Customer Reviews

The IVth Crusade

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had no idea what these guys (and girl) sounded like when I first bought the album. I was quite surprised! I had not heard anything that heavy since Bathory (and maybe Suffocation). The playing is superb and I can actually understand some of what Karl Willets is singing, though I'll be the first to admit I rarely listen to the words even if they are clear. I always had this CD in my truck and when I did a lot of traveling, I would put this on to start the trip, kind of as a good luck charm. It worked well! Now the CD is scratched up some and skips all over the place in my crappy CD player so I don't play it as much. But because of this album I went out and bought all of their others except Mercenary (couldn't find it). I like them all. One could say all their albums sound the same and in a way, maybe they do. But that is the same formula AC/DC uses and I love them! Don't need no surprises, don't need the band to evolve into something entirely different. When I pick out a Bolt Thrower album, I get exactly what I want!

Most DeathMetal bands rely on speed and grunting vocals to sound heavier, but not Bolt Thrower. Their music has a good groove, like a tank that moves a bit slower but overall is more powerful than the others and consistantly plows over and crushes everything in it's path. Karl's vocals are excellent in that his vocal range is just low enough to sound dark, but high enough that it doesn't compete with the tuned-down guitars and other instruments, and fits well in the mix, unlike other bands that pretend to be of this type where the guitar and vocals step on each other. They re-tune and play their songs using an an "egyptian" like scale which has an almost etherial but hard edge yielding their unique signature sound. Before there was Korn, Bizkit and all the other 7-string guitar bands, Bolt Thrower was there with their tuned-down 6 string defining a new trend in metal of crunchy buzz-saw guitar. The lyrics are among the most thoughtful in that though they sing about war, they convey how stupid and miserable a thing it is (As the World Burns). Get this one first, then get Mercenary.

Even though these guys are often tagged as Grindcore, I find it completely unfair that a band of this skill and calibur is grouped into such a style of metal. Quite frankly, I think that Grindcore (for the most part) degenerates into unlistenable noise. This is not the case with Bolt thrower. This is slow, thunderously heavy, groove oriented Death metal played in the same vein as Obituary (only with more focused vocals). The entire album is perfectly executed. The drums, guitars, and bass roll along at a comfortable and listenable pace. Karl Willet's low, bellowing voice fits in perfectly with the downtuned instruments. The lyrics are good and intelligent and depict a brutal and realistic scenario of war. My favorite pieces include the title track, "Icon", "Where next to conquer", and "As the world burns". Overall, a very solid, non-repetitive piece of Death metal.

Bolt-Thrower is the heaviest of the heavy, the only band that even merits consideration for a genre labeled "War Metal". With The Fourth Crusade, you've got Bolt-Thrower at their peak -- which is, to be sure, not much different from Bolt-Thrower at their worst, because as other reviewers have noted, they are remarkably consistent from album to album. They have no bad albums, but some are better than the rest, and this, in my opinion, is the best. If you've always wanted to hear what War might sound like, buy this album and play it loud.

This cd is like a glimmering wall of steel coming towards you at 300mph, as you passively sit in your '72 VW Beetle. As you wait for the pain your hair goes completely horizontal and you raise your arm to shield your eyes. You know there is no hope to resist.

Another reviewer mentioned the fact at how devastatingly heavy this is. There is none heavier kids - this is the real deal.

This cd is like a glimmering wall of steel coming towards you at 300mph, as you passively sit in your '72 VW Beetle. As you wait for the pain your hair goes completely horizontal and you raise your arm to shield your eyes. You know there is no hope to resist.

Another reviewer mentioned the fact at how devastatingly heavy this is. There is none heavier kids - this is the real deal.

Let's cut to the chase shall we? This is one of the heaviest pieces of pure Death/War Metal you will ever hear. It stands proudly next to other gargantuan releases like ENTOMBED's debut, which I had always considered the heaviest album ever released. With The IVth Crusade BOLT THROWER removed all doubt about whether they could produce something with more tonnage than Warmaster.

The title track is a masterpiece of complete grinding devastation; heavy as Hell with a good take-your-time execution. The slow tempo on other tracks is often punctuated by brief bursts of moderate speed, completely dominated by thundering drums and raw, bestial guitars. Just fantastic. With BOLT THROWER the operative phrases seem to be 'Keep it simply, stupid' and 'Do more with less' this all meaning that the band don't have to rely on overly-complex techno-rythms or impressive leads to win you over. They write pretty fundamental stuff but it is done with lots of creative twists and made convincing by the sheer density of their sound. Songs like "This Time Its War", "Embers" and "Dying Creed" will literally shake your walls if applied with enough volume. Incredible.

If you want anything hardcore, Bolt Thrower delivers what you are looking for. From the very first song on any album, you can tell that this band is out to take over. If you are looking for a good cd, Bolt Thrower has plenty of them.

This is the soundtrack to war! Watch 'Lord of the Rings' or 'Braveheart' on mute while cranking Bolt Thrower and you'll know what I mean...

A bit repetetive but extremely melodic death metal, Bolt Thrower has a signature sound that is at its peak with '4th Crusade'.

Bolt Thrower is not grindcore. early carcass, phobia, repulsion, assuck, nasum. those are grind bands. bolt thrower is just straight up metal. and good metal at that this Ted douche wouldn't know good music if it kicked him in the ass(come to think of it, looking at his reviews he doesn't have much contact with the ladies either.) bolt thrower > you