Gylve ‘Fenriz’ Nagell and Ted ‘Nocturno Culto’ Skjellum return with album # 666, and what strikes me as from the very first moment: six songs only for a total duration of forty two minutes. Why not?...
The Underground Resistance was recorded in two years and is the most logical Darkthrone record seen their permanent progression. Everything is Old School, yet the variety is enormous. However, this band’s characterising trademarks are present in every single detail.
The Underground Resistance combines old styled Metal, i.e. Thrash, Speed, Heavy and, of course, Black Metal, with the essence of up-tempo Punk and even Crust. Of course the production (Necrohell Studio) is rough, unpolished and filthy, yet with a perfectly balanced mix for sure, which makes this classic material sound timeless.
Most of the time you hear what you were waiting for, what you were expecting. A few times, however, Darkthrone surprise a lot. For example: the epic, almost bathorian opening riff in Valkyrie. The vocals too are more distinctive from the past than ever before. I got the impression, from time to time, that the guys really try to do something that’s called ‘singing’?... Should they? And the distance with the band’s roots, i.e. Black Metal, did increase again in favour of a thrashier Punk’n’Roll attitude, more than ever before. As a hard-core Black Metal fan I should not agree, but in Darkthrone’s case I willingly do accept this decision with joy.