Realms of Chaos is the second BOLT THROWER release from 1989. I don’t think this is definitive Bolt Thrower but it does represent a huge step forward in terms of sound, song writing and composition. It also represents a huge step down in terms of guitar tuning, maaannnn those guitars are deep. Also on the improve was their transition to Earache Records (as their previous label “Vinyl solution” was more of a punk label) who would be able to push the band a lot further than their last label.
One thing I have to say the band did really well was their branding. New professionally designed logo, the great Warhammer artwork from Games workshop meant buying this on record (I still have mine) was a visual and tactile feast for the senses. With new and improved image and marketing its time to get into the actual music. The album opens up with an intro, then into the track “Eternal War”. Everything has stepped up massively for the band in terms of production, clarity and intent. Their drummer (Andy Whale) has improved out of sight between this and their first release “In Battle there is No Law” and everything sounds a lot more coherent.
There’s not much point in going into individual songs for this release as the whole album is basically a solid wall of metal. I think if you like one song you’ll basically like the lot of them. Before I stated that the record isn’t “definitive” Bolt Thrower, but tracks Like “World Eater” and “Drowned in Torment” on the second half of the album, are pretty close, displaying that almost trademark BT riffage. It’s almost like the first half of the record are the older songs and the second half are newer compositions that hint very strongly at the style we’d come to see on the classic “War Master” album.
At the time Their label Earache Records had mainly been known for releasing grind bands like Napalm Death, the first Carcass record and Repulsion with these guys and Morbid Angel being amongst the first Death Metal bands I can think of on the label, and while they didn’t take off in the same way Morbid Angel did this record did quite well for Earache and really set tbe band up for future successes.
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