Darkthrone-Circle the wagons

Peaceville
2010

Long running act Darkthrone have run through different sounds during their career. From death metal to black and then to their current sound. Currently they reach back about twenty five or more years and play a blend of early thrash combined with 80's UK hard core. This album brings the full force gallop of Motorhead, the primitive heaviness of Hellhammer and the attitude of Broken Bones and Discharge. On top of that add Darkthrone's experience and control and you have the makings of an explosive album. They seem to purposely leave the production slightly underdone to complement the sound and indeed it does. There are plenty of parts that will have you thinking it's 1985 again, but Darkthrone have enough of their ideas to really keep this machine rolling. They rarely let the music sit too long this times around and they bring enough ideas and even surprising bits into the mix. That's what helps to elevate this album above just being another retro release. Their musical ability and their willingness to do what like come together in "Circle the wagons" and the results are astounding. I am not sure that fans of Darkthrone's older material will immediately take to this, but they should give it a try because there is plenty going on here to appeal to most metal fans.