Review by Gator for Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal (2005)

Bolt Thrower is as consistent as it gets. They sound the same on every album.

What's the sound? It's the sound of driving the biggest, baddest, mean mother *rof a vehicle you can imagine. Given their lyrical nature it's often a tank that comes to mind, but it could be a tank, a monster truck, the war rig from Mad Max: Fury Road, Bill Hayvermeier's Killdozer, whatever huge death machine you can conjure up-that's what Bolt Thrower sound like. I don't care if your rounding the 11th green in your golf cart at the local country club. If you have Bolt Thrower on the machine you are driving is a huge machine. (Personally I like the BelAZ 75710).

Another way I've described Bolt Thrower is "Slayer without the boring parts, or Kerry's annoying whammybar fetishism.", but that doesn't do them justice.

HUGE DEATH MACHINE. THAT IS THE SOUND OF BOLT THROWER. 

Why this album? It has the best production. They are incredibly consistent in their sound with 2 notable exceptions-If Karl isn't on vocals it's not quite as good (but it's still good), and the 4th Crusade is a little bit slower. This one just sounds the cleanest.

For me the secret sauce is Jo Bench, the woman making that rolling low-end crunch-the sound of your huge death machine running over and crushing everything in it's wake. It's maybe the best bass tone I have ever heard and I'm connoisseur of sorts. That thing will tear your head right off!

If this all sounds like fun. Then Bolt Thrower will be a fantastic time for you. If it doesn't sound like fun, do you even like metal?