Thenn-Threshing the Golden Fields EP (2012)

Thenn is named after a geographical location and a tribe in George R.R. Martin's epic Song of Ice and Fire series. The geographical location is an icebound valley far to the north of The Wall, which guards the realm of humans against the Others (read the books, I don't have time to explain). The tribe is a group of savage, Bronze Age folk similar to the Picts or maybe the Celts, who wear bronze scale armor and worship their king, the Magnar, as a god.

Got that? Good, 'cause it tells you a lot you need to know about the music Thenn plays. That would, of course, be heavy black metal with a singer who sounds like a cannibalistic Orc or, well, Thenn. Brooding guitar sludge and downtuned bridges alternate with soaring solos flying on the wings of dragons, and all the while, that Orc is gnashing his teeth in anticipation of human flesh. Thenn's songs are more dynamic than a lot of the stuff I hear from this genre: the songs have distinct sections, and although they run into each other, that's the point, isn't it? Thenn does a great job of tapering their raging verses off into false stops, only to come charging back with blastbeats and epic, swooping guitar misery. Here comes the Magnar of Thenn again!

Wallow in frigid lakes of gushing blood HERE.