You all know that feeling: one of your favourite bands has a new album out and you’re up to listen to it for the first time, full of excitement and anticipation, yet there’s that little sceptic in your head who always fears disappointment. Have they progressed too far? Did they record a lame album? This feeling was all too familiar when the newest THRONEHAMMER offering “Slay | Kill | Erase” resounded for the first time in my humble abode. You might imagine my relief when the last note faded and I found that THRONEHAMMER brought us some of the best contemporary Epic Doom Metal once more. In fact the German / British collaboration progressed and added some extra ideas to their sound, but only to broaden their sound within the borders of what Doom Metal really means. “Slay | Kill | Erase” starts off with the title track that takes a route not unusual for THRONEHAMMER, with razor-sharp riffs and epic harmonies. But ‘To Never Return’ already surprises with dark vibes and some of the rawest vocals Kat Gillham ever did for this band, just to end up in a Black Metal inferno. With the awesome ‘Rise To Resistance’ THRONEHAMMER even pick up some 1970s Prog Rock vibes in the spheric, keyboard based middle part that is as an overture for a long trilling epic part. Another nod to Black Metal is the dark and gloomy ‘Destroyer Ov Light’ that really breathes the vibes of the title. Talking about “Adding external influences to Doom Metal”: is it just me, or are there really some Thrash Metal style riffs in ‘Blade To The Heart’? After the driving ‘Thrown Into The Abyss’ the album reaches its emotional highlights at the end. On the one hand, ‘Dethroned’ is quite typical for THRONEHAMMER, but on the other hand, they really have some spine-tingling harmonies here. But with the final ‘Onwards To Oblivion’, the album comes to the most worthy end: a gripping masterpiece of Epic Doom Metal. Thrilling guitars meet a vocal delivery that I never heard of Kat, clear and emotional, garnished with a catching chorus. After listening to “Slay | Kill | Erase” quite a few times now I can only state that THRONEHAMMER is the state of the art of Doom Metal right now, always in the here and now but deeply rooted in the meaning of the genre. If that hasn’t convinced you yet, visit www.facebook.com/thronehammer or www.facebook.com/supremechaos.de