Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade [1992]

Where do you go after releasing three awesome albums in a row? Do you stick with what brought you to the forefront and risk being labeled as generic or repetitive? Or do you take an even bigger risk and tweak your sound? Well, this question is pretty irrelevant when the band you're in happens to be Bolt Thrower. "The IVth Crusade" isn't a departure from their normal sound, in fact you could say they took a step back. The band's previous full-length "War Master" saw them at their most savage since "In Battle There Is No Law!" and it also saw the band lose that doomy guitar tone. On this record, however, that sound returns and so does the crushing mid-paced massacre that was found on "Realm of Chaos."

One of the main reasons that "War Master" was such a flawless album was because of the drums. The double bass pedals resembled heavy artillery machine guns and added a lot of heaviness and speed. On this record, the drums aren't as much of a stand-out, but there are still plenty of great fills that add to the overall heaviness of "The IVth Crusade." Karl Willets' trend of heavy vocals continues here and I can't think of a better vocalist for this war-themed troop. The solos are also great and much like the ones on "War Master" they stray away from the Slayer worship and fit the music beautifully. It's little things like this that add to the epic sound on this record. Remember people, it's the little things that matter.

As mentioned earlier, this is Bolt Thrower's most epic album yet. The songs are all relatively longer, heavier and more doomy. Just listen to the intros on the title track and "This Time It's War." Extremely heavy powerchords with some melodic tendencies always fit the mold for an epic feel. The doom elements also appear later on in some songs like "Spearhead" and "Celestial Sanctuary." But Bolt Thrower never overdoes it with the slower parts and they always manage to keep the listener interested by mixing in assortments of death metal style tremolo bursts or headbang-friendly mid-maced riffs. 

Once again, Bolt Thrower provides us with another masterpiece and continues to prove why they are the greatest death metal band to ever grace this earth. While this album may not be as strong as it's predecessor, there is no reason why anyone who's enjoyed the band's previous work can't enjoy this one. 

Highlights

"The IVth Crusade"

"Where Next to Conquer"

"Ritual"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.1/10]

Bolt Thrower - War Master [1991]

Bolt Thrower absolutely needed to deliver nothing short of a masterpiece with their third full-length "War Master." After releasing two awesome albums, there's definitely a lot of pressure to make something memorable, but there's even more pressure when the album is being released in 1991, which is quite possibly the greatest year for death metal releases ever. Classic albums like "Mental Funeral," "Like An Ever Flowing Stream," "Into the Grave," "Clandestine," "The Ten Commandments" and several others were all released in the same year. Luckily for Bolt Thrower, they released not only their best album, but a flawless death metal record to be cherished until the end of time. 

Everything about this album is amazing. Karl Willetts' vocals are just as destructive, if not more, than on the first two records. When he bellows "CENOTAPH!" at the beginning of the song with the same name, it sends chills down your spine. The bass is also extremely heavy and plays a vital part in the overall sound, which by the way, is heavier than a cinder block smashing your skull. One of the more surprising improvements on this album was the solos. Bolt Thrower went from the very Slayer-esque solo style to coherent and rather memorable solos that fit perfectly with the songs here. But the real show-stealer here is Andrew Whale's performance behind the kit. Every time the double bass pedal hits, it's almost as if a shot is being fired by a cannon off in the warzone. 

Of course I'd be a fool to not mention all of the riffs. On the band's previous effort "Realm of Chaos," we saw Bolt Thrower downtune their axes and we felt each doom-laden riff and every bone-vibrating chug. On "War Master," though, the band must have started listening to the American death metal bands because they tuned their guitars back up and found a much sharper tone similar to Death or Morbid Angel, only Bolt Thrower's sound was a lot heavier. Despite the less doomy tone, the songs here are even more doomy than before. That may sound idiotic, but once you listen to the intro of "Profane Creation" or the first verse of "Cenotaph" you will understand. One of the best parts about the band's decision to doom it the fuck up, is that it makes the faster moments seem even faster, especially when the thunderous double bass pedals are following suit. 

This is easily Bolt Thrower's best work. "War Master" retains the doomy essence of "Realm of Chaos" but also has the aggression and relentlessness of "In Battle There Is No Law!" There isn't a single weak track here either. Every song could make a death metal "Greatest Hits" collection and everyone could be the soundtrack to a medieval battle. In other words, this album is perfect.

