Album Review: Acid Throne – Kingdom’s Death (Trepanation Recordings)

Set against the bleak backdrop of political turmoil and a world at war, Acid Throne have crafted a debut album of monumental proportions. ‘Kingdom’s Death’ marks a decisive milestone for the band and exhibits a huge creative step forward from their first release, ‘The Demo’, released in April 2022. Kingdom’s Death will be released on November 8th, 2023.

A much-anticipated release, Acid Throne are a bright light in the gloomy and garish world of blackened doom. A band who impressed us with their 2022 ‘The Demo’ release and have been getting better and better in the live environment.

Now, it’s time for them to take the next step forward with this debut album release, and if you weren’t convinced that they were something special before, you will be by time you’ve crawled through the muck of this album.

Six tracks might seem short, but these are six tomes. Six gargantuan offerings of noise that go beyond the ‘catch all’ term of heaviness. Acid Throne are beasts, and this is reflected in what is heard across Kingdom’s Death.

Yet, this is also about moving forward too and a fearless willingness to expand on the blackened doom formula. Evident by the atmosphere and melody that introduces Death is Not the End. Of course, things get way more intense fairly quickly, and it’s here that Acid Throne truly excel. The weight of their doomy instrumentation and hellacious vocal roars threaten to break bones and snap muscles. The riffs here are worth all the pain and suffering.

Can you even begin to imagine what else this album might have to offer? Well, get your best gurning face on for River (Bare My Bones) and King Slayer. The former has filthy touches of groove that you can’t help but sink into. Whereas the latter has just a bit more energy to it and finds Acid Throne really leaning into the blacker side of their music.

The doom is back with aplomb on War Torn. Acid Throne reaching into even darker, dingier, and grubbier depths for a song that hammers you over the head again and again. Even a mid-point melody drop only serves to make the returning instrumental smash even more intense.

Then there is the impressive atmospheric layering and manic (by their standards) heaviness of Hallowed Ground. Further proof that the way in which Acid Throne take their time to unleash their full power always impresses.

Leading to the biggest and brashiest track of all, the near 11-minute Last Will & Testament. Featuring some classic doom riffs, emphatic vocal growls and roars, pounding drumbeats, head-banging groove infusions, and an over-arching feel of darkness and danger. The ebb and flow of this track is exceptional and its runtime disappears in a flash of glorious noise.

Acid Throne are finally here and while they might deal in gloom, their future is dazzlingly bright.

Acid Throne – Kingdom’s Death Track Listing:

1. Death Is Not the End
2. River (Bare My Bones)
3. King Slayer
4. War Torn
5. Hallowed Ground
6. Last Will & Testament

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