Listen to Thron’s Blackened Death Thrasterpiece Abysmal

Fans of ’90s-style Scandinavian blackened death metal, boy do we have a treat for you today!

The members of Thron may have passports that list Germany as their country of birth, but they’re not shy about wearing their Nordic influences on their sleeves nor are they coy about admitting it. Look no further than the description on their own Bandcamp, which reads, “Thron’s initial goals were to play authentic black/death in the spirit of the early to mid ’90s.” OK, then!

Many a band has tried to emulate Dissection, Unleashed et al., and many a band has done a mediocre job. But that’s where Thron stand above the pack: they’re really fucking good at it, and you’ll know it immediately from the moment you press play on their new album Abysmal. The death metal brute force, the blackened leads, the thrashy drums… it’s all here. And what’s more, the band’s wrapped everything up in modern production, ensuring their music doesn’t sound dated just for the sake of doing so. Dare I say they even step out into their own territory on occasion? The moody, slow middle part of “Under a Blackened Sky,” for example, is like nothing you would’ve heard coming out of Sweden or Norway in 1995, and the album is full of more moments like it.

Check out Abysmal below. The album is out now via Listenable Records and can be pre-ordered here (digital) and here (physical).