Dødheimsgard
A Umbra Omega
(Peaceville Records)
It’s admittedly taken me a while to collect my thoughts in order to review this new and long awaited release from Norwegian avant-garde and experimental black metallers, Dødheimsgard who were at one time known as DHG. Seeing that Supervillain Outcast was released over eight years ago; it’s safe to say that these mad scientists haven’t repeated the same heavily electronic based electro-black metal that filled the likes of the previous effort and 666 International (my personal favorite) and have instead moved into a territory which seems altogether different, and ultimately on a completely different level than anything they’ve done prior. While opener “The Love Divine 1:03” might make my previous statement of electro-metal to be that of foot in mouth, when the album truly begins with “Aphelion Void” you’ll start to understand exactly what I’m talking about. The band’s new frontman is Aldrahn (Thorns) who you might remember hearing last year on The Deathtrip debut, Deep Drone Master. Here he has even more room to speak and often does in the same sort of theatrical sense, coupled with a few angry shouts and vocal effects that prove to make him something of a demonoid robot. Unfortunately this seems to prove his detriment, as the release can seem to drone on a bit more than it really needs to. Keep in mind that despite all the musical wizardry and sheer volumes of structure employed on this kitchen sink release; Aldrahn seems to wax poetic for what tends to feel like hours, about what to the layman sounds like absolutely nothing. He’s certainly passionate about his musings, but nearly seventy minutes of this can grate on one’s nerves. Fortunately for the listener, these theatrical displays are backed by everything from standard as well as progressive inspired tremolos, to acoustic atmospheres or the subtle sound of saxophone. Pianos and electronic effects also appear in places throughout the album, making for a rather bizarre, albeit intriguing listen as a whole. And to be fair, there are several moments where Aldrahn employs a rather calming hum or clean vocal approach to the great dismay of all black metal kvltists. It’s safe to say that Aldrahn, Vicotnik (ex-Code, ex-Manes, ex-Ved Buens Ende) and new guitarist Thunberg (ex-Strongwater) certainly prove their mettle and offer literally dozens of riffs, aside from all of the other variations of madness that drummer Sakaran aka Terghl (Grand Alchemist) tries his absolute best to keep up with. There are literally three men playing guitar and each one of them seem to have pockets full of bells and whistles, which is exactly what you’re getting here. It’s not a mess – rather it’s a beautiful mess. A Umbra Omega is an absolutely mind-blowing effort to the listener that has grown sick and tired of copy/paste formulas and music that follows any sort of a standard structure. Despite all of the occult knowledge I seem to have absorbed in my time on this planet, I cannot simply tell you exactly what in the seven hells this record is about, but that in itself seems part of the journey. Dødheimsgard never have been one to make a very blunt or easy to absorb album, and fans of forward-thinking metal will bow down to this release as if it were a golden idol. I’ve no doubt that there will be various men and women of all sorts who will find this record overly enjoyable and will be filling their ears with it for another decade to come. Dødheimsgard might have begun as a run of the mill black metal act back in the nineties, but ever since they graced us with 666 International, it’s safe to say that things have never been the same. For a record that simply gets better with more listens, I would most certainly consider it a must for all those anticipating. Your patience has been rewarded with one of the most obscure records possibly ever recorded. As a matter of fact, listening to this and the new one from Decline Of The I back to back might even open up the door to another dimension. You’ve been warned… (Eric May)
