So how to describe this album? A person associated with Black Metal once reminded not to mistake lack of talent with genius in that style of music. And to be quite honest, that walk along this extremely narrow grid seems to be a quite befitting issue with Darkthrone:
The value of musical skill? Naught. The song-writing? A catastrophe to any Primary/Elementary school music teacher. The sound quality? A bit like a faulty electric razor. The music itself? A monotonous cacophony that could not be worse – all in all the album sounds a little like a few kids who figured out how to mess with the gain pedal and the guitar, and the vocals have the reminiscence of a chain smoker after 45 years, awaiting cancer surgery…and having read this, can anyone really wonder why Peaceville heavily reconsidered having ever signed them?
So what is it then that deserves this release the 95% rating that I am donating? Well, besides its status as one of the most influential releases and the untouchability somewhat arise thereof, there are quite a few points that rehabilitate for the first disappointment that anyone used to less raw music will meet.
Notable is the intelligent riffing, i.e. the utter rape of the guitar by both Zephyrous and Nocturno Culto that create a superior atmosphere that only Darkthrone is able to create, and the minimalistic setting described above only happens to highlight this feeling so dark, cold and grim that it has Satan himself hide behind a sofa. At this time, provided you have sufficient imagination, you’re likely off sacrificing sheep in a wood in Norway.
Nocturno Culto’s voice is genius – raspy as it is: Grimmer than any horror movie and frostier than the deepest reach of Siberia, it again contributes to establish an atmosphere beyond description. In fact, many have attempted to mimic his style of singing, but very few have succeeded…hard to describe indeed, except that his vocal contribution to this release is probably some of the best that the entire genre of Black Metal has seen thus far.
The whole sound is rounded off by the raw and trollish battery delivered by Fenriz: Some-times blast-beats that build up the atmosphere, another time more mid-tempo, even slightly punky drumming – whatever it is, he uses it in good strategy even though, again, minimal in style.
Finally, notable mention has to go to the lyrics. OK, so they might be the most outright anti-religion, Satanic, dark-side-of-nature revolved shit that you’ll ever encounter; but then again, Darkthrone were pioneers at doing this, so it is actually highly original. Lyrics are often left out of the equation when reviewing an album, but in this case, more than ever, they are the essence of the message of the album, in fact they fit the music 1000 percent.
"A Blaze in the Northern Sky” is an album that I can certainly recommend acquiring – definitely worth the € you pay for it. The old quote of “Black Metal ist Krieg” could not be more fitting when you talk about this album, and if you’re a fan of the likes of Bathory of Burzum, then you’ve not lived until you’ve heard this album. It is probably amongst the best BM albums ever recorded, and should not be missing from any CD collection, at least not in the collections of those that boast themselves “true Black Metallers”. Congratulations to Darkthrone for creating a masterpiece for all eternity!"
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