Total Death
Encyclopedia
Total Death is the sixth album by Norwegian
black metal
band Darkthrone
. It was recorded in 1995 and released in 1996. All of the album's lyrics were written either by members of other black metal bands or Nocturno Culto
(this went against the band's usual practice, in that Fenriz
is usually the main lyricist on other Darkthrone albums).
The album was released on CD and LP by Moonfog Productions. The LP has a different cover art. In March 2011, Total Death was reissued by Peaceville Records
with an extra track and an extra CD of commentary by the bandmembers. The extra track was recorded around the same time as the album and appeared on a compilation for Moonfog Productions.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
band Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
. It was recorded in 1995 and released in 1996. All of the album's lyrics were written either by members of other black metal bands or Nocturno Culto
Nocturno Culto
Nocturno Culto is a Norwegian musician, best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and partial bassist of the influential black metal band Darkthrone. He has been with the band since 1988. He currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter...
(this went against the band's usual practice, in that Fenriz
Fenriz
Leif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
is usually the main lyricist on other Darkthrone albums).
The album was released on CD and LP by Moonfog Productions. The LP has a different cover art. In March 2011, Total Death was reissued by Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records
Peaceville Records is a British independent metal-oriented record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw in 1987, in Dewsbury, England...
with an extra track and an extra CD of commentary by the bandmembers. The extra track was recorded around the same time as the album and appeared on a compilation for Moonfog Productions.
Track listing
Lyrics by Nocturno Culto unless noted otherwise.- "Earth's Last Picture" – 5:12 (lyrics by GarmKristoffer RyggKristoffer Rygg , also known as Garm, Trickster G. and recently also God Head is a Spellemannprisen nominated vocalist, musician and producer known as the frontman of Ulver and former vocalist for Arcturus...
of UlverUlverUlver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
/Arcturus/BorknagarBorknagarBorknagar is a progressive black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1995 by Øystein Garnes Brun. The band's style combines folk metal and black metal with progressive and melodic elements...
) - "Blackwinged" – 4:31
- "Gather for Attack on the Pearly Gates" – 4:53
- "Black Victory of Death" – 4:00 (lyrics by IhsahnIhsahnIhsahn is a Norwegian composer, guitar, bass, keyboard player and vocalist. He is best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Emperor. He has appeared in Thou Shalt Suffer, up until March 4, 2006, played in Peccatum with his wife Ihriel , and now devotes himself to his solo project,...
of EmperorEmperor (band)Emperor was a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1991. They dissolved in 2001, but reunited in 2006 and again in 2007 for a few festival dates and brief US tours. The group was founded by Samoth and Ihsahn .-Biography:...
) - "Majestic Desolate Eye" – 3:07
- "Blasphemer" – 4:01 (lyrics by Carl-Michael EideCarl-Michael EideCarl-Michael Eide is a Norwegian black metal musician, multi-instrumentalist , and vocalist. He is also known under stage names Aggressor, Czral and Exhurtum. He has played in various black metal and avant-garde metal bands...
of Ved Buens EndeVed Buens EndeVed Buens Ende is a Norwegian heavy metal band. Their sound is diverse with quiet instrumental jazz influenced sections and aggressive black metal blast beats and vocals...
) - "Ravnajuv" – 4:20
- "The Serpent's Harvest" – 5:43 (lyrics by Satyr of SatyriconSatyricon (band)Satyricon is a Norwegian black metal band, and the first one in the genre to join a multi-national record label .-Biography:Satyricon was formed in 1990 by Czral and Wargod. Ulver and Satyr soon joined them...
) - "God of Disturbance and Friction" (appears only on 2011 reissue)
Credits
- FenrizFenrizLeif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 1, 4, 6, and 8 - Nocturno CultoNocturno CultoNocturno Culto is a Norwegian musician, best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and partial bassist of the influential black metal band Darkthrone. He has been with the band since 1988. He currently works in Norway as a school teacher, and has a son and a daughter...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on tracks 2, 3, 5, and 7