Thralldom specializes in a crusty kind of metallic wretchedness comprised of charred riff blitzkriegs, crumbling lo-fi production and screeching hag vocals on ?Black Sun Resistance.? Most people will not agree with this; let?s just get that out of the way right now. But at the same time, folks that dig the skuzzier side of 80s no wave guitar rock like Sonic Youth or Swans as well as the expected black metal hordes could find many a mind-numbing deluge to be buried under in this avalanche. ?Black Sun Resistance? is the sound of the end captured in a medieval torture machine and stretched well beyond the breaking point.

And then there are the innovations that Thralldom brings to the table: abundant garage hiss and clang, a repetitious drive that borders on krautrock and inspired experimental bookends that sound more like primitive industrial noise trips than snooze-worthy ?neo-classical? segues. This home-recorded vibe is only an asset in these gentlemen?s hands. At extreme volumes, Thralldom conjures the most unholy sonic assault ever laid to 4-track (or whatever), and you could never really accuse them of being too rehearsed. Let?s face it; the end is sure to make for a bumpy ride.

Regardless, ?Black Sun Resistance? makes for a harrowing noise trip every step of the way. While it is perhaps a bit overly oppressive with its ?WE HAVE NO CHOICE!? proclamations of abysmal fate, I don?t really care about all that. It?s the music -- tortured, crashing, mangled skronk metal -- which I cannot deny. 8/10 -- Lee Jackson (27 June, 2006)