DARKTHRONE - Preparing For War CD

This album was released to commemorate the 10 year existence of the band. Containing their 'greatest hits' and some previously unreleased demo tracks. The CD collect tracks from the first four albums of the band, including Soulside Journey, which is represented here by "Grave With a View", "Cromlech" and "Iconoclasm Sweeps Cappadocia". "The Pagan Winter" and "In the Shadow of the Horns" from A Blaze in the Northern Sky are present, as are "Natassja in Eternal Sleep" and the title track of Under a Funeral Moon. Transilvanian Hunger gets three offerings: the title track, "I En Hall Med Flesk Og Mjød", and "Skald Av Satans Sol". All good choices, but you've already heard them... Far more interesting would be the inclusion of "Snowfall" from the New Dimension demo (1988), a 9+ minute instrumental composed of doom, death and thrash/crossover rhythms over Gylve's drumming. It's essentially a rehearsal track, so one cannot expect much in terms of sound, yet it does develop some decent melodies and it's not bad for background noise. "Archipelago" from the 1989 Thulcandra demo is also present, a raw death metal track with a heavy Hellhammer and Slayer influence, and wild vocals that range from great grunts to the off resonant, silly snarl. Another treat is the inclusion of some live material from one of the band's only appearances in Oslo, 1989. The band performs "Eon/Thulcandra" and "Soria Moria". There is another live rendition of "Neptune Towers" here which rounds out the disc, and this is pretty fucking excellent and the best thing on it.