What Is Darkthrone’s New Album “Pre-Historic Metal”?

Pre-Historic Metal is Darkthrone’s new studio album, due May 8, and it sounds like a tighter, louder, more direct statement of everything the band has built across black metal, doom, thrash, and classic heavy metal.

TL;DR

• Darkthrone release “Pre-Historic Metal” May 8 via Peaceville
• Title track is out now and sets a raw, aggressive tone
• Album focuses on tighter songwriting and heavier riffs
• Marks 40 years since their early formation as Black Death

Few bands have earned the right to sound exactly how they want — and Darkthrone have been operating on that level for decades.

After years of covering extreme metal releases, it’s rare to hear a band this deep into their career sound this locked in on identity without chasing trends.

Right now, as heavy music swings back toward raw, stripped-down authenticity, this record lands at exactly the right moment — not as a reaction, but as a reminder of where that sound came from.

Fans interested in tracking upcoming Darkthrone-related events or rare live appearances can find tickets here.

40 Years Deep And Still Digging In

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto are marking four decades since their early days as Black Death, and instead of reinventing the wheel, they’re reinforcing it.

Following 2024’s “It Beckons Us All,” this album sharpens their direction rather than expanding it.

“Prehistoric” isn’t nostalgia.

It’s philosophy.

Built On Riffs, Not Excess

Fenriz summed it up perfectly: “Frightfully barbaric but not without finesse.”

This is Darkthrone cutting out the excess:

• eight tracks
• tighter structures
• heavier emphasis on riffs

No wandering. No filler.

Just impact.

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A More Blurred Creative Process

This time around, the band leaned further into collaboration than ever before.

Who played what isn’t always clear — and that ambiguity actually strengthens the record.

It doesn’t sound like two individuals trading ideas.

It sounds like one cohesive force pushing in the same direction.

The Sound: A Distilled Form Of Metal

Pre-Historic Metal pulls from multiple corners:

• black metal roots
• thrash intensity
• doom weight
• traditional heavy metal groove

But it never feels scattered.

It comes off as refined without losing that raw edge.

The Title Track Sets The Standard

The newly released title track makes one thing obvious immediately:

This is a riff-driven album.

No overproduction. No polish for the sake of it.

Just loud guitars and forward momentum.

If this track is the entry point, the rest of the album is going to hit even harder.

If you’re following where heavy metal is heading right now, this is exactly the kind of record that’s worth keeping on your radar.

Track Listing For “Pre-Historic Metal”

• They Found One Of My Graves (05:17)
• Pre-Historic Metal (04:19)
• Siberian Thaw (06:45)
• Deeply Rooted (04:58)
• The Dry Wells Of Hell (06:12)
• So I Marched To The Sunken Empire (03:21)
• Eat Eat Eat Your Pride (04:51)
• Eon 4 (05:24)

Behind The Recording Process

The album was recorded at Chaka Khan Studios in Oslo, with production handled by Ole Øvstedal, Silje Høgevold, and Mads Luis.

Mastering was completed by Jack Control and Maor Appelbaum, ensuring the record keeps its raw character while still hitting with clarity.

Where Darkthrone Stand In 2026

At this stage, Darkthrone aren’t chasing relevance.

They define a lane of their own.

And this album feels like a tightening of everything they’ve built — less expansion, more precision.

So here’s the real question:

Do you want Darkthrone to evolve further — or is this exactly the version of them that should never change?

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FAQ

When Does Darkthrone’s “Pre-Historic Metal” Release?

May 8, 2026.

What Style Of Metal Is On “Pre-Historic Metal”?

A mix of black metal, thrash, doom, and traditional heavy metal with a raw, old-school sound.

Who Are The Members Of Darkthrone?

Fenriz and Nocturno Culto.

Is The Title Track Available Now?

Yes, the title track has been released along with an official video.

Darkthrone Band Bio

Darkthrone are one of the most influential extreme metal bands of all time. Formed in Norway in the 1980s under the name Black Death before evolving into Darkthrone, the duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto helped define second-wave black metal while later expanding their sound to include crust, doom, thrash, and traditional heavy metal.

Over time, Darkthrone became known not just for their foundational role in black metal history, but for refusing trends, ignoring commercial expectations, and following instinct above everything else. That refusal to compromise is a huge part of why the band still carries so much weight decades into its career.

