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DARKTHRONE Release 17th Studio Album ‘Old Star’
May 31st, 2019

Norwegian metal band Darkthrone issued 17th full-length studio album Old Star on May 31st, 2019 through Peaceville Records.

Fenriz commented: “Old Star – again we are here with the riffs! A while after our previous Artic Thunder album it became apparent that we would continue in that same style, black old heavy metal with slow thrash, classic doom and slow death metal.

“As many have focussed on the 70s sound over the last 20 years, the mix on our new album has ended up being more 80s than ever. The songs are more metal than ever! Ted’s [Nocturno Culto] songs have a lot of black metal in them, faster and slower but also doomier parts and reoccurring parts. My songs are more linear written, it’s an ancient 80s underground trick, with breaks, all slow heavy or slow thrash, classic doom or slow death.

“All in all it is our most 80s album so far and our most metal one to date with drum sound typical for the 80s USA / German market and damned lyrics, which are all written by me. We feel that Old Star is the big brother of Artic Thunder. More solid and with even better riffs.”

Old Star was recorded at the band’s Necrohell II Studios in Norway, with engineering and production duties carried out by vocalist / guitarist Nocturno Culto. Sanford Parker handled mixing at Hypercube Studios in Chicago, Illinois, while Jack Control was once again responsible for mastering at Enormous Door in Austin, Texas.

Cover artwork was created by Chadwick St. John, with a piece titled ‘The Shepherd Of The Deep’.

The track listing is as follows:

01. ‘I Muffle Your Inner Choir’
02. ‘The Hardship Of The Scots’
03. ‘Old Star’
04. ‘Alp Man’
05. ‘Duke Of Gloat’
06. ‘The Key Is Inside The Wall’

Darkthrone’s line-up was as follows:

Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skjellum (vocals, guitar and bass)
Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell (bass, guitar and drums)

The tracks ‘Duke Of Gloat’ and ‘The Hardship Of The Scots’ can be streamed below.

Sixteenth studio record Arctic Thunder was released in October 2016.

Promotional photograph by Ester Segarra.