Darkthrone – Circle The Wagons (2010)

May 8, 2023

Well into the “Darkthrone with attitude” era (lol), came Circle The Wagons. Interestingly, from the Cult Is Alive onwards, the band transitioned from blackened crust punk to blackened heavy metal. This record doesn’t have the absurd falsetto vocals that its follow-up has, but it’s still pretty much raw heavy metal right down to the bone. This either works or doesn’t, depending on the individual track, but either way I respect Darkthrone for just y’know, doing whatever the fuck they want and not just aping their legacy.

Some of the tracks here are a bit silly and just come across poorly done, but riff-wise this thing slays as always, Darkthrone really are the kings of evil riffs. It’s just, Circle The Wagons wouldn’t be too high on my list for a relisten any time soon.