Band – Throne
Album – That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death
Country of Origin – Michigan, USA
Genre – Blackened Death Metal
Release Date – March 21, 2025
Label – Redefining Darkness Records
Author – Hayduke X
Last night I finally had the opportunity to see a Michigan death metal band I’ve been following for years, namely Jesus Wept. Around since 2017, with only two EPs, four singles, and a split to their name, you may be wondering why I’ve been such an avid fan. Well, it’s because they are the real deal, and are hopefully growing into more than just a side project. They proved their credentials on stage last night. More importantly, you might be wondering why I’m talking about them at the start of a review of the upcoming Throne album. It’s because Jesus Wept guitarist Nathan Barnes (a long time friend in the Michigan music scene) is also the vocalist of and one of the guitarists for Throne. Reconnecting with him at the venue last night has prompted me to come out of my hibernation for at least this one review. To be honest, I was already leaning that way, because That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death kicks ass (of course).
On their second full length, and third overall release, Throne show continued evolution and a stronger mastery of the death metal genre. I’ve said it before (since the debut EP, really) – this band is a band ready for wider recognition in the international world of death metal. They write dark, brooding, sledgehammer riffs, seasoned expertly with malevolent blackening. Barnes’ vocal style continues to grow, showing a greater ability to use his voice as a weapon. New guitarist Tim Kenefic brings waves of riffs built for evisceration. The thundering bass of Leslie Drake adds a war like rumble, while Kollin Perpignani adds creative blasts and fills behind the kit.
Featuring eight tracks of new brutality, That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death is a beefy thirty minutes of aggressive attacking. The album feels longer than thirty minutes, but not in the sense that it drags. Instead, I find myself so immersed in it, that it feels like I’ve inhabited that world for chunks of my life. While there is nothing new under the sun in any type of art, there are definitely fresh permutations, and this is definitely one of those. Barnes told me that inspiration for this album came from Hate Eternal, Suffocation, Dark Funeral, and Belphegor, as well as always present influences from Morbid Angel and Angelcorpse. I hear the influence of all of these…especially Hate Eternal and Belphegor to my ears, but the album is a copy of none of them. A new creature has arisen from the DNA of these older monsters, and it won’t be stopped!
Click on the link below to hear a taste and, if you ever have a chance, see this band live. I’m confident that both on the album and on stage, you’ll see what I mean by ‘this band is a band ready for wider recognition in the international world of death metal.’
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com and The Metal Wanderlust, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
