Khold – Du dømmes til Død
Release Date: 22nd March 2024
Label: Soulseller Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Abbath, Immortal, Satyricon, Tulus.
Review By: Paul Cairney
8 albums in, Norwegian outfit Khold show no sign of relenting in their desire to serve punishing Black Metal. Du dømmes til Død is deliciously old school, as you would expect from a band who released their debut album 23 years ago. Once again, the lyrics are provided by Hildr, wife of vocalist Gard, and they are exclusively in the Norwegian tongue, something that helps set the album apart from their contemporaries.
What also sets Du dømmes til Død apart is that the band truly understand the power of the riff, yes Hildr may provide the lyrics, but the music is all Khold, and it borders on the masterful at times, with deep, genuinely heavy, riffs inserted within what can only be called a blackened groove. Although the album is a mere 33 minutes long, the 8 tracks on offer pack a gut punch with each and every listen.
Du dømmes til Død is a dark album, the title literally translates as ‘You are Sentenced to Death’, and the concept behind it is basically about people being condemned to the death penalty throughout Norwegian history. Tracks such as ‘Heks (du dømmes til død)’ (Witch (You are sentenced to death)) and ‘Skoggangsmann’ (Forest Walker) deliver a magnificently atmospheric and, dare we say, catchy mood and form part of a strong mid-section of the album.
The reality is, Du dømmes til Død is perhaps the quintessential black metal album for this era. Not bogged down by the ‘True Black Metal’ leanings of the late 20th century poseur black metal scene, Khold are able to flex their considerable muscles. They are able to include genuine metal riffs in the music, they can hint at groove, and yet they maintain the aura of genuine menace and evil throughout the album. Khold have the gravitas and the back catalogue to retain credibility within the scene that even the most ardent fans of 2nd wave of Black Metal should be able to identify with.
Well produced by Andy La Rocque, who also provides a bit of guitar on ‘Heks (du dømmes til død)’, Khold have also escaped the notion that great Black Metal albums need muddy production.
Du dømmes til Død could well be a gateway album to get metal fans into a much maligned genre. This is as high a praise as I can give it.
(4.5 / 5)
