Darkthrone The Cult is Alive
Peaceville Records CDVILEF132 February 27th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
I sincerely hope people dont claim this rules just because its Darkthrone. Of course the pillars of the black metal community are respected for their past contributions, but that still doesnt exempt them from criticism, nor should it. Whereas Sardonic Wrath was a step up from Hate Them, in my opinion, The Cult is Alive finds its spot below said albums due to various shortcomings. While Ive been a fan of these Norwegians for many years, I think their most recent outing is too punk oriented, which doesnt necessarily serve as their downfall if the current songs could stand up to or at least match previous ones. Honestly, there is some meat to chew on, but I never got my fill from this particular record.
I recall thinking that Darkthrone were headed in the right direction after 2004s Sardonic Wrath, though this finds the duo embracing punk more warmly than ever before. The jumpiness and choppiness are still out in full force, however, and endangered they are not. I believe most of The Cult is Alive isnt bad; its simply uninteresting and pedestrian. Since there are a few quality riffs circling about, The Cult of Goliath isnt a total washout, but its definitely not a hook-line-and-sinker opening number. Perhaps Too Old, Too Cold wouldve been a better opener, as it has the flair that Culto and Fenriz usually relay, in spite of the petty laughable lyrics. I dig the blackened punk of Graveyard Slut; nevertheless, Fenrizs vocals are well below subpar, and sound further out of place when one remembers Cultos excellent retching. The other milestone besides Too Old, Too Cold is Underdogs and Overlords with its confident guitar passages, complementary drums, and kickass pace. Yeah, it slices and dices as much as anything theyve composed. Again, though they arent poor excuses for songs, Whisky Funeral, De Underjordiske (Elia Capitolina), and Tyster På Gud are mostly throwaway numbers that skimp likeable characteristics. Concerning the latter, it sounds as if Darkthrone were bored when they recorded it, even during the leads, but Shut Up reclaims some ground by sprinkling itself with attitude, aggression, and an ominous dark aura. Rarely do Culto and Fenriz mask their true feelings, and Shut Up is proof of that. The closer, Forebyggende Krig, is slower than its contemporaries, although the plodding tempo works in their favor until Fenriz spoils a portion of the track with his background vocals.
Focusing more on punk and roll apparently jettisoning their regular doses of inspiration Darkthrone disappointed me on this go-around because I think most of it is in need of verve. Though I hate to admit it, sometimes it seems like they were lazy in their efforts, and despite the lack of motivation, they decided to record stuff anyway. There are a couple of stellar tracks on this disc, namely Too Old, Too Cold and Underdogs and Overlords, but not enough to hoist this too far above the average mark. I guess the phrase mixed bag will have to do.
6/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Darkthrone Website
Official Peaceville Records Website
Peaceville Records CDVILEF132 February 27th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
I sincerely hope people dont claim this rules just because its Darkthrone. Of course the pillars of the black metal community are respected for their past contributions, but that still doesnt exempt them from criticism, nor should it. Whereas Sardonic Wrath was a step up from Hate Them, in my opinion, The Cult is Alive finds its spot below said albums due to various shortcomings. While Ive been a fan of these Norwegians for many years, I think their most recent outing is too punk oriented, which doesnt necessarily serve as their downfall if the current songs could stand up to or at least match previous ones. Honestly, there is some meat to chew on, but I never got my fill from this particular record.
I recall thinking that Darkthrone were headed in the right direction after 2004s Sardonic Wrath, though this finds the duo embracing punk more warmly than ever before. The jumpiness and choppiness are still out in full force, however, and endangered they are not. I believe most of The Cult is Alive isnt bad; its simply uninteresting and pedestrian. Since there are a few quality riffs circling about, The Cult of Goliath isnt a total washout, but its definitely not a hook-line-and-sinker opening number. Perhaps Too Old, Too Cold wouldve been a better opener, as it has the flair that Culto and Fenriz usually relay, in spite of the petty laughable lyrics. I dig the blackened punk of Graveyard Slut; nevertheless, Fenrizs vocals are well below subpar, and sound further out of place when one remembers Cultos excellent retching. The other milestone besides Too Old, Too Cold is Underdogs and Overlords with its confident guitar passages, complementary drums, and kickass pace. Yeah, it slices and dices as much as anything theyve composed. Again, though they arent poor excuses for songs, Whisky Funeral, De Underjordiske (Elia Capitolina), and Tyster På Gud are mostly throwaway numbers that skimp likeable characteristics. Concerning the latter, it sounds as if Darkthrone were bored when they recorded it, even during the leads, but Shut Up reclaims some ground by sprinkling itself with attitude, aggression, and an ominous dark aura. Rarely do Culto and Fenriz mask their true feelings, and Shut Up is proof of that. The closer, Forebyggende Krig, is slower than its contemporaries, although the plodding tempo works in their favor until Fenriz spoils a portion of the track with his background vocals.
Focusing more on punk and roll apparently jettisoning their regular doses of inspiration Darkthrone disappointed me on this go-around because I think most of it is in need of verve. Though I hate to admit it, sometimes it seems like they were lazy in their efforts, and despite the lack of motivation, they decided to record stuff anyway. There are a couple of stellar tracks on this disc, namely Too Old, Too Cold and Underdogs and Overlords, but not enough to hoist this too far above the average mark. I guess the phrase mixed bag will have to do.
6/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Darkthrone Website
Official Peaceville Records Website
