Thron’ is a Russian black metal band that has, to my knowledge, not been involved in the terrorist activities of Black Metal Brotherhood. Yet, they do not belong to the opposite commercial faction with bands like Satarial, either. Thron’ plays fast, aggressive, semi-technical black metal that reminds me of Abigor and Setherial, with a multitude of romantic elements spicing it up. Thankfully, this album never becomes cheesy with it’s female vocals, acoustic guitars and piano interludes (there is even a violin in the song "My Moonfaced Empress"). The backbone of the music is strictly violent black metal and holds the music together for the whole length of this record.

Their melodic sense and romanticism is evident in songs as the title track, but yet there is also an understanding of grim unaesthetic black metal. The Norwegian-sounding fuzz in the guitars and the screaming theatrical vocals remind positively of Emperor’s "In the Nightside Eclipse". "ITNE" was a classic show of an ability to build a coherent work from the clash between romanticism and pure evil, without either one of the elements diluting the another. "Seductions of the Unbaptized Darkness" nearly reaches that level. Keyboards are used much more sparingly here. The ferocious blasting drumming might have been executed by Bard Faust.

This album is not very original or progressive. It is, however, solid and well-done. The theme here is the primal forces of nature and while I prefer Ildjarn for natural inspiration, this album does the moon-werewolf-winter cliches better than most of the trendier goth-influenced competition.

© 1999 black hate