First-class black metal from the countrymen of MARDUK and DARK FUNERAL. But let me immediately note the first advantage our today's "defendants" have. With their corpse paint alone, THY PRIMORDIAL outclassed their compatriots and colleagues. They didn't try to carefully line their eyes and mouth with black paint -- they simply splashed it on their faces and let it drip freely. And the black metal on The Crowning Carnage clearly isn't trying to compete for the title of "rawest sound." We're greeted by blurred black metal guitars that never devolve into mindless buzzing, a tight rhythm section, and a bass drum that almost never falls silent. At times the speed drops and a cleaner, more precise guitar becomes audible; the material grows more measured, enveloped in northern grandeur. All in all, THY PRIMORDIAL deliver something midway between IMMORTAL and EMPEROR (minus the keyboard section). The closing track "Destroying The Idea Of A God" is of great interest, incorporating industrial elements that bring the music close to ABORYM. An excellent effort for fans of engaging black metal that doesn't veer off in one direction or another!