Highlights

"Afterlife"

"Cenotaph"

"War Master"

Final Rating

Perpetual Endless Torment[10/10]

Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos (Slaves to Darkness) [1989]

Take a look at that album cover. The new logo and awesome "Warhammer" artwork look nothing like the cover of the band's debut album, so one has to wonder if the band even sounds the same. Well, not really. Sometime after "In Battle There Is No Law!" was released, Bolt Thrower must have gone on a doom metal binge, because "Realm of Chaos (Slaves to Darkness)" is way heavier than the band's previous full-length. The sound here is a perfect bridge between the US death metal bands and the Swedish death metal bands (Who would later release their first full-lengths). Bolt Thrower didn't play at 200 mph and riddle their music with blast beats, nor did they possess a chainsaw guitar tone backed by d-beats. They had their own sound, and what a glorious sound it was. 

As mentioned earlier, Bolt Thrower decided to slow things down. They went from wicked fast riffs on "In Battle There Is No Law!" to some crushing, mid-paced madness on this record, and the transition was amazing. Every single track on this album has at least one riff or moment that will get the listener's headbanging, with "World Eater" being my choice for maximum whiplash. It isn't just the riffs that make this album though, but the groove that is created from the guitar tone and tempo. The tone isn't as thick as Entombed's, but it's plenty heavy and a lot more doomy. Simply put, if you don't find at least one instance where your head is bobbing uncontrollably, you are a false and may not entry. 

Bolt Thrower didn't completely abandon their inner speed junkie, but they effectively mixed the faster riffs with the slower ones and they did so flawlessly. "Through the Eye of Terror" and "Lost Souls Domain" are great examples of this. One minute you're enjoying the mid-paced mayhem and the next, Bolt Thrower decides to channel their inner Slayer and your neck will thank you later. 

There aren't any complaints that can really be made about this album. It's one of the heaviest albums ever recorded and has a great mix to please just about everyone. Now quit being a pansy and put on your big boy/gal pants, grab your preferred alcoholic beverage, put the album on and proceed to damage your neck. 

Highlights

"World Eater"

"Lost Souls Domain"

"Eternal War"

Final Rating

Masterpiece [9.2/10]

Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law [1988]

Debut albums by legendary metal bands are always a tricky bunch when it comes to judging them, especially when looking back at the albums years after they were released. In some cases it can be the band's best work, their worst or it could just be an average album. So what about "In Battle There Is No Law!" the debut album of death metal legends, Bolt Thrower? An album that showcases the band at their most raw and primitive state (Not counting demos of course). Well, before the answer to that question, an even more important one. Is this album even a pure death metal album? 

Bolt Thrower is of course a death metal band, but "In Battle There Is No Law!" is definitely not a pure death metal album, but more of a metalpunk or grind album. While death metal pioneers in the US, like Death and Possessed were creating their brand of death metal based on their love of thrash bands like Slayer, Kreator, and Dark Angel, Bolt Thrower was worshiping Discharge and other punk bands that roamed the UK at the time. The songs on this record are definitely more likely to be found on a Napalm Death or Repulsion album than a Morbid Angel or Obituary one. The classic death metal tremolos aren't present for the most part, but instead ridiculously intense riffs being pushed by punk-driven beats. 

Now, for the actual music. This record is pretty damn fast throughout, with some headbanging, mid-paced moments placed in the perfect spots.The album kicks off with the track "Attack in the Aftermath," which is one of the better songs on there. A cool drum intro starts the track and is followed by some power chords that resemble a lot of punk bands at the time (The tone), before being launched into blistering solos and fast riffs, accompanied by Karl Willets' savage vocals. This, more or less, is pretty much the description of all nine tracks on the record. Nothing but nontechnical solos, headbang inducing mid-paced riffs, great drumming, extremely fast riffs and a heavy vocal assault, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Back to the original question. Is Bolt Thrower's debut album their best, worst or is it somewhere in the middle? Well, there's no such thing as a bad Bolt Thrower album, but this one is definitely not their worst, but it isn't their best either. One thing is for sure though, this album was just the beginning of what would become the best overall death metal discography ever. 

Highlights 

"Attack in the Aftermath"

"Concession of Pain"

"In Battle There Is No Law"

Final Rating

Awesome [8.4/10]