Throne Of Katarsis have been active since 2002, however, for those not in the know the fact that two of their four members also play in Gehenna should speak volumes about what to expect from these Norwegians. They are traditional black metal in every sense; from the raw production, to the cold sound, right down to the ethereal and slightly creepy atmosphere created by each of their songs.

Fourth full-length The Three Trranscendental Keys (Candlelight) is comprised of three gargantuan length tracks; ‘Of Rituals (And Astral Spells)’, ‘Beyond The Spectres’ and ‘In Timeless Aspects’. The esoteric theme running throughout this album flows fluidly and seamlessly with the music helping to create a lucid and unsettling mood.

Each track builds upon the next one, becoming steadily more theatrical and demonic sounding as the record progresses, while the guitar possesses just enough distortion to still keep the gritty 90’s feel the band has encapsulated. Unlike the vast majority of BM releases, the bass is very much audible and even has its own parts to play that don’t always necessarily mould with the guitars, giving the band an edge that puts them head and shoulders above the rest of Norwegian traditionalists.

8/10

Angela Davey

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