Those Once Loyal

about this album

"Those Once Loyal" is the eighth and final studio album by British death metal band Bolt Thrower, released on 11 November 2005 by Metal Blade Records. It was recorded with producer Andy Faulkner at Sable Rose Studios in Coventry, England. The album marked the return of vocalist Karl Willetts, who rejoined the band in November 2004, making it the first Bolt Thrower release to feature him since "Mercenary" (1998). Musically, "Those Once Loyal" continues Bolt Thrower’s melodic, groove-based death metal style, with comparatively tighter song structures and arrangements and a more refined production than some of the band’s earlier releases. As with previous Bolt Thrower albums, the lyrics focus on themes related to warfare. Critics and commentators have noted a thematic emphasis on World War I, a subject previously explored on the band’s fifth album "...For Victory" (1994). The album’s cover artwork was derived from a plaque on the Guards Memorial in St. James’s Park, London. Upon release, "Those Once Loyal" received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number 76 on the German Offizielle Top 100 chart, making it the highest-charting album of Bolt Thrower’s career. The band supported the album with the "Those Still Loyal Tour" across Europe from January to June 2006. "Those Once Loyal" became Bolt Thrower’s final studio album before the band announced an indefinite hiatus from recording in June 2008. They continued touring until the death of drummer Martin Kearn

tracks

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The IVth Crusade

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War Master

For Victory

...For Victory