From the depths of the past arises this excellent edition of Darkthrone’s A Blaze In The Northern Sky, which still remains one of the most precious monuments of black metal history. Included is an extra DVD disc with Fenriz and Nocturno Culto explaining the role of the album, its musical attitude, their inspirations…In other words the bonus DVD contains a short documentary where Fenriz and N.C. tell us what we already know from Until The Light Takes Us and from their countless interviews in magazines and videos. I can’t say I was surprised the first time I saw this edition, but I feel really stupid for not choosing something else on the list of what I was offered to review.

There is not much difference in the sound of the album [well it would have been a bit criminal to re-master it Pete]. It starts with Kathaarian Life Code, the classic black obscurity of the Norwegian sound, followed by the famous In the Shadow of the Horns and Paragon Belial, which still electrifies my brain, every time I listen to this song.  It remains as it is. A timeless, grim and dark pioneer of Norwegian and worldwide Black metal.

If you already own any other edition of this album, I ensure you, do not attempt to buy it again, it is just not worth it. If not however it is a great chance for you to pick it up and collect it but there’s nothing much to see because the bonus disc is mediocre and repetitive. I see Mr Fenriz likes publicity, I still have faith in Darkthrone but this has to stop. Enough with the explanations about black metal or what Darkthrone did in the past. It is useless and time wasting. We know everything by what we heard in the past, as we saw and listened to them countless times before. Like publicity much? Do a fuckin concert and stop the explanations old man. The end. I was really expecting much from the CD but…meh.

Excluding the uselessness of the DVD, Blaze… remains the most essential release of all times and surely remains on my top 10 list.

(9/10 the album  4/10 the extras Dionysios Mantid)

https://www.burningshed.com/store/peaceville/product/261/4167/