From their formation back in 1986, to becoming one of Norways’s finest
musical exports (with a number of highly revered black metal
masterpieces released in the early 90’s helping to solidify their
legacy), Darkthrone has continued to evolve and challenge in equal
measure, throughout their illustrious recording career spanning over
three decades. And now, the ever-productive duo of Nocturno and Fenriz
continue their own metallic saga with a new selection of fine, vintage
sounding headbanging classics in the making.
‘Astral Fortress’ is itself a swift follow-up to 2021’s ‘Eternal Hails’
opus, as a result of Darkthrone’s consistent and ongoing writing
process, which has been in force for some years now. For Darkthrone does
not sleep - it only waits.
Carried on the brisk wind of eager rock, with foundations in black,
thrash, doom and heavy metal, ‘Astral Fortress’ is the latest album of
stellar, eclectic old metal in the Darkthrone odyssey. With a seemingly
endless dungeon full of heavy metal influences channelled through
Darkthrone’s dynamic riff-machine, plus also with many increasing
inspirations taken from their own
past catalogue, Darkthrone has truly become its own beast within the
metal world. Even though sprinkled with atmospheric touches such as
synthesizers and mellotron on ‘Astral Fortress’ to great effect, the
Darkthrone sound remains stripped down to the core; always primitive and
organic.
‘Astral Fortress’ was recorded at Chaka Khan Studios in Oslo, the same
location used for the ‘Eternal Hails’ album, with Ole Øvstedal and Silje
Høgevold.