Dodskold is a Swedish band that I recently came across and immediately fell in love with. On the 28th of May they have released their debut album, “Ödesriket“. The record came out via Pesttanz Klangschmiede on a limited vinyl version of 150 copies which you can still purchase from the label, as well as on tape via War Productions (50 copies long sold out).
Once again we deal here with a band whose members have chosen not to disclose their identity, but we are told they have already been part of the black metal scene before. For me it’s not that important who the band members are, I only want the music to speak on their behalf, and so far it has done it pretty well. I’m sure that if you really want to find out more about the 3 musicians in Dodskold then the mighty internet will help you.
The moment I saw the album cover I was very intrigued, not only because it reminded me of one my favorite Norwegian black metal albums – Borknagar‘s self titled debut – but also because the superb yet very simple black and white photo reeks of total isolation and abandonment. And that is something I really do like in black metal.
With that being said, I put my headset on, I immersed myself in the music and what I heard really blew my mind. Dodskold‘s first effort contains 7 songs, with a total span of almost 43 minutes of cold and melancholic Scandinavian black metal. The first thing that struck me was the drumming: I normally don’t like drum machines but this record is one of the exceptions. I actually find the drum sound to be very close to the human touch, so that really worked for me.
The strangest thing on this album though, at least for me, is the complete lack of blast beats. Surprisingly their absence didn’t bother me at all and after several listening sessions I realized I didn’t even feel the need for them. According to the standards, black metal is about pure speed and violence, the faster the drums, the more “true” is the band. I say fuck the standards, Dodskold proves very well that black metal is also about atmosphere and emotions. This is exactly what they have created on “Ödesriket“: an album a bit outside of the traditional black metal box, but which still contains all the elements black metal is about: darkness, melancholy and, above all, coldness.
The tracks are mid tempo, with great guitar riffs and inspired vocals. First you have the harsh black metal vocals, anguished and tortured, then you have the clean ones, almost folk-like (I just hate the word “Viking” in black metal, it gives me the creeps). This dual vocal style is very well constructed and adds a dramatic effect to the songs (eg. “Misärens Triumf“). Sometimes the tracks have a very discrete Burzum-ish vibe, due to the fuzzy guitar riffs, basic drum patterns or keyboard lines (e.g “Döderskan“, “Ödeskväde till Riddersmark“), but that is a good thing, in my opinion, as I love old Burzum.
The tracks are lengthy enough to allow that melancholic atmosphere to spread in all its beauty, with the help of slower passages, dual vocal lines or superb guitar solos (eg. “Ty Döden är Lifvets Lön“). The gloomy vibe contained on the album is very strong, it puts you right away in a special mood of solitude, as far away from life as possible, so the best way to experience “Ödesriket” is to listen to it as a whole, in the dark. The songs are very much “alive”, they speak to you and just by looking at the album cover you can feel the bleak coldness of the music. The lyrics are in Swedish, so for a non native person their meaning can somehow be lost, but the fact the band chose to sing in its native tongue makes the music even more mysterious and intriguing.
The swan song of this album is the last track, “Ödeskväde till Riddersmark”, which is also the longest of them all. It slowly starts with an ambient passage, only to grow into a mid-tempo monster of a song, where clean vocals, cold riffs and gentle acoustic guitars intertwine in a spiral dance of melancholic frenzy. It’s the perfect ending for a fantastic album that came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. It remains to be seen how Dodskold‘s next album will sound like (I hope they will find a real drummer), but for now we can truly enjoy “Ödesriket” in all its beauty.
Dodskold – “Ödesriket” Tracklist:
- Sista Ridten
- Döderskan
- Misärens Triumf
- Ty Döden är Lifvets Lön
- Jotunhedarna
- Myrkskogh
- Ödeskväde till Riddersmark
Band links:
https://dodskold.bandcamp.com/
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