Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Throne of Katarsis - An Eternal Dark Horizon - 2007 - Candlelight Records

Track Listing:1. Funeral Moonlight 2. Under Guds Hud 3. Symbols Of Winter 4. Nattaander 5. An Eternal Dark Horizon

Since the early 90's, Black Metal has grown well beyond cult status, more or less evolved (if you will). From cheap production efforts, minimalist album sleeve information, lack of tours, and music that was meant to raise Satan himself (or Odin - depending on where you are from, a lot of Black Metal bands are starting to branch out to reach a larger audience base - whether they say so or not. Although some bands have succeeded in this evolution process, others have failed, creating a void of misunderstanding
in the Black Metal arena. Throne of Katarsis is a band that is taking the cult status of Black Metal to new heights with their menacing style of blasphemous black metal. Their 2007 release, An Eternal Dark Horizon, contains 5 tracks of Armageddon-ish black metal that is guaranteed to put the "cult" back into the Black Metal genre. With the shortest song being 9:55 long, Throne of Katarsis reach gruesome heights of extremity by giving us an album filled with epic dirges that will prove to be influential for
many years to come.

ToK begins the massacre by offering "Funeral Moonlight" as the first track. Displaying a heavy Darkthrone influence, ToK shred through this 12:13 epic with an aggressive deliverance. Mixing both typical black metal style vokills and Attila Csihar influenced vocal patterns, ToK rage through the opening track without hesitation and complimented by excellent blast beats and mid-paced drumming, acoustic breaks and grim back-masking that adds to the overall eeriness of the song. The next song, Under Guds Hud, is one of the most aggressive tracks on the CD as it immediately crushes us with brutal grimness with a sense of urgency. Another song that is over the 12 minute mark, Under Guds Thud, lacks the dimensions of the album opener, but remains on track with the overall dark
theme of the album. The next song, Symbols of Winter, opens with a classic style black metal distorted acoustic passage with the added element of Xasthur-ish vocals. The main riff of the song shows ToK in a depressive, mid-paced state that ultimately blends into more aggressive and fast-paces song filled with terrifying screams and ungodly blast beats. The next song, Nattaander (also the shortest song on the disk), is no less aggressive and brutal than the longer songs that surrounds it. Bringing up the rear is the title track, An Eternal Dark Horizon - a 10 minute opus that shows the same devastation as anything off of Darkthrones'
Panzerfaust.

Throne of Katarsis are in existence at a great time right now. An Eternal Dark Horizon contains all of the elements to prove their cult status in the black metal realm as well as prove to be a great metal album in general. Fans of cult, Nordic black metal need to check out Throne of Katarsis and prepare for the audio assassination.


Rating: 4



--Grim Gaijin