It took less than two years for Blood Red Throne to get back in the game.
Daniel “Død” Olaisen (guitar, Scariot, Zerozonic, ex-Satyricon live), Freddy Bolsø (drums, ex-Enslaved, ex-Scariot), Ivan Gujic (guitar, NeonGod), Stian Gundersen (bass, The Dark Nebula) and Sindre Wathne Johnsen (chant, Deception, Todesking, Celestial Scourge) have announced the release of their twelfth album, Siltskin, for 2025.
Scraping Out The Cartilage gets straight to the point, exposing us to a massive but disturbing opening riff before unleashing the rhythm section accompanied by furious vocals that become even more intense on the choruses. There is also an unexpected and impressive acceleration before the solo, then Beneath The Means takes over with even more abrasive tones and a dry but catchy groove that can also be found on the regular eruptions of Husk In The Grain. The virulent Old School tones are also present, as are the more elaborate touches that provide a violent and interesting contrast, which joins Necrolysis with a bang, where the riffs give us a short respite before trampling us again. There is a rather jerky approach, alternating between slow, heavy passages and sharper touches, but also an almost disturbing break before the lead section, which eventually returns to the uncompromising rhythm before giving way to Anodyne Rust, the shortest but also the most devastating track. Nothing is left to chance on this ultra-lively track, which only slows down to assault us with the vocalist’s screams during an almost modern mosh part before the final wave that joins Vestigial Remnants, where we have a catchy basis. Riffs are more moderate than on the previous track, but they remain very communicative and are inspired by heavy and polished brutal death metal, just like Vermicular Heritage, which takes the time to establish its heavy tones before unleashing all its power, as in the solo before the vocal tornado resumes. The band gives us about thirty seconds before On These Bones takes its turn to assault us, offering a handful of virulent riffs that struggle to calm down, even taking advantage of a break to let the bass express itself fully. Then, with Marrow Of The Earth, we enter the home stretch, first with anguished tones, then with the firepower we were expecting, but also with more complex parts that serve the band’s raw rage, closing the album on an excellent note.
Blood Red Throne has never disappointed me, and Siltskin is clearly not going to be the first album to do so! The band continues to navigate between brutal death and Old School influences while giving its violence ever more vivid and catchy tones, easily rising to the top of the genre.
95/100
