Achren – The Forgotten King

It seems that 2011 was finally Achren’s year. Not only has it seen the blood metallers take the stage at Metalcamp, Wacken and Bloodstock but, after eight long years, it saw the release of their debut album. Still, some things are worth waiting for and, in an age of deathcore mediocrity, this refreshingly old-school melting pot of double-kickdrum and eye-wateringly vicious soloing couldn’t be arriving at a better time.

Lying fundamentally within the death metal sphere of sound, there are more than a few shades of classic Darkthrone going on, from the aggressive punk riffing of Fury of the Northmen to Scott Anderson’s frequent to-and-froing between guttural barks and a harsh screech worthy of Loki himself. Undoubtedly, the most credit has to go to Anderson and Callum Kirk’s dual guitar onslaught, their buzz strategically toeing the line between technicality and aggression while delivering solos that, at their best, could be termed ‘classic’. Long may this king’s reign continue.