Thorium

Denmark's Thorium have built a reputation around their fiercely aggressive yet tuneful approach, merging the cold Nordic melodic death metal approach exemplified by Entombed, Dismember, and At the Gates together with the chugging palm-muted riffs and scorching blastbeats characteristic of established Florida death metal acts such as Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Brutality.

The band originated in 1997 under the leadership of vocalist Michael H. Anderson, releasing their first record, Ocean of Blasphemy, during 2000. Critics praised the album for its raw adherence to traditional death metal aesthetics, an approach the musicians persisted in evolving across later releases including Unleashing the Demons from 2002 and Feral Creation in 2008.

After entering a period of inactivity not long following that second successor, the outfit resumed activities toward the end of 2017, featuring a refreshed roster, in order to record material for their anticipated next studio album. Blasphemy Awakes, tracked in Copenhagen alongside Jakob Gundel of Invocator, saw release the year after. Inspired by favorable reactions, Anderson sustained momentum during 2022 via Danmark, an album overflowing with dark aggression and punishing rhythms. Two years afterward came the seasoned ensemble's sixth album, The Bastard, presenting a ferocious contemporary interpretation of traditional death metal.