DARKTHRONE

Old Star LP

via Last Rites:

"One of the first things you’ll notice upon hitting play on Old Star is the production. And if you have any sort of history with the band, you know this particular element plays as crucial a role to each album’s uniqueness as the instruments and songs themselves. What would Panzerfaust be without that putrid guitar tone and the snuggly manner in which Nocturno SCREAMS IN YOUR FUCKING EAR from two inches away? With 2016’s Arctic Thunder, the production felt icy, raw and very “on the surface,” which suited the band’s return to a leaner, angrier and blacker sound. With Old Star, the overall sound feels more like a lure into some grim cave—voluminous and with deeper tones, more bounce to the ounce, and as rotting and webbed as Morbid Tales. Per Fenriz, it’s their “most 80s album yet,” and the production fattens that particular pig by allowing Old Star to sound like something Black Dragon Records circa 1986 might’ve dropped. The bass tone alone here could very well be worth the price of admission." - Captain

FINAL CONFLICT

Ashes To Ashes LP

via Pitchfork:

"Jack Control's robust remaster creates some much-needed space, allowing Harp's toothed guitars to mingle alongside Warren Renfrow's nimble bass riffs, rather than overwhelm them. Dave Phillip's drumming sounds more hot-blooded this time around, too, firing off snare hits into the abyss at the start of "Apocalypse Now!" and striking a throttling gallop on "Crucifixion". Control places Ron Martinez's vocal track lowest in the mix, so that at any given point, he's yowling from between his bandmates' slabs of sound like a trapped and wounded beast. These contrasts distinguish Ashes to Ashes as a work determined to distance itself from its more unilateral-sounding peers, providing enough smatterings of depth and texture to please even the most punk-a-phobic eardrums." - Zoe Camp

MORK

Katedralen LP

via Metal Temple:

"...For me, this is the album to point to for all of those people who try to write off Norwegian Black Metal as an exhausted well.  No, it is a blueprint that can successfully be expanded upon into new worlds of possibility.  Some of the most exciting albums of the genre were those of the late second wave that were unafraid to take a leap in exploration...

There have been some seriously killer albums released as of late, but this is certainly something extra special.  It is just one of those albums where it is blatantly obvious the level of dedication and heart put into the writing and recording of the music.  The production nails it with an exceptional guitar tone that is both modern and Black Metal apropos.  An excellent pair of headphones or speakers definitely enhance the experience especially in the nuances....  I truly could not recommend this more, and it will definitely be on my best-of list at the end of the year." - Chris Hawkins

AURA NOIR

Aura Noire LP

via Last Rites:

"Something particularly beneficial with regard to Aura Noire that’s likely to be appreciated right off the bat is the production. Beyond any doubt, this is the most ideal mixing and mastering job the band has experienced to date, and, as luck would have it, the promotional materials give zero indication of the party(cough cough, it was Enormous Door) responsible for accomplishing said advantage. Nevertheless, the production is glorious—an equal amount of spotlight placed on drums, bass (oh, glory to the Highest, you can hear the BASS on this record!) and the riffiest guitaring this side of Mt. Miland Petrozza, plus a clear, incredibly potent sense of live rawness that makes it sound as if dropping a needle to the record might very well deliver the band directly into your living room to rip through these songs with a demon’s intent...  Embrace the gnarly, loose and madly raw side of life, my repulsive friends, and let Aura Noir provide the soundtrack for your journey into the cold dirt." - Captain

FROZEN SOUL

Crypt Of Ice LP

via Metal Injection:

"'Like a cold blast from an Arctic ice cave, each and every song echoes like northern thunder over frost-covered tundra and snow-capped mountains of might!'

If you've been paying attention over the last few months, you've certainly come across Frozen Soul in some capacity. The band have been riding a wave of well-deserved hype and accolades since dropping their debut Century Media-released album back on January 8th.

So, what's all they hype about? Well, to these ears, it really boils down to one thing: keeping it real. It's really that simple. Frozen Soul deliver an incredibly authentic, honest homage to the old-school sound of bands like Obituary, Mortician, and Bolt Thrower. That said, there is one secret ingredient that the others don't have… COLD!

Yep. One listen to Crypt Of Ice reveals a cold-as-ice yet somehow still warm-as-hell production that is truly unmatched in the realm of death metal. It sounds soooooooooo bloody good. It's hard to explain. For lack of a better description, I liken a Frozen Soul listening experience to having a 104°F fever in the middle of an Antarctic blizzard. Yeah. Brutal." - Jason Deaville