Band:	Darkthrone
Album:	The Cult Is Alive
Style:	Crust punk, Black metal
Release date:	February 2006

01. The Cult Of Goliath
02. Too Old, Too Cold
03. Atomic Coming
04. Graveyard Slut
05. Underdogs And Overlords
06. Whisky Funeral
07. De Underjordiske (Ælia Capitolina)
08. Tyster På Gud
09. Shut Up
10. Forebyggende Krig

Two years only after the release of "Sardonic Wrath", Darkthrone is back with its new awaited release, "The Cult Is Alive". And this time, the band is doing a big turnover with a radical change of its musical orientation. Now, we cannot only talk about Black Metal, because now, Darkrthone plays something a lot more original (and tricky too), a mix of Thrash, Punk and Black Metal. Some of you will hate it? some others (like me) will love it. Be ready for the Black/Thrash attack !!!

I know, "The Cult Is Alive" isn't a pure Black Metal release. Like their mates of Aura Noir, Darkthrone plays now a mix between Black, Punk and Thrash Metal. This excellent recipe will probably be something great for the guys, like me, who are a bit bored (who know why?) by the numerous new basic Black Metal albums that we can find in our shops every week. Evidently, I understand that a lot of you were waiting for a good old Black Metal release but if you just think about it, Darkthrone has nothing to prove now, and it's good to see that they still have the balls to do something original, something new.

Yes, with "The Cult Is Alive" they're taking a lot of risks, because a lot of people will complain of the result. But hey, if you just think about it two minutes, they're not doing Pop music. As always their lyrics are really thrashy, agressive and the Rock "n" Roll spirit of the music is just excellent. Oki, this is not Black Metal and you have the right to be disappointed (and in any way I will say that you're wrong) but "The Cult Is Alive" is, in my opinion, a good old album of dark and obscure Thrash and I love this spirit.

Honestly, don't take this review like if it was the words of the messiah. I'm just a fan of this side of Black Metal, and well evidently, in reason of the quality of this release (in the style of course) I won't say that it is a bad album. But yes, if you want some pure Black Metal, don't expect a lot of things from the "Cult Is Alive". But hey, have a look on it at least, I'm sure that some of you will like it, and anyway the "spirit" is still there, believe me?

All in all, I know that a lot of purists will be disappointed by this release. Yes, they're not doing anymore some pure old school Black Metal and on a side I can understand that some of you will be disappointed by "The Cult Is Alive" but on the other hand, Darkthrone is just doing a big fuck off to the scene and personally I love this Thrash/Punk attitude and I'm sure that I'm not the only one. Only one word can describe this album, and you all know it? Rock "n" Roll?