Claim The Throne formed in 2005 and hail from Perth, Western Australia. They are comprised of folk and melodic death metal. In December 2010 they released their album, ‘Triumph And Beyond’ which I have for review today. After their support opportunity for the Finntroll Australian tour, I came to appreciate this band. Knowing what to expect, I shall pour myself a beer and hold it high as I now indulge in the sounds of Claim The Throne.
Conquer, Trounce, Vanquish – The sounds of the ocean lure us into this track. This is shortly accompanied by an acoustic guitar rhythm and an orchestra of distortion, which slowly fades in to the track. It is atmospheric and prepares you for what is to come. A vocal chant enters, then at the end of this song is somewhat of an encouraging speech to take us into the next track.
They Shall Live On – We are led straight into this track with the roll of drums and an explosion of sound. The melodic rhythms force you to surrender to its captivating charm. There are both death and clean vocals amidst this song and many oh’s and ah’s which make for great audience participation. There are also prominent piano / keyboard parts within here. The overall feel to this track is lively, fun and motivating. It is atmospheric and enriching to the ears.
“Lo, warriors, who stormed across the sea, Unleash your rage and fight with a bear’s fury, Oh, brothers, these beasts we shall defy, An alliance of noble men, Our wrath shall see them die...”
Through The Rage Of The Storm – This next track is more likely to get you on your feet with your beer in hand, prancing around in a state of folly. It is the second longest track on the album at 05:42 and mostly filled with a distorted arrangement of guitar, drums, death roars and keyboard melody. It ends with the ambient sounds of the Australian bush.
“Face to face, Sword to dark gesture, Here lies a man, Tainted by war, Creator of lore...”
Mystical Hermit Of The Woods – Straight into this next track with Australian soundscapes and what I think is a jawharp. This one is an acoustic track and more on the folk side of things. It is catchy and fun with a few basic sing-along parts for the listener to participate in. Claim The Throne are perfect for frolicking around a campfire; inebriated and full of energy.
“Dwelling fearless far from settled realms, Surrounded by animals, swords, staffs and helms, He has no need for riches or goods, For he is the mystical hermit of the woods...”
The Thousand Thunders – The pace picks up for this next one and rekindles the distortion. It’s a fairly quick track at 02:45 and fits a lot of lyric in to it. The vocals are 99% deathly and not easy to decipher, though there are lyrics to accompany the CD, so it makes it that much easier to understand. Though I hardly think anyone would be concentrating on them so much, as the music tends to overwhelm you and force you to thrash around in a cheerful frenzy.
“This sacred realm, With soils still lacking life, Possessions leading its demise...”
Triumph And Beyond – Here we have the title track for the album and the overall sound is much like when one is in a state of panic; scattered, distorted and harried. There are two respites during this song so one can stop and think and recollect their thoughts. Though, not for long as the journey must continue lest ye be slain. I should note the actual recording has been well engineered though the guitars and drums are so blended in with each other it is hard to concentrate on the one instrument. For this style of music though, it works well. The melody and rhythms are the prominent aspect and the thing which enraptures the listener the most.
“Like a boar he is hunted, The battlegrounds stalk him in the fields, It is peace he cannot let them take, So onwards he fights, That mighty battling boar...”
The Lake – This next song starts out with harmonic vocals; comprised of both male and female parts. It is an acoustic piece with the ambience of a trickling lake. The male vocals are not exactly soothing to the ear, but it is their raw aspect which makes this so entertaining; much like some of Bathory’s works. The female vocals are a beautiful addition to this song and truly give it that folk feel. It’s a cute little track and well placed on the album to ensure you remain in that folk music mode.
“Down the shimmerin’ lake, ‘Pon the sludgy earth, ‘Neath the glimmerin’ stars, Hear the water sing...”
Rat Infested Hut – We start out with the sounds of a rat and a woman’s screams. The music begins with the dramatic sounds of a piano with the distorted orchestra of guitars and drums soon to follow. The drums start out hammering away, whilst the guitars tear through a ruckus melody. It slows only for a moment before the storm continues. The entire song is an attack on the senses amidst an atmospheric epitome. This track ends with a chanting crowd.
“Settled in a covert cavern, It’s clandestine and sheltered here, Far below immoral deeds, Transpiring on the ground up there, Seeking for a conspiracy, A crafty plot to regain our home, Intuitions halt the discourse, We are not alone...”
Two Pints Of Honey And A Barrel Full Of Beer – One can only gather from the title that this is a drinking song and that assumption would be correct. This is an upbeat folk frenzy which goes for only one minute and twenty three seconds. Due to its hasty nature, I would refer this as a ‘scull your drink’ song.
“Home again yon brothers of the land, Gather round those wooden chairs, And sing hand in hand, A long time we have been gone, And haven’t partied in a year, So let’s have two pints of honey and a barrel full of beer...”
The Sermon – Here we have what should be the last track on the album, though there are two bonus tracks to follow. It is a relatively short track at 02:57 and consists of an ambience of a mild storm with rainfall and strings. It is a fairly slow paced, instrumental track and would be a soothing way to end this album, however, we now move on to the bonus tracks.
Bonus Tracks
Words Of The Great Oak (re-recorded) - This is a very long track at 09:49 and starts out with the sounds of an accordion and acoustic guitar. The rest of the band soon enter and ultimately hammer their way through the piece. There is some nice lead guitar work in here before the vocals finally make an appearance at 02:19 in a deathly manner. At 05:30 there is an intermission with the sounds of a bar and people talking where the vocals become raw in dialogue again. The sound explosion returns at 06:44 and there is a sudden directional shift at 07:47 to keep you on your toes throughout this extended song.
Set Sail On Ale (acoustic) – The true finale for this album and it is as noted in the title, an acoustic track. It is of course a folk based track with both male and female vocals. It is foot tapping music and a refreshing way to end the album; much more suited especially in its lyric. At 01:58 the sounds of a bar invade the track to liven things up even more. The chorus is then sung by many a voice to close the track.
In essence, Claim The Throne have created a fun filled, melodic and deathly, folk metal album. Be wary though, as it might put you in the mood to break out the beer so it may be more suited to listening to when surrounded by many a friend. The CD I received is the in-store version and it is an excellent package. The covering is a glossy cardboard with a frenzied mob of warriors by a fire preparing to fight on the cover. Inside the sleeve are some caricatures representing the band members accordingly. Inside the actual cover is a slot for the booklet. Inside the booklet are all the lyrics except for the bonus tracks. In the centre of the booklet is a whole band picture. On the last two inner pages are all the thanks from each band member. On the back of the booklet is all the recording information. The CD itself bears a picture of a shield and looks pretty cool too. On the very back of the outer covering is a full track listing. I can’t imagine any metalheads not being able to appreciate this music, so do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy now! If you are for some reason sceptical, then check out the links below and discover Claim The Throne for yourself.
LINKS
Claim The Throne Facebook
Claim The Throne Myspace
Claim The Throne YouTube
Prime Cuts Music
Soundworks Touring
Review by Déa di Morté © 31 August 2011
All pictures courtesy of Claim The Throne, Prime Cuts Music and Soundworks Touring