It's been many years since BT's last album came out and it is their final. That is as certain as all eight of their albums deal with various war themes, Karl Willets announced that they are definitely putting the plectrums on the shelf after drummer Martin Kearns passed away in 2015.
Although Bolt Thrower has walked a clear development curve since their debut in 1987, they have (as the "true" death metal band they are) remained faithful to their own vision. In addition to the obligatory war themes, the characteristic Bolt Thrower groovy guitar melodies are integrated into the basic traditional rhythms and the fact that this culminates on their final album makes it, in my ears, their best in the discography. Something that is perhaps accentuated by the fact that a couple of less successful releases squeezed in between ...For Victory and this album. It can also be added that Karl Willets is often voted among the best death metal vocalists of all time and his contribution on this album justifies that fact even more.
Bolt Thrower thus ended their recording career in a tasteful way with their best. Those Once Loyal thematically deals with the First World War and is at the same time a musical development of the previous albums, such as The Fourth Crusade and Warmaster. Bolt Thrower almost does a cover of themselves here and that is exactly how we want our classic death metal? I challenge every follower of extreme metal not to get captivated on this journey towards Versailles.
Genre: Death Metal
Rating: 5.4 / 7