Dodheimsgard

Supervillain Outcast

Written by: PP on 14/08/2007 03:34:08

"As if black/death metal was all about growls, grunts, double-pedals and nonsensical song structures". That's a statement "Supervillain Outcast", Dodheimsgard's first new album in over eight years gives to its listeners. By the sounds of it, during the eight years spent inactive, the band was developing an evil plot to overthrow all black metal traditions from the crappy-ass dictaphone recording quality to the indecipherable vocals. "Supervillain Outcast" sounds so refreshingly different that it's a fun listen, and I'm the one who usually shuns any release carrying the tag death or black metal, unless preceded by the word 'melodic'.

Perhaps a more fitting word for "Supervillain Outcast" would be psychedelic death metal, because of the variety of strange and gloomy samples that provide texture to the riff-based guitars. "The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of" is a great example, as it variates from the calming passages to the absolutely chaotic ones while the eccentric sound effects and samples give the song a formidable atmosphere. On the other end of the spectrum you have the more straight-forward tracks like "Horrorizon", which possesses one of the catchiest choruses I've heard on a death/black metal album to date: "And all the monsters will break your heart / the future gave up, emotionally bankrupt", delivered in a combination semi-clean and semi-growled vocals. The next song follows this suit, and then suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, entirely a capella "Secret Identity" pauses the album with priest-like hymning. As a stylistic opposite, "The Vile Delinquets" brings back the odd sound effects and frightening yells about skeletons and murder. "Apocalypticism" is another gem, featuring groovy bass-lines and high-tuned guitars, and an unusually relaxed drum beat for a death metal song. The industrial sound effects might even remind you of Marilyn Manson, especially when the chaotic chorus vocals kick in. If it's getting too out-of-context for your black metal tastes, then "Ghostforce Soul Constrictor" is going to be your favorite track from this album, given its balls to the walls guitars and conventional structure...and so on and so on. The most important thing to note about the album is how different it is from the norms of the usually so very, very noisy and chaotic genre. It's an album where songwriting talent truly shines. It appeals to even those who usually find the mere thought of "black metal" disgusting and repulsive. It has really been an eye-opener album for me, showing that talent can be found even within the genres that I dread the most. "Supervillain Outcast" is almost certainly the best black metal album of 2007, and something every metal fan should consider checking out.

8

Download: Horrorizon, The Snuff Dreams Are Made Of, Apocalypticism, All Is Not Self
For the fans of: Darkthrone, Marilyn Manson, Satyricon, Emperor
Listen: Myspace

Release date 27.04.2007
Moonfog Records
Provided by Target ApS

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