Album Review: Blood Red Throne - Siltskin
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
Consistency is a term that sums up Blood Red Throne. Whenever a new release comes, you know what you are gonna get and that it is going to sound damn good. Like a comfort blanket of flayed skin, shredded innards and congealed blood, the band’s twelfth album “Siltskin” shows that Blood Red Throne’s death metal attack has not lightened one bit and proves to be one of the most punishing albums in the band’s discography.
The same line-up that played on the band’s previous album - 2024’s “Nonagon” - return for another round of savagery with frontman Sindre Wathne Johnsen leading the charge with guttural growls and unhinged screams whilst the riff machine duo of Ivan "Meathook" Gujic and founding member Død unleashing a barrage of flesh ripping barbarity and the rhythm section of bassist Stian Gunderson and original drummer Freddy Bolsø brutalise the listener into submission.
The album sounds absolutely massive with a humongous mix and mastering making the nine songs that make up the album sound as violent and demented as possible. Songs such as ‘Scraping Out The Cartilage’, ‘Husk In The Grain’, ‘Anodyne Rust’ and ‘Vestigial Remnants’ have a mission statement of caving the listener’s skull in. Whilst violence and carnage are the prevalent mood of “Siltskin”, there are odd moments which lean into the melodic as well as some dark atmospheric moments ensuring that this album isn’t a one trick pony.
Despite hailing from Norway which is a country known more for its black metal scene rather than death metal, Blood Red Throne have been unleashing carnage since 1998 and with “Siltskin” they show no signs of slowing down any time soon. “Siltskin” is not an album that pushes death metal into any new territory but it is simply a band who have been around long enough to know what works and boy does it work here. Blood Red Throne have managed to perfectly marry modern brutality with old school aesthetics and “Siltskin” will appeal to modern audiences as well as the old school faithful. It may be coming late in the day but “Siltskin” is definitely one of the best death metal albums of 2025.
