Best Darkthrone Album

For me, Darkthrone's one of those bands who routinely occupy that "this is the only band I want to listen to, everything else is bullshit" space. Some people think they've been taking the piss for years. Could be! I think Darkthrone's piss-taking beats most bands' seriousness though.

― J0hn D., Friday, 5 October 2007 14:27 (5 years ago) Permalink

i've only heard the first five. making me no expert. so for me it would be blaze in the northern sky - vs - transilvanian hunger. and transilvanian hunger would win.

― scott seward, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

transilvanian hunger is THE black metal album for me

― latebloomer, Friday, 5 October 2007 14:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

Scott you NEED to hear the new one.

As the pollstarter I am keepin' my answer secret 'til the blackened end!

― J0hn D., Friday, 5 October 2007 14:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

i'm tempted to put down 'goatlord' as it's the first one i heard all those years ago, and subsequently played quite a pivotal part in my black metal journey. but i'm gonna go with 'a blaze in the northern sky' - their first venture into black metal, and still my pick for the best thing they've done.

― Charlie Howard, Friday, 5 October 2007 15:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

I've never listened to Darkthrone, but reading the AMG reviews I reckon I'll like this band - do I start at the beginning?

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

transilvanian hunger cold so cold

― Siegbran, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:11 (5 years ago) Permalink

First album is Entombed/Therion style death metal. Excellent but unlike anything they did afterwards.

Go with either of the three albums afterwards which are the ones that got them their reputation. A Blaze is a glorious Celtic Frost-meets-Bathory riff-salad, Under A Funeral Moon is the most bleak/morbid/recorded-in-a-crypt sounding one and Transilvanian Hunger is in-your-face relentless minimalist.

― Siegbran, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

I dig a lot of the lo-fi murky sounding black metal bands so I guess I'll go with Under A Funeral Moon first, thanks!

― Colonel Poo, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

Even though it's probably not their best album, Transilvanian Hunger is the first one I heard, and stuck with me the most. It's the only one I own. I will admit that I haven't heard about half of the albums on the list, though.

― rockapads, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

This is tough. I've only heard albums 2-5, parts of SJ and parts of Cult is Alive. Of the those early ones, I'm tempted to say Under a Funeral Moon but I actually like Panzerfaust a lot.

― Mark Clemente, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

Got Transilvanian last year in the Tower meltdown -- love it.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 5 October 2007 16:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

actually i shouldn't say that i've never heard the later stuff. whenever i listen to black metal on lastfm they always play lots of latter-day darkthrone, but i always forget what albums they are from. and i don't think i've heard anything as good as the early stuff.

but i believe that the new stuff is good. i still haven't heard new mayhem either.

― scott seward, Friday, 5 October 2007 17:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

>For me, Darkthrone's one of those bands who routinely occupy that "this is the only band I want to listen to, everything else is bullshit" space.

I have a short list of those myself - Slayer, Motörhead, Amon Amarth...if there was a black metal band on that list, it'd be Immortal.

― unperson, Friday, 5 October 2007 17:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

if the immortal vocalist didn't sound so corny, i might like them more.

― Charlie Howard, Saturday, 6 October 2007 02:57 (5 years ago) Permalink

Blaze and Funeral Moon have some Bathory-ish tracks and they switched to Celtic Frost mode in Panzerfaust, but Transilvanian Hunger is the album where everything sounds like nobody else.

― no-nonsense, Saturday, 6 October 2007 03:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

I do not have enough metal cred to have a legit opinion on this, but Northern Sky takes it in my book.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 6 October 2007 03:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

I voted for Blaze, but it could've been Transylvanian.

― novaheat, Saturday, 6 October 2007 03:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

but I actually like Panzerfaust a lot.

me too, so i voted thusly. first one i heard (after soulside journey), loud, blasting out of shitty car stereo speakers. the vocals are recorded and mixed so it feels like ted culto's sitting in your lap and screaming at you.

