Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal

Whoa! Did you feel that?

It felt like something just crashed into our building! Holy crap . . . Racer! Check this out! The street is littered with paramilitary troops and it appears that the world is ending!

Okay, it didn’t happen exactly like that, but it was darn close. It turns out that the earth shattering noise that just shook the Ripple offices was someone (me) inadvertently (purposely) pushing play on the CD player without first removing Bolt Thrower’s Those Once Loyal. Yeah. It’s that mighty of an album. You haven’t heard it? Cool. I didn’t expect that you would have.

Here’s the skinny. Bolt Thrower is an uncompromising death metal act that seemingly worships warfare. I say that because everything that I’ve ever heard from them pertains to the art of war, and for years, I figured that was all they had to offer. I’ve since come to find out that, like all things, there’s more to it than that. Not only does Bolt Thrower write aggressive tunes about death, destruction, and the inevitable end of existence, but they write with the kind of detail as if they were teaching a class on the subject. Detailed lyrics that delve into the psyche of our soldiers make the subject matter a whole lot more interesting than had the band simply stated, “Killing is my business and business is good,” over and over again. Of course, wrapping ones head around the lyrics is no simple task if there’s no lyric sheet on hand. The vocals, in traditional death metal fashion, are guttural utterances that take some time to cut through and decipher. I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff, so it was easier for me.

The album intro is a doomy feedback drenched melody that suddenly vanishes, and in its place, a surprisingly clean guitar solo over a grooved out rhythm. The first time I heard this, I remember thinking, “This doesn’t sound anything like the Bolt Thrower I heard as a kid.” My earliest memories of the band are from their first album and my recollection is that the production was thin or muddy, but this . . . damn! This is sharp and the instruments cut through the din of chaos to give us a clearer understanding that Bolt Thrower have chops a plenty. Yes, the vocals are rough, but in context with this music, it works perfectly.

Not only is the production value good, but the tunes are solid. To the point and in your face, these songs have an element that I didn’t expect. The power of groove! Opening track, “At First Light,” is a riff happy fest that shifts from fast to mid tempo grooves within seconds. At the chorus, the melodic guitar line from the intro kicks back in, and gives an element of texture that seems to be missing in a lot of the extreme metal music of the day. Go ahead and blast away, but as I’ve been trying to pound into everybody’s heads for some time now, you gotta’ change things up to drive the emotion home. Bolt Thrower has mastered that technique.

Check out the fade in on “The Killchain,” and then get pummeled by one of the groovinest rhythms ever. If I had a theme song like Darth Vader, this would be the one I’d want. I mean, Christ! This riff bounces heavier than anything I’ve heard. The secret to the groove? Simplicity. It’s all about the tone and the tempo. Nothing fancy. And, you gotta’ love how they change it up once they get to the mid section of the song. Bloody f’n brilliant!

“Granite Wall” and the title track carry on with the heavy groove theme, but it’s “Anti-Tank (Dead Armour)” that lights me up every time I hear it. The lyrics describe, in moving detail, the mindset of so many of the soldiers, and I kind of find it inspiring. Lines like, “Selfless acts of bravery, in the face of overwhelming force,” and “Out gunned. Out-numbered. But, never outclassed,” just get me every time I hear them. The lyrics, in context with the music, are even more powerful. I’ve actually stopped more than once to give a quiet prayer to the boys overseas. It’s that powerful and one of reasons that I continue giving Those Once Loyal praise and permanent residence in the Pope mobile.

“Salvo” pummels us into jelly, and features a perplexing off time riff that ends up blending perfectly with a barrage of double bass drums. Smooth melody lines course through the body of the tune, before the riffs double up and wallop the ears once again. The lyrics key in on the desperation of being on the frontlines, getting caught in a cross-fire, facing death at the hands of government policies. On further research into this album, I’ve come to find out that Bolt Thrower reportedly drew their influence from the conflicts of WWI when writing and recording Those Once Loyal. I hear it, and quite honestly, the lyrics make even more sense because of this knowledge.

As much as I hate war, I’ve always been a wee bit fascinated with the history of it. World War II, World War I, American Civil, American Revolutionary . . . these were all of the topics that we were taught in school. What our schools failed to teach us at any point was that there’s a human element to these wars. Sure, the books all mention dates and the estimated lives lost, but they don’t touch on the fear, the loathing, the desperation, and the power mongers who pit young men against young men just to acquire more land or the realization of their ideals. Those Once Loyal inevitabley gets me thinking and then gets me more and more pissed off at the world around me. Thanks, Bolt Thrower! My blood pressure is on the rise again. But, seriously, how great is that? A band records an album, extreme as it may be, and it gets me thinking. Thinking! What power this band holds! This album won’t sit well with all, but there’s no way that it can be swept under the carpet. No way . . . not happening. At least, not on my watch. For those who do pick it up, do me a favor, read Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front first. It will give you a great appreciation for the time period and have you questioning why our world leaders still act the way they do.

-- Pope JTE

Buy here: Those Once Loyal

http://www.boltthrower.com/

www.myspace.com/boltthrower