The post Darkthrone Just Dropped “Pre-Historic Metal” Details And The Title Track Hits Hard appeared first on Loaded Radio.

It's their first album since Scott Kelly quit the band and retired from music after admitting to abuse. Continue reading…

Judging from the "for starters!!!" note, more dates will be added to Nugent's summer concert plans. Continue reading…

Today, we get a new surprise album that’s an actual no-shit surprise. In 2022, Scott Kelly, frontman of the legendary long-running underground metal band Neurosis, admitted to abusing his wife and children and wrote that he’s “100% permanently retired from being a professional musician.” In response, Kelly’s Neurosis bandmates expressed their “disgust and disappointment” with…

The post Neurosis Share Surprise New Album With Isis’ Aaron Turner On Vocals appeared first on Stereogum.

In a move that’s caught the entire heavy music world off guard, the legendary Neurosis have broken a decade of silence. Today, the band surprise-dropped their fourteenth studio album, An Undying Love for a Burning World, marking a massive turning point in their long and storied history. This isn’t just a simple “we’re back” moment, … Continue reading Neurosis return with surprise new album ‘An Undying Love for a Burning World’

Ice Nine Kills have offered some new unexpected lore, set to feature in the brand new film Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come.

That comes in the form of a re-recorded version of a song by 80s hair-metal greats Grave Diggler, who, by chance, are actually the fathers of all the members of INK.

Brought to the forefront by directing duo Radio Silence, responsible for Scream (2022) and Scream VI, as well as the upcoming sequel Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come, the song serves as a reminder of the influence that the band had on the scene back in the day, whilst also allowing Spencer Charnas to heal some longstanding wounds.

The result is ‘Hell Of High Slaughter’, a pitch-perfect blend of driving riffs, angelic vocals and debauched intentions. It is everything that was sensational about hard rock and glam metal in the past, slotting perfectly into today’s sounds. As much a time capsule as it is a thrilling look behind the curtain, you’re going to be shaking your hips and craving a double Jack and Coke before you know it.

Spencer explains, “I’ve been estranged from my father for a long time. But this movie, and this song, while bringing a lot of complicated feelings to the surface, also brought us back together.”

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is out in cinemas right now. Go and see it.

This is the second time in as many months that Ice Nine Kills have played a part in the music of a motion picture. They joined forces with Scream VII star Mckenna Grace for the stunning ‘Twisting The Knife’, which sounds a lot like this:

The post Ice Nine Kills Share New Hair Metal Epic ‘Hell or High Slaughter (Grave Diggler: Pt. 2)’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

Good Day Noir Family,
Chandra’s “Boom” opens with a rhythm that feels almost tribal, grounded yet restless. The percussion sets a pulse that draws you in, and then a melody emerges with an exotic hue.

Boom is Chandra’s Single Out Now

 The overall atmosphere brought to mind the spirit of Toto’s Africa—not in direct melodic reference, but in the sense of travel and distant horizons that the track evokes. There’s a nostalgic breeze running through it, subtle but persistent.

I’ve followed this band for a while, and this single stands out as a particularly strong release. The guitars move in long, sustained chords, letting notes ring and breathe as they support the central melody. The rhythm section drives forward relentlessly, creating forward motion without sacrificing nuance. That tension between steadiness and expansion gives “Boom” its identity.

The layering of voices adds depth. Lead vocals and backing harmonies overlap with intention, forming melodic textures that feel rich yet controlled. The arrangement never feels crowded; instead, each layer has its place. The energy builds naturally. The structure feels deliberate, guiding the listener step by step through its evolving landscape.

Around the 2:30 mark, the track enters a hypnotic bridge. A repeated phrase anchors this section, generating tension through subtle insistence. The repetition works effectively, tightening the atmosphere before the final release. Then, when the song launches into its closing stretch, the momentum feels earned rather than abrupt.

The production enhances the track’s sense of movement. The balance between rhythmic drive and melodic flow remains consistent throughout. Even the final whistle acts as a playful signature, a small but memorable detail that leaves a smile at the end.

In essence, “Boom” captures both wanderlust and reflection. Chandra blends rhythmic intensity with melodic grace. It’s an accomplished and engaging release that I highly recommend.

Boom is Chandra’s Single Out Now!

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Vibrant!

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Chandra is a power pop and alternative rock band known for bright guitars, big choruses, and uplifting melodies. Their sound blends the anthemic energy of Imagine Dragons and The Killers with the melodic style of Fountains of Wayne.

