Richard HolmesNorwegian black metal icons Darkthrone have announced that their new album, Eternal Hails, will be released on June 25 via Peaceville.
Darkthrone’s 19th album will see Nocturno Culto and Fenriz embrace their love of doom metal: fans should expect to hear lengthier songs (including the near 10 minute Voyage to a North Pole Adrift), which were inspired by the likes of Candlemass, on the record.
Eternal Hails was recorded in the Chaka Khan Studio in Oslo, a marked departure from previous releases, which saw Darkthrone record in their own Necrohell II studio, a portable eight-track housed in an old bomb shelter.
And the album boasts a little touch of rock ‘n’ roll history: drummer Fenriz used a kit once belonging to legendary sticksman Carmine Appice – while he was in Rod Stewart’s band – on Eternal Hails.
Commenting on the new opus, Fenriz said: “When I was a kid growing up with metal I kept looking for bands with long songs.
“Black Sabbath had many and Celtic Frost’s Dawn Of Meggido had a long song, so I put that on in the record store and discovered another dimension of metal.
“Candlemass’ Epicus Doomicus Metallicus had only long songs, so I think I bought that without even listening, and it was one of my best buys ever – an eternal inspiration for my entire career.”
Nocturno Culto added: “For us it has become a bit logical, hard to explain, but you get to build up for a different kind of listening.
“A three-minute song is nothing we think of at the moment.
“We like it this way. For now.”
However, Fenriz has assured fans that Eternal Hails will still be quintessentially Darkthrone…
He said: “No matter what happens we will still sound like us, it seems!”
Check out the album trailer here.
Darkthrone photo by Ester Segarra.
