ALBUM REVIEW: A Throne Of Ash – This Gift Is A Curse
For as long as metal has existed there has been this healthy competition to be the most heavy, the most extreme, the most evil. Be it VENOM‘s Satanic-leaning worship, the infamous actions of Norway’s black metal scene or simply writing riffs so heavy they could level a building, this competition exists at the core of metal. Sweden’s THIS GIFT IS A CURSE have been forging their brand of musical hatred for some time now and with A Throne Of Ash, their third studio outing, they are sure as hell gunning for the throne.
A melting pot of black metal, sludge, hardcore and crust, A Throne Of Ash is a cross-pollinating record that is as suffocating as it is intoxicating, this is the spawn of something truly evil and it is one punishing listen. The industrial tones of Hæma open the record, conjuring a sinister atmosphere, before the band unleash chaos with Blood Is My Harvest. Here, riffs laced with a blackened edge from guitarists David Deravian and Patrik Andersson dominate proceedings whilst Jonas A. Holmberg‘s deranged and shrieking vocals howl above the storm. It’s a menacing start to the record and grips you by the throat throughout.
If you expect the band to loosen their collective chokehold then you are mistaken. As A Throne Of Ash continues, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE only continue to up the ferocity, pummelling you from every angle with their musical brand of hellfire. Thresholds, one of the more groove-orientated tracks on the record, boasts some of the best guitar work on the album as the hypnotising dual riffing carries the weight of the track whilst also demonstrating what an asset Deravian has become since he came into the fold in 2016. Placed perfectly after the blistering Gate Dweller, Monuments For Dead Gods is a more reserved bout of bleakness, showing that THIS GIFT IS A CURSE are far from a one dimensional band. Although their approach to creating a vicious and unrelenting soundscape is consistent across the duration of the record, the band’s willingness to adapt the pacing and structure of the songs on offer is top draw, as a result creating a record that only gets more sinister the move you dive in. With Monuments For Dead Gods, the band opt for a sustained and building mood. Eerie guitar work unfolds around a solid bass-line from Lars Gunnarsson before the band unleash aural hell creating a truly petrifying conclusion. It’s one of the highlights of the album.
We’ve already touched upon the band’s clever use of pacing and fusion of varying musical styles, but as A Throne Of Ash enters the latter stages of its run-time, THIS GIFT IS A CURSE continue to swirl their sonic maelstrom in an intriguing yet terrifying way. Wolvking‘s subtle use of drone atmospherics helps push the atmosphere right to the front whilst I Am Katharsis‘ incorporation of elements found in hardcore makes the band’s metallic edge all the more sharp. Even finale track, the sprawling and hulking behemoth Wormwood Star, adopts an almost post-metal structure, making the final moments of the record feel fresh. Completely organic and never feeling forced, the sound that THIS GIFT IS A CURSE have forged is incredibly impressive.
If there is one thing to take away from A Throne Of Ash is that this record throws you into a vortex of misery and refuses you to come up for breath. It is abrasive and enthralling, but this also comes at a price. The record is utterly draining, one in which can take its toll with every successive listen. The claustrophobic environment THIS GIFT IS A CURSE conjure is exhilarating but it can be dense and only fully appreciated if you are in the right frame of mind. This is just a niggling criticism, but it does beckon the question how often you are willing to dive back into the void.
A Throne Of Ash is a tough experience. The nightmarish, bleak and, at times, downright horrifying soundscape the band have presented here is not for the fainthearted, even those with the thickest musical skins may find repeated listens difficult to withstand. That being said, when the mood is right, diving into the murky world of THIS GIFT IS A CURSE is an utterly gripping experience, one in which demonstrates a band who have found their creative zenith. It’s a mentally exhausting time, but if you want to experience the musical equivalent of bleakness, you can’t go wrong with A Throne Of Ash.
Rating: 8/10
A Throne of Ash is out now via Season of Mist.
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