(also realized i'm only 4 cds away from a complete darkthrone collection... i should get on that.)

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Saturday, 6 October 2007 05:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

I do not have enough metal cred to have a legit opinion on this, but Northern Sky takes it in my book.

that's imagined baggage Hoos, I don't think metal is as demanding of "cred" (whatever on earth that actually means) as...ahem some other genres maybe are

― J0hn D., Saturday, 6 October 2007 13:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

of course there'll always be some douche who'll decry you as a noob somewhere or whatever but if your gut is telling you that A Blaze in the Northern Sky is the shit, then your gut is substantially non-different from plenty tr00-est of the tr00 dudes you dig?

― J0hn D., Saturday, 6 October 2007 13:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

Panzerfaust

TEN HUNGRY WAVES THEY SWALLOWED MY SHIP
OH, I STEADILY WALKED HOME (AND I ONLY GOT WET ON MY FEET

― MRZBW, Saturday, 6 October 2007 14:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― ILX System, Saturday, 6 October 2007 23:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

i dig

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 6 October 2007 23:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

panzerfaust is so great.

― govern yourself accordingly, Sunday, 7 October 2007 01:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

holy crap is panzerfaust really gonna beat transilvanian hunger?

― J0hn D., Sunday, 7 October 2007 03:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

Which is the one with the big radio hit again?

― Jeff Treppel, Sunday, 7 October 2007 03:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

gotta be Emperor's "Curse You All Men," I think that charted in like fifteen countries

― J0hn D., Sunday, 7 October 2007 03:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

darkthrone have actually charted in norway with 'too old, too cold' and 'nwobhm' (and probably with their two respective albums as well).

as for the poll: it's a tough one. 'under a funeral moon' and 'transilvanian hunger' are the ones where they perfected the stripped-down, minimalist black metal which i suppose they've been credited as the originators of. but for me, it's a choice between 'a blaze in the northern sky' and -yes- 'panzerfaust'.

― saxomophone, Sunday, 7 October 2007 10:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

t. hunger

tho john is right about the new one being great

― strongohulkington, Sunday, 7 October 2007 15:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

I vote for Transilvanian Hunger for being the fantastic aural torture session it is, but A Blaze probably made the biggest impression on me at the time - of course the talk was all there but A Blaze was the first actually *musical* statement the Norwegians made that could not be denied by anyone. First Nordic album on a "credible" label with proper distribution as well (Peaceville was pretty much *the* underground Metal label at the time). We're talking late 1991 here, Burzum hadn't released a note, Mayhem only had the then four year old crappy Deathcrush demo to show, Thorns was busy filling murky rehearsal tapes, Emperor were still writing material for their demo and Immortal were in their 100%-Bathory-clone phase. For nearly every Metalhead outside Norway, A Blaze was the point they really started paying attention to the Norwegian scene.

― Siegbran, Sunday, 7 October 2007 17:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― ILX System, Sunday, 7 October 2007 23:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

Justice is served!

― J0hn D., Sunday, 7 October 2007 23:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

I was out of town this weekend, meant to slip in my vote for Panzerfaust but missed the due date.

FIVE MILLION CHRISTIANS ON A RIDE TOWARDS US
OH, I SLAUGHTERED THE BUNCH WITH ONE SINGLE HIT (WITH MY SPEAR)
FIVE MILLION WOMEN SO ALONE IN THE NIGHT
OH, I HAD THEM ALL SATISFIED PROFUSELY (EVERY NIGHT BY MYSELF)

this is fuckin' great.

― Mark Clemente, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 13:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

varg wrote that shit. double CREDABILITIES.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 15:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

no votes for Funeral Moon? nobody?

― Siegbran, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 18:54 (5 years ago) Permalink

i know, crazy

― Mark Clemente, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 18:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

well you guys didn't vote for it either!

