Throne Of Saturn - Throne Of Saturn

​Throne Of Saturn

Throne Of Saturn
self-released; 2016

3.7 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Brian Huffman (vocals), Chris DeVona (guitar), Derek Medina (guitar), Eric Lindahl (drums) and Jacob Blanchet (bass) are Throne Of Saturn. That’s a great band name in my opinion but what's up with that album art on their self-titled EP Throne of Saturn. It’s the kind of album art you look at and ask what the hell am I looking at. It seems to be the same old trope of a giant eating a human corpse. I was reminded of the anime series “Attack on Titan.” Anyway I was intrigued after the album art.

Musically, the band plays slower moving metal somewhere between Black Sabbath, Sunn O))), Joy Division and Alice In Chains. The guitars are warm but ominous while the vocals lay low in the mix usually with a good amount of reverb attached. The rhythm section holds down a steady foundation that serves the melodies. 

The band opens with “Beard Burner.” Root notes drip with distortion that rings out before the next note hits. The song is dark, foreboding and also changes tempo in a natural transition. As the song progresses the intensity grows into full-fledged panic. The lyrics are fitting to the music. Huffman sings, “You’re the right kind and it's not you baby just feels like I've been buried alive.”

​I couldn't help but notice some similarities to Joy Division on “Cemetery of Spent Hours.” Huffman not only sounds similar to Ian Curtis but the music is similar  as well. “Intrepid Bastard” veers more towards metal. You could make an argument for Black Sabbath or early Metallica. The song has the most energy with some pretty badass riffs. They close with “Sludge Lord” which contains an eerie breakdown and some riffs that certainly sound like sludge metal. 

​Throne of Saturn EP has a sound but it felt like different strains of influence on each song. I like what they are going for but don’t quite feel like they have landed on a signature sound that defined Throne of Saturn. I think they are close but might need to dig a little deeper to really stand out from the crowd. Overall, this is a minor gripe because the songs are well-written and the band can deliver. If you like any of the aforementioned bands this is an EP you will want to check out.

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