text: Oscar Wendt
Doedsvangr
Satan ov Suns
Immortal Frost Productions
March 27th, 2017
I’m sure that everyone who is into black metal is well aware of bands such as Horna, Tsjuder or Nordjevel. So what happens when you blend the talent and devotion of those musicians together? Doedsvangr is a new project, the resultant of the cooperation of Doedsadmiral, Shatraug and Anti-Christian. Sounds interesting? Well, they have a debut album, Satan ov Suns, just coming out on Immortal Frost Productions.
You don’t have to wait too long to be exposed to some absorbing sections of the album. The first track, Our Lord Cometh, already serves you with some balanced rhythms and the pleasing song composition. Also, one of the first things you catch is that the harmony in the album’s production seems to be satisfactory on many levels. Satan ov Suns doesn’t sound too polished and overworked but, at the same time, it’s very listenable and consistent. Then you get to the first slowdown in Doedsvangr and you know that this album will be back in your player. After having listened to Satan ov Suns several times, I still think that’s personal favourite. Those short blasts to come in the later part of the song combined with the main theme are purely insane!
Doedsadmiral’s vocals, which we already know from Nordjevel or Svartelder, are quite characteristic and, for some reason, give Doedsvangr that Norwegian feel. Both Shatraug and Anti-Christian have cut their teeth on black metal and it’s great to witness their experience combined. Shatraug’s previous musical ventures might be noticeable in Satan of Suns, but there is still something new, something that adds a fair dose of novelty to the album. The aggressive drumming style is somehow typical for Anti-Christian and it features rather complex and technical sections, perfectly known from Tsjuder.
Doedsvangr’s debut album continues to satisfy your ears throughout. Songs like Northern Watchtowers, Breath of Lucifer or the finishing Black Sun Nimbus are fantastically structured, permitting Satan ov Suns to sound very professional and deliberate. There’s no space for coincidences, this is a very mindful and conscious album and the creators’ awareness is emphasized in each song.
Satan ov Suns is a great consolidation of Norwegian and Finnish forces. Thinking about some great things that both countries have to offer to black metal I think of Doedsvangr. You combine skills, experience and determination to create something strong and you get Satan ov Suns. I really do hope that Doedsvangr project will turn to a proper band as it would certainly be interesting to witness it on stage.
Doedsvangr
Immortal Frost Productions
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