Fronted by vocalist Chandra Nair, praised by Muse Chronicle as “one of the best vocalists of modern times,” the band creates energetic songs about resilience and hope. Their single “Winners” helped grow their audience, contributing to 200k+ streams and 2,000+ radio plays worldwide.

The band features Chandra Nair (vocals, guitar), Mike Paul (lead guitar), and Chris Wong (bass) and continues to release new music regularly.

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Find Chandra Here:

Spotify
Instagram
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The post Boom is Chandra’s Single Out Now appeared first on Edgar Allan Poets – Noir Rock Band.

Jim Cork describes Crash Of Rhinos as the ultimate democracy, with an obvious “for better or worse” caveat. “We’ve always had this thing where if one single person isn’t happy with any element, we scrap that part of the song or we scrap that song entirely or we don’t do that show,” he explains, which…

The post Crash Of Rhinos Are Back With A New Album After 13 Years, And They Told Us All About It appeared first on Stereogum.

And they enlisted numerous guests to pull it off.

The post Ice Nine Kills’ Go Glam As ‘Grave Diggler” With Their “Hell Or High Slaughter” Music Video appeared first on Theprp.com.

Greetings, Decibel readers!

It’s a great week for fans of death metal, as four of the albums below basically run on that old-faithful engine of blood, fire, and guts. As for the exception, well. I make no apologies for my loyalty to early-2000s metalcore. So you’ll just have to deal with it.

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Egregore – It Echoes in the Wind

Bands like Egregore are doing important work out there. In blending recognizable forms within an atmosphere of chaos, they attempt to find new ways forward for extreme metal. This is evident from the immediate impact the music makes on you. Sure, there’s death metal in there, a fair amount of black metal (especially first wave), and some doom metal with the guitar tones — but there’s lots of odd techy and thrashy moments too. You’re never quite sure where the music is going to go next, but it’s also not boring or self-indulgent. Think of Morbus Chron if they really loved early Bathory, Coroner, Candlemass and maybe even some Leviathan-era Mastodon (listen to the title track, you’ll hear it there).

Stream: Apple Music

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Hautajaisyö – Surun Paino

Classic Finnish death metal craftsmanship. It’s a style that never really gets old, especially when it’s done with riffs like this. Check out “Kasvoton Kuljettaja” to hear what this band is capable of. Death metal like this needs to bring the crushing grooves, but also requires an ear for memorability and catchy hooks. You’ll want to hit the repeat button on this record.

Stream: Apple Music

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Poison the Well – Peace in Place

It’s been a long time. In the 17 years since the last Poison the Well album, the style they pioneered has been on a perilous journey — from the hypercommercialization of the Rise Records era, the hollowed-out guitar tones borrowed from djent, and the homogenized arena-rock-aspiring dreck that followed. But in recent years, younger bands have rediscovered the raw, punishing, and emotionally resonant spirit of the late 90s and early 2000s. And so the time is ripe for a return. How fitting that the band is set to hit the road with Converge. On Peace In Place, the band displays all the stylistic hallmarks that made them legends back in the day. However, this record also feels like a fresh progression of that style, and not a cynical retread of their first three records. In that way, it takes a moment to let the sound sink in. But once “Primal Bloom” pops off and “Everything Hurts” has its way with you, it all starts to make sense. It’s a powerful, engaging, and deadly serious record. All these years later, their eyes still paralyze us.

 Stream: Apple Music

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Putred – Blestemul din Adânc

From our full album stream, a quote from the band:

“This album is a manifestation of everything Putred stands for. No polished sound, no comfort, just a wall of sound pushed until it starts to rot. The album moves slowly and violently, dragging the listener into its own nauseating pace. The best way to describe it is as a mix between the brutality and aggression of Repulsie Post-Mortem and the grandiosity of Megalit Al Putrefacției; this time, the sound production feels more natural and organic.”

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Gutvoid – Liminal Shrines

The sound of fiery devastation. This is the Toronto-based quartet’s second full-length album, and follows up 2024’s Breathing Obelisk EP. The band’s style holds equal appeal for fans of off-putting, dissonant death metal and for devotees of cavernous, unrelenting darkness.

Stream: Apple Music

The post Five For Friday: March 20, 2026 appeared first on Decibel Magazine.