Review by Jeger on July 23, 2024.

In 2015, a coven from out of Germany’s Black Forest region emerged, and onto the European black metal circuit they made their way as bearers of the torch for Satanism, students of philosophy and tellers of myth. Upon the sixth year of their scourge of Germany, Thron released their 2021 opus, Pilgrim, and as it began to circulate throughout the international black metal scene, people began to understand just how larger-than-life the genre of black metal can be. Now, in the wake of plague and upon the cusp of a new Dark Age we stand with only the comfort of faded memories to remind us of the civilization we once were. On March 31, 2024 Thron released their fourth LP, Dust, upon the decline we call now.

Almost an hour’s worth of epic black metal - rich and compositionally on another level, yet grounded enough for one to be able to wrap his head around. With Dust, Thron wage mushroom cloud-level warfare upon all five senses. Warring guns revved; spitting rapid-fire blast-beats and machine gun double bass patterns as the bodies begin to drop with 'Dying In The Mud'. Some brutal God Dethroned worship paired with Dark Fortress-level compositional savvy to set the tone for your awakening into the reality of our fast-encroaching end. And with all proper Satanic fanfare to follow: 'The True Belief' and 'The Golden Calf' playing out at a deadly take-some-time-to-smell-the-blood-in-the-air tempo and in homage to self, freedom & sin.

There’s more of a straight black metal feel to Dust when compared to Thron’s previous album; a bit more loathsome and lot more misanthropic. Great mysteries to be solved, but only through our extinction, and profound truths to be learned, but only in our final moments of life - philosophy the defining concept of this album but also the snares of human psychology and emotion. The bleakest of visceral landscapes are explored in 'The Eve' and the merciless, innocence-destroying nature of mankind is revealed in 'Face Of Despair'. Every fearless excursion into each one of these treacherous yet enlightening thematic corridors is illuminated by the clarity of SAMCA’s refined vocal contribution along with an overall air of crispness in product and a precise balance in mixing.

Dust is a labyrinthine compositional journey into some of the most hopeless musical environments imaginable. It’s a profound volume that challenges its listener to face the oft-hid from corners of both our individual and collective psyches. And the black metal that soundtracks this experience is of the finest quality: artful, contemporary, epic and deadly. The human curse will soon be lifted from this world as we spiral deeper and deeper into the insanity of self-destruction. A failed experiment finally put out of its misery, but not before it leaves its hideous scars upon once-nourishing earthen soil. Dust is a farewell; a siren song to see us all on our way as we march knowingly into our own self-made Armageddon. Thron are back… and to dust it shall all soon turn…

rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Michael on March 27, 2023.

The southern German black metal combo Thron caused quite a stir in 2021 with their album Pilgrim, which was flawless black metal to a point where some said band like Dissection couldn't have composed it better. Now the guys are back with their fourth studio album Dust. The question is: did they continue where they left off or has the band developed further? (Whereby further development can often be a synonym for disappointment).

Dust begins very classically with 'Dying In The Mud' and also the following song 'Return' poaches quite properly with Dissection and shows clearly the roots of the band. This is already a solid basis to continue the album successfully.
But wait, what is this? In the third song 'The True Belief' some unusual stylistic elements actually creep into the music. For example, 'The True Belief' starts off quite rocking and with a certain dramaturgy. The guitars are unusually catchy and in the further course also kept very quiet at first - Tribulation or maybe Cloak have also done similar things in their recent past. However, in the further course of the song it falls into the usual black metal frenzy, but you can still notice a certain change in style. Also 'Into Oblivion' goes in parts into the same direction. Airy guitars that spread a certain lightness and go hand in hand with icy black metal sounds and spread an oppressive atmosphere.

If you as an unbiased listener should take a song that sums up the album well as a sample, it is definitely 'Martyr', because here you really find everything from quiet passages, over highly melodic parts to the darkest frenzy, what makes the band.
However, the quartet has created the über-song par excellence, which creates an almost epic atmosphere, with 'The Tyranny Of I'. Dense, driving riffs determine the beginning of the song, again with strong parallels to Dissection, but suddenly the tempo is taken out and with the keyboards the band creates an incredibly spherical aura that gives the listener goose bumps. In addition, the absolutely fatalistic lyrics:

"Our Curse Is Existence
We're Prisoned By Our Fate
Our Curse Is Existence
From The Womb To The Grave"

There are no questions left unanswered. Also very interesting lyrics can be found in 'The Wrong God', which again starts very melodic and slightly ponderous, not unlike old Paradise Lost albums, but then transforms into a casual mid-tempo stomper. Here, too, the nihilistic aspect is clearly in the foreground in the lyrics and makes the song interesting not only musically.

Apart from the 11 songs, of which not a single one has a drop in quality to show, the production is also a completely round thing, in which one can find no fault. What is there to criticize then? Right, nothing. Album of the year? Maybe. Paving the way for greater fame? Probably. Did the band deserve it? Definitely.

Rating: 10 out of 10