The Cult Is Alive

The first thing I noticed was that this new album once more comes in a great looking packaging. The regular album version comes in a slipcase package while the limited edition box comes in a cardboard box with an additional poster and video clip for the single "Too old too cold". The lay-out has once more been done by Trine & Kim and just like with the "Too old too cold" single also on "The cult is alive" they have once more delivered a marvellous job suiting Darkthrone's image just fine.

But, as always, it is the music which matters most. On "Too old too cold" Darkthrone showed a musical style which headed more into dark punk rock. Still the music was typically Darkthrone with the many Celtic Frost references. Yet the band dared to move a bit more into punk rock as well, a musical style where Darkthrone also has got their musical roots. On "The cult is alive" the same musical direction as on the single can be found and the new album displays a great mixture of traditional Darkthrone black metal with dark punk rock with on top some occasional chaotic guitar solos. These slight new 'influences' enrich Darkthrone's music a lot as well as makes the 'red line' throughout the whole album much more obvious. Because of the many variations in songwriting "The cult is alive" stays interesting the complete 39 minutes and I unconsciously push the repeat-button from my CD-player again and again. This album really is like a drug. After the first listen it immediately becomes addicting and you'll crave to hear more, again and again and again. The single title-track "Too old too cold" can be found as well on "The cult is alive" just as the brilliant "Graveyard slut". Biggest difference though is that on the single Nocturno Culto does the vocals while on the album version Fenriz does the vocals. Mentioning any further seperate songs in this review isn't necessary simply because the complete album is damn good. The quality in songs remains high throughout the whole album and I think "The cult is alive" definitely belongs to Darkthrone's best albums ever.

As always the die-hard purists claim that Darkthrone lost their credibility because Darkthrone never have come up with "Transilvanian hunger part 2". With including a bit more dark punk rock influences in the furthermore well-known Darkthrone sound these purists will now stand even stronger behind their, to me narrow-minded, beliefs. All I can say is; ignore such morons and instead take a listen at "The cult is alive" and let the album grab you by the balls. Just like it grabbed me by the balls. "The cult is alive" shows that the cult named Darkthrone still is alive. Alive and just as strong as ever!!!