― scott seward, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 19:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

with only 22 voters, that sort of thing happens... i voted for 'panzerfaust', guessing that 'transilvanian' and 'a blaze' would get the most ones.

― saxomophone, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

Siegbran you'd take Funeral Moon over TH?

― J0hn D., Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

FIVE MILLION WOMEN SO ALONE IN THE NIGHT
OH, I HAD THEM ALL SATISFIED PROFUSELY (EVERY NIGHT BY MYSELF)

this strains credulity

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 21:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

your n00bs are showing h00s, every longstanding BM listener can satisfy five million women and have energy left for cricket

― J0hn D., Tuesday, 9 October 2007 22:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

FIVE MILLION WOMEN SO ALONE IN THE NIGHT
OH, I HAD THEM ALL SATISFIED PROFUSELY (EVERY NIGHT BY MYSELF)

this is like straight out of a blue song.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

blueS

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

darkthrone are the bee's knees

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

also the cat's pajamas

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

they might be "the bomb" as well, but don't quote me on that

― latebloomer, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 00:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

Siegbran you'd take Funeral Moon over TH?

On many days yes - still voted for TH. But Funeral Moon is their "ugliest" album and I'm just surprised nobody had a preference for that.

― Siegbran, Wednesday, 10 October 2007 10:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

Thanks to everyone on this thread - I've since listened to A Blaze In The Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon and currently listening to Transylvanian Hunger (which is totally awesome). I liked Under a Funeral Moon better than Blaze but I think TH is even better. This band rules!

― Colonel Poo, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

Well done.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

either Under a Funeral Moon or Translvanian Hunger

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

AMG review of TH: "Like most of Darkthrone's early material, it's an unpleasant dentist-drill experience that only the unholiest of unholies will pretend to enjoy."

Pretend to enjoy? What a cunt.

― Colonel Poo, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yea, there is rhyme to reason in black metal so I can tell that that reviewer just hadn't figured it out.

speaking of black metal I just got Mayhem's De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas again yay \m/

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

you know what would be cool? a version of "deathcrush" that doesn't cost more than a dollar a minute. even cooler would be a double cd with all of the shitty-sounding dead material.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

I usedto have Dawn of the Black Hearts, fresh with the cover photo of Dead with his brains in his lap...but alas I needed money and ebay called.

― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Monday, 12 November 2007 17:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

gott punch have you got the Preparing for War special edition?

― J0hn D., Monday, 12 November 2007 18:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

no. no, i don't. i bought the regular version (when it first came out) and i hate buying things twice, no matter how stupid that is of me.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 03:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

Do you recommend it, j0hn?

― moley, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 04:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

I don't have it yet, it's on order

― J0hn D., Tuesday, 13 November 2007 04:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

After the release of "The Cult Is Alive" many conversations took place if they are still black metal and that will happen now. That’s bullshit of course ’cause if someone believes that this recording is not black metal then probably has no idea of what he is talking about. I, really, don’t remember many people back at the rise of 90s that were listening to this band; now all of them consider themselves as black metal masters with opinion for everything having constantly their mouth open telling nonsense. Well, they can put their opinions...you know where!!!

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 5 January 2008 10:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

i'm listening to 'goatlord' now out of sympathy for it's lack of appreciation in the poll.

an odd record, but i've got a soft spot for it. i've heard it referred to as the darkthrone 'singalong' record, and that sort of makes bizarre sense. a lot of fun to listen to with some really unexpected use of female vocals.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 10 March 2008 07:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

An odd album indeed, the female vocals were actually sung by Fenriz.

― no-nonsense, Monday, 10 March 2008 08:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

I probably would have voted for Blaze, had I seen this thread.

I really should give that latest album a shot...

― A. Begrand, Monday, 10 March 2008 08:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

haha sung by fenriz. that should come as a surprise, but somehow doesn't :)

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 10 March 2008 08:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Darkthrone's one of those bands who routinely occupy that "this is the only band I want to listen to, everything else is bullshit" space."

on the motherfucking mark

― circa1916, Tuesday, 5 May 2009 09:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

I'm absolutely a Soulside Journey guy. The rest of it... is fine.

