| 'Panzerfaust' starts right where 'Transilvanian Hunger' left off, with a highspeed wall of freezing guitars and obscure, haunting melodies...however, things turn around very quickly on the second track as the Hellhammer/Celtic Frost influences that Fenriz now mentions constantly in every interview come into play. Slowing way, way down, the duo (by this time, of course, Zephyrous had left) painfully grind out abysmal, howling black prayers to the night and its infernal forces using the crushing, sludge-heavy style that Tom G. Warrior made so popular with his agonizing 'Triumph of Death', keeping the atmosphere and aggression intact with simple riff-based songs that are nevertheless incredibly powerful. 'Triumphant Gleam', 'The Hordes of Nebulah', and 'Beholding the Throne of Might' are just massive, monolithic, gouging anthems, as heavy as black metal could ever get, and among this band's best work. The rest of the album is just as good, and that's why so many people put this album on their top ten lists when it comes to favorite black metal releases. Also, Darkthrone's alliance with Burzum did not end with 'Transilvanian Hunger', as Varg Vikernes wrote the lyrics to the sixth song on this album, 'Quintessence' - a track which features what must be Nocturno Culto's most crazed, demonic, and horrifying vocal performance. This album is a classic, enough said. |
