BOLT THROWER — Those Once Loyal (review)

BOLT THROWER — Those Once Loyal album cover Album · 2005 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Warthur
Bolt Thrower's last album to date still has yet to see a followup - not because the band have split up, but because according to them they do not want to put out any new songs unless they are of greater quality than what they present here. I guess that's a reasonable decision, because Those Once Loyal finds Bolt Thrower deep in a rut; whilst it's grown on me sufficiently that I don't think it's an outright embarrassment, and it's worth listening to if you are a fan of the band, it shows that their creative batteries were beginning to run out of juice a little - not so much so to be a problem this time around, but enough to merit a break to recharge them. The compositions offer few any surprises or twists beyond the incorporation of a more traditional Iron Maidenish riff or musical motif here and there, the band's performances sound more or less exactly like they have done for their last four albums, and overall the band's command of the death metal genre remains strong even if their spot in the first rank is wavering a bit. It's a great and entertaining listen, but the previous few Bolt Thrower albums had been ear-splittingly fantastic listens.
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