― Nate Carson, Tuesday, 5 May 2009 09:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

i only own blaze thru panzerfaust and i've been listening to them an absolutely unhealthy amount these past few weeks. what else in the black metal genre sounds like this? i will listen the unholy fuck out of it.

― circa1916, Tuesday, 5 May 2009 10:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

To the layman, all black metal sounds like Dark Throne.

― Nate Carson, Tuesday, 5 May 2009 10:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

this is my favourite artist picture ever.
i only heard Transilvanian Hunger (i guess it's the right one to hear) sounds like a cool broken tape. Darkthrone might be a bit like Jandek, you actually WANT to like this, and then you do.

― Ludo, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 09:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

Am I damn fool for not having paid attention since Plague Wielder? I never dug that and Ravishing Grimness all that much, so I figured there was no point in keeping up.
I think I still have a Transylvanian Hunger shirt somewhere -- I'm probably too fat for it now, which is METAL \m/

Can't say I'm particularly curious about Fenriz' split with Nattefrost, despite the silly name ("Engangsgrill")

― Øystein, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 11:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

I am a damn fool for still buying every Darkthrone record. It's more of a charity thing I guess. They're fun for a few spins like latter day Motorhead records.

I have an old A Blaze shirt which I wear proudly but but not too often since I moved to one of the most unmetal cities on earth. Apart from the grim and frostbitten mountains.

― Siegbran, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 23:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

Darkthrone rule. This is a fact. Such variety over the years too! The range from "goatlord" to "panzerfaust" to "F.O.A.D" is part of what keeps the plot interesting. I wear my "Total Death" sweatshirt with pride.

― Neotropical pygmy squirrel, Thursday, 7 May 2009 00:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

― badg, Monday, 12 October 2009 04:12 (3 years ago) Permalink

― badg, Monday, 12 October 2009 04:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 12 October 2009 04:28 (3 years ago) Permalink

Fenriz having a Plastikman tattoo *and* a tattoo for the Guidance label is still a mindblower to me. It's so "fuck it" that's it's just more punk than having some axe-wielding troll tattoo or whatever.

― Neotropical pygmy squirrel, Monday, 12 October 2009 04:54 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'm absolutely a Soulside Journey guy. The rest of it... is fine.

i read this as "I'm absolutely a Southside Johnny guy. The rest of it... is fine." which made me lol heartily.

― Fighting words,man. Just shut up. (Ioannis), Monday, 12 October 2009 08:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

i think that beach ball is actually deflating fenriz.

― LIVIN' IN A JAM SPREAD (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Monday, 12 October 2009 09:55 (3 years ago) Permalink

that would explain his bizarre posture

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 12 October 2009 17:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

― ¯ ϖ ¯ (Dr. Phil), Monday, 12 October 2009 17:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5tY-XfbgJe0/SLbG854r1iI/AAAAAAAABAg/l6Ge3ubUr-k/s1600-h/fenritz_tattoo.jpg

― ¯ ϖ ¯ (Dr. Phil), Monday, 12 October 2009 17:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

Dilberts Hund

― ¯ ϖ ¯ (Dr. Phil), Monday, 12 October 2009 17:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

After an initial few listens, staying away for a few months, and returning to it last night, I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE Transilvanian Hunger. I find the odd chord changes completely gripping; I haven't delved into them theory-wise, but they're definitely a defining characteristic of this record (and not of a type I've encountered much). They're somehow catchy, even though they're non-intuitive. It's one of those records where, when I'm not listening to it, I have a hard time conjuring up anything specific about it, but when it's on I get this really intense deja vu-like connection to it, as if I can feel in my gut where each turn will lead. Its immersiveness is very similar in spirit to me to Loveless, actually, and not to any other record I can think of.

