angry, nor depressed, it is not fast, nor slow, it is not growl, nor scream... it is irregular and at the same time perfect and precise.
Out of the songs, two are in English: the title track "Transilvanian Hunger" and "As Flittermice As Satans Spys", while the other six are in Norwegian. The themes also differ from the genre standards. The lyrics are introspective, although always linked to satanic worship, less explicit and more connected to the natural Norwegian environment, to the cold and the anger this causes. When reviewing Darkthrone, it's pointless to analyze track by track, as they are quite similar to each other and mind you, this is absolutely not a criticism. I can say that those that struck me the most are the title track "Transilvanian Hunger" and the third "Skald Av Satans Sol".
Conclusion: this is my first review, and I am really pleased to have reviewed this band that I listened to again today after a few months with the same enthusiasm and pleasure, without finding any negative elements that maybe I previously overlooked. Objectively, Darkthrone is a genius band, in my opinion the best Black Metal band ever. Out of twelve albums, our guys have never been able to produce something that betrayed expectations. Black Metal may also be music for the few, but I invite everyone to listen at least once in their life to Darkthrone and especially this album.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Transilvanian Hunger (06:09)
Transilvanian Hunger
the mountain so Cold
Cold Cold Soul Cold
Your hands are cruel careful ... pale ...
To Haunt, to Haunt forever at Night
Take me can't you feel the Call
Embrace Me Eternally in your daylight slumber
To be Draped by the Shadow of your Morbid Palace
ohh, Hate Living... The only heat is warm blood
So Pure... So Cold
Transilvanian Hunger
Hail to the True, intense vampires
A story made for Divine fulfillment
To be the Ones breathing a Wind of Sorrow
Sorrow and Fright the Dearest Katharsis
Beautiful Evil Self to be the Morbid Count
A part of a Pact that is Delightfully immortal
Feel the Call Freeze you with the Uppermost Desire
Transilvanian Hunger, my Mountain is Cold
So Pure... Evil, Cold
Transilvanian Hunger
03 Skald av Satans sol (04:28)
Tåken tetner
Mørket faller
Ondskap Slumrer
Skogen kaller
Her ute I Dyrets domene
Gjennom en dyster, Gusten Skog
Engler løper, engler flyr
Vekk fra min egen kikegaard
Jeg star under en kald vind
Taken letter fra englers flukt
Jeg drikker fra Manens Kalde
Bleke lys og hylder Satans sol
En Grusom Ondskap siver inn og fyller kropp og sjel
En himmel av Daudinger
Tortur og Hat
Tåken tetner
Mørket faller
Ondskap Slumrer
Skogen kaller
La meg for evig tjene de toogsytti evig falne
I den Kolde Mørke brønn av de Slue sorte
Verdig utropes jeg som den Uhellige treenighets Skald
Når helvete en gang kaller, er det ingen vei tilbake
Tåken tetner
Mørket faller
Ondskap Slumrer
Skogen kaller
05 Graven tåkeheimens saler (04:59)
Naberg reiste seg, når ved Mannahemens garden
Økstid, Sverdtid, ufred var der ikke - dog var er byllepestens plager
Ingen gjestet frender, ingen gjestet prest
Ingen drog til byen, uten lanse og til hest
I Opphavs tider sang de sanger, for seg selv og sine fedre
I dag synges kun de sanger, som skal gjøre morgendagen bedre
Sanger for den neste, ingen sanger for den Beste
Svik og løgn har fatt sin plass, I midgard jotneses palass
En mann vandret rolig, sikker, stolt der mellom hus
Han ferdedes blant folk, han trakket tyredd der blant mus
Flere hundre menn, han gjestet hver kald natt
Han var enøyd, høy og tynn, og på sitt hode bar han hatt
Ensom mann han vandret, over bivsrot en kald morgen
Han ristet på sitt hode, over menneskenes tap
For de sikret seg en plass, I en ufødt tragisk himmel
For de vandret nor og ned, for de rotnet I Hels fred
06 I en hall med flesk og mjød (05:12)
I en gammel ask - hang en Naskald gubbe,
Under en Svart himmel - hvorfra Regnet fosset ned.
Ingen for dithen - for a hugge liket ned,
for ingen kunne vite - hvorhen hengingen fant sted
Ensom mann han var - Da han dro til Valfars plass,
han ankom iført Brynje - til et storslått Grimt Palass.
Tusen år var gått - siden forrige mann kom dit.
de gråt av Dyster glede - da en sínn kom endelig.
Nor for det Trolske gapet - var en takeheim dypt ned.
Rekker av Nors sínner - vandret dithen nor og ned.
Ingen manglet Grav - og ingen manglet sínner,
for de for av elle og sott - dit til Kuldeheimens senger.
Kun fa av vaktens barn - kom til Farens rike rad,
for listig svik blant dem - førte flestemann dypt ned.
Dog kan man híre sangen - hver en Hedensk gammel høytid
for ja enna festes det - blant De trofaste Ods Sønner.
[Skrevet for Darkthrone av Greifi Grishnackh 31/12 - 1993 a.Y.P.S.]
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Tompa
This is true Norwegian black metal!
Not having this CD is to miss out on something that you simply don’t hear anymore these days!
By MnGoN
Just two chords and a voice are enough to convey something that others with a thousand musical tricks couldn't achieve in a thousand years.
Listening to this CD makes you want to scream and send everything and everyone to hell, isolating yourself in complete solitude.
By thezed
Listening to this album in complete solitude I didn’t think about burning churches or killing someone, I simply thought about myself, no hate, no love, not even apathy, I simply traveled with my mind and that’s it.
This album has to be listened to at least once in a lifetime; some will discard it afterward, but others will discover a new path.
