Norwegian black metal legends DARKTHRONE have released "The Fist In The Face Of God," a massive limited-edition 40th anniversary box set via Peaceville Records that stands as perhaps the most comprehensive document of one of extreme metal's most important bands. The deluxe 10-disc vinyl collection, limited to just 2,000 copies worldwide, covers the band's pure black metal era from 1992's genre-defining "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" through 2004's "Sardonic Wrath" — a period that fundamentally reshaped underground metal.
The set features freshly remastered audio by Patrick Engel at Temple of Disharmony, widely regarded as one of the finest mastering engineers working in extreme music. Each album has been pressed on 180-gram vinyl with restored original artwork, and the collection includes a 48-page hardbound book featuring rare photos from the band's personal archives, extensive liner notes by journalist Dayal Patterson (author of "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult"), and reflections from Fenriz and Nocturno Culto on the creation of each record.
A DVD accompanies the set, featuring a new interview with both members — a rarity given Fenriz's legendary aversion to public appearances — plus rare 1996 Oslo live footage from one of DARKTHRONE's vanishingly few concert performances. The box set also includes posters, art prints, and a certificate of authenticity. Albums spanning from "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" through "Transilvanian Hunger," "Panzerfaust," and into the later works represent a catalog that influenced countless bands from WATAIN to WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM. At a retail price of approximately $250, the set has already sold through its initial allocation at several major retailers.