With a 25+ year career and five studio albums released – the last of which “Danmark” in 2022 – Danish death metal veterans recently headed to South America for an epic presence in Brazil’s Setembro Negro Festival. In Carioca Club, São Paulo, they played the pack venue in a line-up that also included Sodom, Hellhammer, Bulldozer, Vulcano and Cancer, among many others.
From the festival, Thorium gathered live footage that now make up the images for the “A Crown To Obscurity” video, which the band is releasing this week. Death metal, sweat & underground brotherhood closely tied together in one of the heaviest and tightest tracks from the album “Danmark”. Enjoy!
Enter Thorium! The Danish death metal veterans are nearing their silver jubilee as a band but are still as vibrant as ever on the new album “Danmark”. Vocalist Michael H. Andersen has once again gathered a new crew – well, besides mr. JP on leads who has survived from the last album to fight another round – and released an album that is as old school as ever. Even down to the recording which was done live at Angioni Studios with all rhythmic instruments present, recording as a band. With small imperfections and all. And without a metronome to guide the band members. Just like in the old days.
The music was recorded during one week in the summer of 2021. Followed by vokillz which were penned and recorded in succession, one song per day, getting that spontaneous feel of death metal of yore. Finally mixed by Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat Studio in the autumn. Jacob had the guts to not only leave the tiny imperfections in there, but in some cases even shed spotlight on them. It’s all about prioritizing that feeling of rawness and spontaneity, akin to the band’s live sound.
Musically, the guys do have a few tricks up their sleeves. While the backbone of the band’s utterings is still a cross between the traditional Florida bands and their Swedish counterparts, other influences are roaring their ugly, rotten heads as well. There’s some black death bashing in “Defiance” and “Nine Lives”, a driving groove in “My Decay” and “Reign the Abyss” or the eerie melodies in opener “War is coming” or “A Crown to Obscurity” recalling mid-period Hypocrisy. This is Thorium at their creative and brutal peak.
And oh yeah, Thorium has made a virtue out of covering obscure old school death metal classics. This time they turn to their motherland. Michael Volbeat’s original DM horde Dominus is targeted with the faithful rendition of “Into the Gods” from the Astaroth demo. Keeping in line with the lyrical theme of the album “Danmark”. Dedicated to the strong, beautiful home country of the band and the proud values it was built upon so many centuries ago.
René ”Nolder” Nielsen, Metalized Magazine, December 2021
“Danmark” is out now LP (white and black vinyls, each limited to 300 copies), CD and digital formats via Emanzipation Productions.
