DARKTHRONE - Astral Fortress (CD)

From their formation back in 1986, to becoming one of Norways's finest musical exports (with a number of
highly revered black metal masterpieces released in the early 90's helping to solidify their legacy), Darkthrone
has continued to evolve and challenge in equal measure, throughout their illustrious recording career spanning
over three decades. And now, the ever-productive duo of Nocturno and Fenriz continue their own metallic
saga with a new selection of fine, vintage sounding headbanging classics in the making.
'Astral Fortress' is itself a swift follow-up to 2021's 'Eternal Hails' opus, as a result of Darkthrone's consistent
and ongoing writing process, which has been in force for some years now. For Darkthrone does not sleep - it
only waits.
Carried on the brisk wind of eager rock, with foundations in black, thrash, doom and heavy metal, 'Astral
Fortress' is the latest album of stellar, eclectic old metal in the Darkthrone odyssey. With a seemingly endless
dungeon full of heavy metal influences channelled through Darkthrone's dynamic riff-machine, plus also with
many increasing inspirations taken from their own past catalogue, Darkthrone has truly become its own beast
within the metal world. Even though sprinkled with atmospheric touches such as synthesizers and mellotron
on 'Astral Fortress' to great effect, the Darkthrone sound remains stripped down to the core; always primitive
and organic.