Band: Blood Red Throne Album: Come Death Label: Earache Rating: 8.5/10 Website: http://www.bloodredthrone.net BUY NOW!

Norway has an earned a reputation as the epicenter of black metal. Over the last couple years, though, it has gained favor with death metal circles, churning out bands like Mindgrinder, Zyklon and Blood Red Throne. Considering the reputation the country has for black metal, it doesn't come as a surprise that the death metal bands feature central characters from the black metal scene. Blood Red Throne's guitarist and mastermind Tchort has been a staple in the black metal scene having played in such iconic acts as Emperor and Carpathian Forest. With "Come Death" he once again tries his hand with the classic death metal amalgamation that is Blood Red Throne. "Come Death" is a throwback to the bands that made death metal famous. Bands like Deicide, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, and Death appear to be a major influence on Blood Red Throne. What makes "Come Death" an irresistible listen is how the group's music flows. They take the elements of each of the above-mentioned bands and piece them together to produce a flowing, catchy product. None of the songs are full on speed, nor do any of the tracks consist of simple grooves. Each track is a combination of speed, groove, brutality and catchy rhythms. Much of the guitar work recalls Suffocation - from the beat down grooves to the way they start a part. Like Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse, the bass is audible and often begins a rhythm. Because the bass is up front in the mix, it lends a hand in making the music thicker and much heavier than if it were buried in the mix. Many of the hooks have that unmistakable Chuck Schuldiner sound. The drums batter and bruise through most of the album, often providing an off tempo sound with double bass beats paired with ringing guitar notes. Drummer Anders Haave also hits some phenomenal fills and cymbal rides. The vocals are deep and bestial, but never hard to understand. Also, vocalist Vald layers his vocals, like Glen Benton of Deicide, coupling his deep bellows with hellish shrieks. The first track "Slaying the Lamb" illustrates the how the group uses change ups to keep the music interesting. This track begins with straight forward speed and a section that sounds quite similar to Suffocation, but when the chorus kicks in, they resort to a sound like that of Death before reverting back to the Suffocation parts for the verse lines. "Rebirth in Blood" showcases their dense guitar tones. It begins with low end guitar notes that envelope the air waves with a high level of guitar gain. This brief intro sets a menacing quality that echoes through out the track, although in sped up fashion. The bass sound is quite accessible during a melodic guitar break. For those who love active bass in death metal, check out "Guttural Screams." Eriend C.'s bass playing is quick and explosive in this track, much like the work of Suffocation. Tchort has once again showed his amazing ability to create quality dark music, regardless the style. Whether it is the blackened sound of groups like Carpathian Forest, the gothy prog rock of Green Carnation or the brutal sounds of death metal with Blood Red Throne, the man is a musical genus. If a band includes his name amongst his ranks, you know that album is something that must be heard. "Come Death" stands out as one of the top death metal releases of the year. Darren Cowan Back to Reviews