A New Dimension

A true statement as to the ambition of Darkthrone from its beginning, "A New Dimension" essentially consists of a single masterful song – following a rather uninteresting intro track, the nine minute “Snowfall” dominates the runtime, and it's as good a piece of primitive demo-track songwriting as one could hope for. All the instruments are audible in the recording, and thus, the listener is able to appreciate what is going on: a group of young musicians jamming some unholy and unpolished, but outstandingly executed and deeply impassioned, metal. One can imagine a group of patch-vested, leather-jacket-clad long-hairs in the middle of the woods, headbanging along to this song as snow descends, lit only by crackling firelight, a generator humming beneath it all.

It is this quality of the recording that allows the composition itself to cast its moonlit (and equally dying-jam-space-bulb-lit) aura. While essentially a series of different riffs - only a few repetitions ever appear throughout the runtime - there is a strong sense of progression which allows the song to develop in a fittingly primal fashion. And certainly, a LOT of territory is covered even for nine minutes, with thrash riffs descending into atmospheric, clean-guitar interludes, hammering fills punctuating the transitions and driving many of the faster sections. An undeniable black metal mentality is evident here despite the song overall remaining within Darkthrone’s death metal roots: aside from the sustain-driven clean guitar components of the song, some of the riffs here creep unmistakably towards a tremolo-focused black metal aesthetic – the ambitiously fast drumming beneath it itching to turn into the blast beats that would come to dominate later Darkthrone tracks like “Transylvanian Hunger” and “En Vind Av Sorg.” Nonetheless, as is clear from the opening riff that bears more than a passing resemblance to Scream Bloody Gore’s introductory track, the young Norwegians still have a clear focus.

Far from a simple historical artifact, “Snowfall” is honestly one of Darkthrone’s best tracks, its youthful ambition, masterful sense of progression, and memorable riffs a testament to the songwriting capabilities, even during the demo era, that would further develop over time. Undoubtedly, this is essential listening for any fan of the band – and, I would argue, metal fans in general. It is simply one of those rare occurrences where recording quality, instrumental performance, and songwriting work together to create an incomparably evocative product.



95%