― Clarke B., Thursday, 31 May 2012 15:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

under a funeral moon robbed in this thread; also, maybe more understandably, sardonic wrath

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Thursday, 31 May 2012 17:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

Under a funeral moon seems to be everyone's second favourite Darkthrone record.

― Siegbran, Thursday, 31 May 2012 19:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

TH is perfection

― it looks like something rupert the bear would wear (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 31 May 2012 21:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

like everything i wanted black metal to be when i finally dived into it

― it looks like something rupert the bear would wear (Algerian Goalkeeper), Thursday, 31 May 2012 21:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

transilvanian hunger is the sound of a band that knew precisely what they wanted to do and executed it flawlessly. first-rate.

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Friday, 1 June 2012 04:54 (1 year ago) Permalink

I've gone from gently dabbling in this band to loving them full-stop in like two months. This quote now makes complete and total sense to me:

For me, Darkthrone's one of those bands who routinely occupy that "this is the only band I want to listen to, everything else is bullshit" space. Some people think they've been taking the piss for years. Could be! I think Darkthrone's piss-taking beats most bands' seriousness though.

― J0hn D., Friday, October 5, 2007 10:27 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

PANZERFAUST is fucking INCREDIBLE. The riffs are so ridiculously catchy, too; I get them stuck in my head all the time.

― Clarke B., Monday, 16 July 2012 15:52 (11 months ago) Permalink

A Blaze in the Northern Sky has to have one of my favorite album openings of all time... The way "Kathaarian Life Code" starts with that nearly hilarious solemn droning chant, cold and corpselike, Nocturno Culto spitting out words like they're nails stuck in his throat, "we..... ah..... a-blaze.... in zuh nawthen... sky": then KKKZZZWWWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! [pf ch pf ch pf ch pf ch], like electrocuted animals ripping through the skin of that drone and just attacking everything around them... I can't think of many records that begin with that much exhilaration.

― Clarke B., Friday, 27 July 2012 18:23 (10 months ago) Permalink

ravishing grimness is incredible, just one awesome riff after another

which describes every darkthrone record but yeah

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Friday, 27 July 2012 19:43 (10 months ago) Permalink

Good to know; I keep wondering where to start with the post-Panzerfaust stuff

― Clarke B., Saturday, 28 July 2012 02:52 (10 months ago) Permalink

also plaguewielder has the reputation as being the worst darkthrone record and i can see why b/c the production is clean as hell and the riffs are kind of distant and uninviting, but i don't know, i still think it's great!. "i, voidhanger"!

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Saturday, 28 July 2012 19:53 (10 months ago) Permalink

the underground resistance! "valkyrie"!

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 25 February 2013 21:39 (3 months ago) Permalink

i'm sort of a dabbler with this band--i like transilvanian hunger and their last one, circle the wagons a bunch--but i'm really digging the new one! where should i go from here?

― ta-nehisi goatse (fadanuf4erybody), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 04:42 (3 months ago) Permalink

Dark Thrones and Black Flags? A Blaze in the Northern Sky? Pretty much can't lose with the last couple and the first 3 black metal albums.

Oh shit, yeah, PANZERFAUST is really, really good.

― new hope for orang-utan (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 04:43 (3 months ago) Permalink

Hope their next album's called The Drexciya btw.

― new hope for orang-utan (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 04:52 (3 months ago) Permalink

Fenriz is typically super enthusiastic about UR in the new issue of Terrorizer fyi

― an average girl realizing that leggings aren't helping the cause (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 26 February 2013 10:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

the singing on the new one is a kick

― j., Sunday, 10 March 2013 02:31 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Darkthrone's one of those bands who routinely occupy that "this is the only band I want to listen to, everything else is bullshit" space."

except not routinely because I only just started listening to them. didn't expect I would like it so much tho

― Dominique, Friday, 22 March 2013 20:55 (2 months ago) Permalink