About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

The Norwegian version of Cannibal Corpse, Blood Red Throne delivers pummeling death metal, with a technical edge, on Souls Of Damnation.



Pros

• Astonishing bass work.
• Throwback to early days of death metal, with a modern twist.
• Growls have a lot of power behind them.

Cons

• Brings nothing new to the table.

Description

• Released June 30, 2009 on Earache Records.
• Blood Red Throne’s fifth album.
• Features former Emperor bassist Tchort.

Guide Review - Blood Red Throne - 'Souls Of Damnation'

Even with several line-up changes, Blood Red Throne has consistently released a new album every two years, and that streak continues with their fifth album, Souls Of Damnation. No-frills death metal is what this quintet excels at, a throwback to the early days of the genre, where bands like Death and Obituary reign supreme.

The songwriting aims for straightforward melodies instead of complex song structures. A brutal guitar riff is the key to any Blood Red Throne song; the driving force behind the band’s core sound. Lead work is minimal, but Souls Of Damnation doesn’t suffer from the lack of guitar wizardry. In fact, the simplistic nature of their songs is beneficial in the long run, as the band is able to cause mayhem with little effort.

Songs like “Harme” and “Demand” are relentless, with throaty growls and endless blast beats acting as the preverbal nails to the skull. Blood Red Throne does slow the proceedings down from time to time in the longer tunes.

Closer “Ten Steps Of Purgatory” is almost seven-minutes long, trading off between Slayer-ish guitar work and a mid-paced vibe, ending with an extended melodic outro.

The highlight of Souls Of Damnation is bassist Erlend Caspersen. Caspersen puts in a masterful performance, weaving his way through the chaos to provide licks and solos that would make most death metal bassists cower in fear. His work on “Throne Of Damnation” and “Your Cold Flesh” puts him in an upper echelon alongside legends such as Alex Webster and Tony Choy.

On Souls Of Damnation, Blood Red Throne constantly lunges at the listener’s throat, like a wounded animal with one last gasp for flesh. The nine tracks fly by at a breakneck pace, with little room for innovation. This is death metal at its most primal, with no distractions or ill-conceived interludes to break up the deconstructive insanity.