Bolt Thrower The IVth Crusade CD (Digipak, 2019, Earache Records)

Bolt Thrower The IVth Crusade CD is the fourth studio album from British death metal pioneers Bolt Thrower, originally released in 1992 through Earache Records. This 2019 Earache Records edition is presented in a collectible Digipak and captures a defining stage in the band's progression toward a slower, heavier and more crushing form of death metal.

Recorded at Sawmills Studio in Cornwall in August 1992, The IVth Crusade was produced by Colin Richardson and Bolt Thrower, engineered by John Cornfield and mixed at Fon Studios. Following the aggressive attack of War Master, the album deliberately places greater emphasis on weight, groove and atmosphere, incorporating elements associated with death-doom while retaining Bolt Thrower's distinctive riff-driven approach.

The classic lineup features Karl Willetts on vocals, Gavin Ward and Barry Thomson on guitars, Jo Bench on bass and Andrew Whale on drums. Tracks including The IVth Crusade, Icon, Embers, Where Next To Conquer, As The World Burns, This Time It's War, Ritual, Spearhead, Celestial Sanctuary and Dying Creed showcase the band's combination of massive guitar riffs, powerful low-end, forceful drumming and commanding death metal vocals.

The album's title refers to the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople, while its cover artwork reproduces Eugène Delacroix's historic painting The Entry Of The Crusaders In Constantinople. This visual and thematic identity complements the album's historical subject matter and distinctive atmosphere.

The IVth Crusade also forms an important part of the recurring musical connections throughout Bolt Thrower's catalogue. Embers continues the musical thread established by Cenotaph on War Master and subsequently connects with Powder Burns on Mercenary, creating a distinctive sequence across three important albums from the band's classic period.

For collectors of classic British death metal and fans of the influential Earache Records catalogue, The IVth Crusade is a significant Bolt Thrower release. Its combination of slower tempos, crushing riffs, heavy grooves and death-doom influence helped establish the weightier sound that became a defining characteristic of the band's later work.

Recommended for fans of Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Obituary, Benediction, Carcass, Entombed, Sinister, Gorefest, Morbid Angel, Autopsy, Asphyx and Dismember.
 

Artist: Bolt Thrower
Title: The IVth Crusade
Label: Earache Records
Catalogue Number: MOSH070CDFDR
UPC: 817195020955
Release Year: 1992
Duration: Album
Format: CD 
Packaging Type: Digipak
Condition: New & factory sealed

Tracklist:

1. The IVth Crusade
2. Icon
3. Embers
4. Where Next To Conquer
5. As The World Burns
6. This Time It's War
7. Ritual
8. Spearhead
9. Celestial Sanctuary
10. Dying Creed
11. Through The Ages (Outro)