Dødheimsgard – Black Medium Current
Release Date: 14th April 2023
Label: Peaceville Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Avant-Garde Black Metal
FFO: Thorns, Ved Buens Ende, Ulver.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Some 8 years ago, Dødheimsgard released their 5th album, and it was pretty much a stunner. Released some 8 years after their 4th album, it appears that the Norwegian Avant-garders – is that a thing? – like to take their time between albums.
This appears to be no bad thing. Black Medium Current is the bands 6th album, and it is a mightily impressive 9 track opus that lasts the best part of 70 minutes. The length of the album is pretty much irrelevant, however, as it crams a vast array of ideas that range from sublime keys to bat-shit crazy mentalness!
Perhaps there are only fragmented remnants that trap Dødheimsgard in the Black Metal realm. Black Medium Current does incorporate their past glories, but also sees the band hurtling along a new, almost experimental, trajectory. The opening track, ‘Et smelter’ is absolute proof of this. First appearance, at over 10 minutes long, you would suspect this is a tough start, but the track is immense! With a Black Metal core, the track twists and turns and has an ending that has to be heard to be believed. A multitude of ideas melded to create true metallic art.
Perhaps the greatest strength of Black Medium Current is the variety of vocals on offer. Guttural dirty vocals blend with soft, clean vocals. Harmonies sit alongside deliberate off-key vocals. You can only doff your cap to the imagination required to craft each of the tracks in such a manner that the ‘Avant-gardeness’ does not detract from the quality of the music. Sometimes, to be Avant-garde can be seen to be being deliberately obtuse, the art of making the listener step out of a musical comfort zone, whilst allowing them to retain a positive perception of what they are listening to is not always achievable.
Dødheimsgard control this with consummate ease. The tracks are well constructed, and not one of them feels its length. This is one sign of a well written, well-thought-out album.
Another sign is that it makes you throw up the horns with pure listening pleasure, something that Black Medium Current will encourage each and every listen.
(4 / 5)
