Darkthrone - Frostland Tapes (2008) Reissue [2011]

Darkthrone was formed as Black Death in 1986 by Gylve Nagell, Ted Skjellum, Ivar Enger and Dag Nilsen.

During the first years they played Death Metal with satanic lyrics. In 1988 they changed their band name to Darkthrone and after releasing a couple of demos they recorded their first full-length album: Soulside Journey, which was released on Peaceville.

After the release of Soulside Journey they recorded Goatlord, but this masterpiece was not released before November 1996. Dag Nilsen left the band.

Darkthrone now left the Death Metal concept in advantage for the cold northern Black Metal. They was also heavily influenced by Celtic Frost (which become very clear when listening to Panzerfaust). This ment changing their image: corpsepaint and aliases! Gylve Nagell became Fenriz, Ted Skjellum became Nocturno Culto and Ivar Enger became Zephyrous.

In August 1991 Darkthrone went into Creative Studios to record A Blaze In The Northern Sky. They used several hours setting the sound to get it as hard, ugly and cold as possible, and since they knew what they where doing it ended up sounding great. It was this album which truely set the standard for the Northern Black Metal style. After this release Darkthrone more or less withdrew from the scene. The albums Transilvanian Hunger and Panzerfaust were recorded in their own studio; Necrohell Studios - which was a 4 track portastudio, too get that fine sound.

Darkthrone stayed on Peaceville for a total of four albums, then they went to Moonfog. This was done because they wanted to work with norwegians only. Zephyrous disappeared after the Panzerfaust album, but he neither quit or was fired. Fenriz claims that neither he or Nocturno Culto has heard anything from Zephyrous since the recording of Panzerfaust.

-Tracklist:

Disc 1

1.     Land of Frost     04:06     
2.     Winds of Triton     01:57     
3.     Forest of Darkness     04:41     
4.     Odyssey of Freedom     03:32     
5.     Day of the Dead     05:39     
6.     Intro: Twilight Dimension     00:45   
7.     Snowfall     09:05   
8.     Eon     03:46     
9.     Thulcandra     05:47     
10.     Archipelago     04:53   
11.     Soria Moria     03:43     
12.     The Watchtower     05:12   
13.     Accumulation of Generalization     03:10
14.     Sempiternal Past / Presence View Sepulchrality     03:21
15.     Iconoclasm Sweeps Cappadocia     04:00   
          
Disc 2

1.     Cromlech     04:32   
2.     Sunrise over Locus Mortis     03:37     
3.     Soulside Journey     05:00
4.     Accumulation of Generalization     03:27   
5.     Sempiternal Past / Presence View Sepulchrality     03:57
6.     Iconoclasm Sweeps Cappadocia     04:29
7.     Neptune Towers     03:20   
8.     Rex     04:10   
9.     Pure Demoniac Blessing     02:49   
10.     (The) Grimness of Which Shepherds Mourn     04:40
11.     Sadomasochistic Rites     04:20
12.     As Desertshadows     05:03
13.     In His Lovely Kingdom     03:33   
14.     Black Daimon     02:15
15.     Toward(s) the Thornfields     03:54
16.     (Birth of Evil) Virgin Sin     03:38   
17.     Green Cave Float     04:08     
18.     A Blaze in the Northern Sky     04:56   
19.     Fenriz Drum Solo     02:35

 

-Line up:

- Fenriz: Drums, Vocals (additional) (1987-present), Bass, Guitars (additional) (1993-present)
- Nocturno Culto: Vocals, Guitars (1988-present), Bass (1992-present)

 

 

Label: Peaceville Records.

The release of Frostlands Tapes coincided with the band's 21st anniversary. It is the first official release to contain all four of Darkthrone's demos.

Frostland Tapes includes a live recording from Denmark in 1990 and the previously unreleased instrumental version of the 1991 Goatlord rehearsal session.

These songs were intended to feature on the proposed second album, before the band changed direction and the tapes were confined to the vaults. Vocals were subsequently added in the mid-nineties and this version became the Goatlord album (1996), but they are presented here as the recording sounded in 1991. This means they are instrumental so DO NOT add any lyrics!

The set comes in a rigid digibook featuring an interview with the band, chronicling their early days, ambitions and inspirations.

Disc 1:
Tracks 1-5: Land of Frost demo (1988)
Tracks 6-7: A New Dimension demo (1988)
Tracks 8-10: Thulcandra demo (1989)
Track 11: Extra track
Tracks 12-15: Cromlech demo (1989)

Disc 2:
Tracks 1-7: Live in Denmark (1991)
Tracks 8-19: Instrumental version of Goatlord (1991)