Djevel

Dodssanger

Aftermath Music 2011

Like an icy phoenix, rising from the ashes of Lja, comes Norway's new tyrants of TNBM, Djevel.  Lja's mastermind, Ciekals has enlisted his spiritual brethren Mannevond (Koldbrann) and E. Hjelvik (Kvelertak) to spew forth a whirlwind of old school sounding Nordic black metal.  Ingen Vei Tilbake begins with a chilling melody slowly creeping, then carries over and explodes on Djevelheim.  The track, wears many masks and moods, from chilling melodic riffs, to acoustic guitar passages, to lumbering mid-tempo sections.  Morkefodt is more of a raw, thrashing monster, possessed of feral violence.  The riffs become more atmospheric as the song progresses.  On the instrumental, Djevelslaatt there is a strong folkish melody in the track and sounds like it would be right at home on Storm's Nordavind album.  And then a freezing riff sweeps out of my speakers like a wind across the tundra as Paakallelsen hits its stride.  The song slowly drifts into midtempo disharmony with distant haunting clean vocals.  A black-as-night Norwegian black metal riff drives downwards on Vi Malte Verden I Sort.  A hammering beat and undulating riff gives way to droning reverb and a fuzzy melodic lead as the track devolves towards its center.  When the main riff burst back through the song, it has to be the blackest and most moving part of the entire album.  Paktens Ende, I Satans Eie, the final track on the album drifts between fuzzed out Burzum-ish atmosphere, and darker warbling riffs that throb with a Darkthrone-esque energy.  With Djevel, Ciekals has once again succeeded in creating an album that hearkens back to a magical era of Norwegian black metal, while still sounding modern and fresh.  On Dodssanger, tradition is upheld and reinvigorated as each Nordic melody and haunting vocal line is set loose upon the world.