Like so many other bands, Thronar started out under another name. In 1998 they formed under the moniker Cerberus and released two demo’s which were positively received. Shortly after the release of the second demo the band found out there were several other bands operating under the name Cerberus so they decided to change it to Thronar.
Under the new name a promo was released which eventually led to a deal with Seven Kingdoms, a young and small English label.

According to their biography Thronar plays battle metal and the description they use for this is: “a mix of majestic, bombastic and melodic mid-tempo black metal with some heavy metal influences.” I agree wholeheartedly with this definition because it accurately describes the music on “For Death And Glory”. The lyrics complement this concept by telling tales of great battles, legendary heroes and heroic encounters, creating an atmosphere similar to bands like Bal Sagoth, Turisas and Thyrfing tend to do.

Thronar’s home base is the city of Arnhem, a town in the west of the Netherlands with a very active metal scene. Bands like Heidevolk, Arms Of Valour and Bolthorn all hail from Arnhem and especially Heidevolk is comparable with Thronar due to the more or less the same lyrical concepts.

While Heidevolk focuses more on the pagan beliefs and everyday experiences of the pagan tribes of pre-Christian north-west Europe Thronar focuses on its battles and wars. Titles like “For Death And Glory”, “Were Sword, Axe And Bow Strike Together” and “The Hunt For Vengeance” are self-explanatory I think.

”For Death And Glory” is an honest, passionate and very enjoyable release but is has its minor flaws. The keyboards are very upfront in the mix, where they tend to absorb too much attention from the listener. The music is also not the most original I ever heard; already upon the first listening I could predict the breaks, tempo changes and vocal lines. I must admit though that the clean singing surprised me a bit, usually with bands like this they are on the edge but with Thronar the outcome is positive. The mix of mid tempo black metal with some touches of heavy metal is very catchy and this cd will be spinning many rounds in my cd-player in the time to come.