Style: Atmospheric death metal, Blackened death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Behemoth, Septicflesh, Rotting Christ, Dark Funeral, Enslaved
Country: France
Release date: 27 February 2026

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Have you thought about your surrounding atmosphere today? Unless you’re traveling between extremes in elevation, likely not. Yet our physiology is fine-tuned to optimally function in our surrounding climate. Increased atmospheric pressure can cause lung injury and neurologic dysfunction, while decreased pressure results in the systemic effects of hypoxia. Similarly, within an album, too much emphasis on backing atmosphere can stifle the instrumentation, while too little may cause a stale listening experience by limiting emotional connection. The self-described blackened atmospheric death metal outfit, Toward the Throne, attempt to walk this atmospheric tightrope in their third album, Midnight. Will they successfully follow in the footsteps of the blackened atmospheric titans Behemoth and Septicflesh? Or will they be crushed under the weight of their own manufactured climate?

Toward the Throne frequently drape synths over their brand of blackened death metal. Too commonly, though, the various keyboard melodies simply mirror the rhythms of guitarists Fabrice Zuchowicz and Jérémy Bisinger rather than offer a distinct voice. If done sparingly, this may have provided an effective emphasis; however, when used constantly, the effect is diminished into the mundane. Uninteresting synth-coupled, mid-tempo chugging plagues the album, as heard in “A Poisonous Flower in the Desert”, “Forge Ahead”, and much of “7Hate”. Furthering the overuse of keys and synths, an orchestral section opens “7Hate”, which is meant to set the stage for dark metal fury. As the orchestra fades, the band enters with a marching, punchy riff that does not seem logically connected to the preceding section, resulting in an awkward transition of vastly different sounds. Ideally the orchestra should introduce a theme that is carried forward seamlessly by the band rather than the two being distinct passages. This offers an example of Toward the Throne attempting to inject orchestral atmosphere at the detriment of the song as a whole. Too often, as in the individual distorted string plucking and trumpets of “Malice in Veins”, Toward the Throne seem to be building toward a payoff that never comes. As a result, Midnight feels like an album filled with missed opportunities.

Despite the often frustrating listening experience, Midnight is infused with interesting and exciting moments. The album opens strongly in the first two tracks, “The Void: Road from Chaos” and “Midnight”. The former effectively interweaves spoken word and orchestral synths with a hooky distorted rhythm, while the latter opens with a fiery black metal section and injects groove from start to finish. “Caught Between Breaths” is an excellent track that sheds the reliance on monotonous chugging and introduces robot-like vocal chanting with a dark harmony that waxes and wanes throughout. Lead guitarist Bisinger provides some beautifully melodic solos, like at the midpoint of “A Poisonous Flower in the Desert” and the stunning solo of  “Caught Between Breaths”. With the strength of Bisinger’s playing, Towards the Throne would have benefited from incorporating his melodies more frequently, which are absent from the many tracks on Midnight.

The vocalist, Unna, has a familiar, demonic growl, fitting in the fiery depths where blackened death metal frontmen reside. He preaches from a dark pulpit and often carries the aforementioned dull musical passages. Though not varied in his approach, he pairs well with the surrounding synths that seem to inject his voice with additional mournful personality. With Unna’s performance, at just under forty minutes, Midnight does not overstay its welcome despite the seemingly pointless outro track “Noir” that features spoken French on top a choir and reverb-laden clean guitars. 

With Midnight, Toward the Throne sit in their comfort zone of mid-tempo, synth-driven blackened death metal too often. This is unfortunate, as they show flashes of gorgeous melody, and demonstrate the ability to write compelling, unorthodox passages found in “Caught Between Breaths”. Future efforts should highlight their diverse songwriting capabilities and ensure that the atmosphere they build leads to a worthwhile payoff rather than disappointment. For those adapted to survive in the world of atmospheric blackened death metal, comfort will be found in Midnight. Others may need to acclimate first to avoid bodily harm.

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Recommended tracks: Midnight, Caught Between Breaths, 7Hate
You may also like: Aeternam, Sulfur Aeon, Wormwitch, Chapel of Disease
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent Release

Toward the Throne is:
– Unna (vocals, bass)
– Julien Boguet (drums)
– Jérémy Binsinger (guitar)
– Fabrice Zuchowicz (guitar)