DARKTHRONE Announces New Album 'Pre-Historic Metal', Shares Title Track

Norwegian black metal veterans DARKTHRONE will release their new studio album, "Pre-Historic Metal", on May 8 via Peaceville Records.

Following swiftly on from the recently released "The Fist In The Face Of God" box set covering the band's revered early black metal period, it is time for the influential genre legends Fenriz and Nocturno Culto — who are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their initial formation, under the moniker BLACK DEATH — to emerge from their caves once more, for their new opus of high-caliber old metal.

As Fenriz himself proclaims of the title's symbolic origin: "Prehistoric is a loose term. I just figure it's our vibe, our take on things and it's more a statement that we use old style to create something new".

The video for the "Pre-Historic Metal" title track, created by Matthew Vickerstaff, can be seen below.

A continuation of 2024's stellar "It Beckons Us All", "Pre-Historic Metal" is a ferocious slab of primal epics and gargantuan riffs with organic sound, graced with the ever-present permeating spirit of the '70s and '80s. This next chapter in DARKTHRONE's unyielding saga presents a vast odyssey through the sonic landscapes of thrash, black, heavy and doom metal and, adorned with a punishing and "in-your-face" guitar presence, DARKTHRONE stirs the cauldron of savage creativity with a nod to the writing methods which were indicative of their earlier works of the late '80s, but with a more refined craft.

Summarizing what the album represents, Fenriz explains: "It means that we are metal. With very loud guitars. 'Frightfully barbaric but not without finesse', I call it. We collaborated in the studio more than ever, who's playing what is still in a purple haze, but last but not least it was a sort of hardening of the arteries — we decided to tighten the tourniquet and do eight effective songs brimming with riffs instead of the airy plodding we so much enjoy usually".

"Pre-Historic Metal" was recorded at Chaka Khan Studios, Oslo, with production work conducted by Ole Øvstedal, Silje Høgevold and Mads Luis. Mastering was carried out by Jack Control at Enormous Door and Maor Appelbaum Mastering.

"Pre-Historic Metal" track listing

01. They Found One Of My Graves (05:17)
02. Pre-Historic Metal (04:19)
03. Siberian Thaw (06:45)
04. Deeply Rooted (04:58)
05. The Dry Wells Of Hell (06:12)
06. So I Marched To The Sunken Empire (03:21)
07. Eat Eat Eat Your Pride (04:51)
08. Eon 4 (05:24)

Photo credit: Peer Olav Kittilsen