Review BLOOD RED THRONE ‘Imperial Congregation’

When you think of metal from Norway, you automatically think of black metal and you think of Oslo and Bergen, the epicenters of hard Norwegian music. But for many years a metal band from Kristiansand has also been around – Blood Red Throne. Founded in the last millennium (1998), the band released their debut album ‘Monument of Death’ in 2001. Since then, the band regularly releases new discs of which ‘Fit to Kill’ descended from the Norwegian mountains in 2019.

With ‘Imperial Congregation’ the new album is now in the starting blocks. The tenth record is also the first one which is released via Nuclear Blast. So there is no lack of support.

Blood Red Throne has packed a total of ten songs on the tracklist. As expected, it is also this time brutal death metal steamrollers that want to conquer the world from Norway. Band like Death and Obituary belong to the declared sources of influence and the new album reflects this significantly.

Lyrically, Daniel Olaisen and bandmates have taken on the urge of mankind to self-destruction. Here, according to the songs on the album, power, uncertainty and religion play a central role. If you take songs like ‘Conquered Malevolence’, Blood Red Throne thematizes the search for inner satisfaction and the development of one’s own personality. Musically, the song is a real wrecking ball and what is most fascinating is the irresistible groove the quintet has incorporated. Transparent Existance’ is even stronger in this respect and the beginning reminds me at least of Pantera’s ‘A New Level’, which is certainly not a weak reference.

Blood Red Throne bludgeon their way through 46 minutes of flawless death metal that is certainly not built on compromise. This is also shown by ‘Zaratustra’, the seven minute closing track on ‘Imperial Congregation’. The quintet grooves and growls their way through the song like there’s no tomorrow. ‘Zaratustra’ is a well-done ending to a record that shines with intensity. Death metal can not be reinvented and so Blood Red Throne fall back on the tried and true, but this with passion and conviction, paired with skill. Imperial Congregation, that means neck muscle alarm.