Review: Darkthrone – Pre-Historic Metal
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Review by Jeger
Darkthrone – Pre-Historic Metal
Record Label: Peaceville Records
Year: 2026
Rating: 8.5/10
The mighty! The notorious, the genuine, the true article, Darkthrone, is back again with another chapter in what’s been a remarkable Black / Heavy Metal era for the duo. A little Mercyful Fate worship never hurt anyone, and the fact is, Darkthrone, despite having pioneered Black Metal as we know it today, have always remained humble students of the Craft. And that is why their albums sound fresh and inspired: because, well, Darkthrone stays inspired; excited even at the idea of creating Black Metal that not only casts the genre in a true light but also expands it in an influential way, within reason. Classicism is an idea that fosters the notion that innovation can be achieved using tried/celebrated methods and traditional styles. Darkthrone are Masters of this art and on May 8, they released their new album, “Pre-Historic Metal” via Peaceville Records.
With “Pre-Historic Metal”, you will experience the depth of things olde and lasting whether they be frozen for centuries, abandoned or sunken. Olde and lasting – much like Darkthrone’s career and timeless like their music. You will also experience Darkthrone music at its heaviest. The opening track, “They Found One of My Graves”, plays out to giant, cold-chasmic riffs and intrepid rhythms. The soundtrack to being lost somewhere in the Northern Expanse; ominous like dense storm clouds building and in awe of Nature’s majestic yet lethal presence. Another work of simplicity in engineering and intricacy in progression – the titular track – venturing a bit into Speed Metal territory. Okay, venturing well into it with this one. Homaging the earliest Venom adaptations of the Craft while simultaneously syringing the meat of it with their own coveted creative juices.
Darkthrone
Frigid fucking cold as usual… “Pre-Historic Metal” sounds like it was recorded in a cave by a bonfire and that’s the beauty of it. So primitive and yet so full of character like Old-school MystifieR or Varathron: shades of “Wicca” and “His Majesty at the Swamp”. And yes, this one also sounds like it could’ve been recorded in 1986 or 2026 and no one would be the wiser. That is the definition of timelessness. Getting our Stoner grooves on with “Deeply Rooted”. It’s amazing to me how an album like this one can be so influentially nuanced and yet so very Black Metal at the same time. Every Darkthrone album since the Unholy Trinity has been a specimen in that regard. Keeping things interesting and classy…
The epic “The Dry Wells of Hell” unfolds to rich Heavy Metal melodicism in the vein of early King Diamond or USA’s Sumerlands and their self-titled LP as far as guitars are concerned, but the beauty of this one lies within the scope of Nocturno Culto’s spectrum-spanning vox contribution: wailing, groaning and grunting his way through every epic composition, all the while as Fenriz provides his usual stellar drumming. Fenriz is great because he understands his role as a drummer: to hold it all together like glue. A little dazzle here and there but Fenriz’s focus behind the kit has always been in service to the song; enriching and sustaining the music, as opposed to all these uppity Metal drummers who act as if no one has ever heard a blast-beat before…
“Pre-Historic Metal” does not stand out. Instead, it just fits right in with every other album in the catalogue and that’s just fine. It’s just so fucking Darkthrone and they’re spoiling us! It doesn’t stand out as a 10/10 album either and I don’t think that matters one iota to Darkthrone, only the creation of True Norwegian Black / Heavy Metal that is in essence, True Norwegian Black Metal and doing right by the genre as true ambassadors of the scene. This is why we’ll always root for Darkthrone. This is why we respect them so much. This is why we appreciate true Black Metal.
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