Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current (2023)

Delivering a complete ‘holy shit’ moment, today we have the legendary Dødheimsgard returning with their first full-length release in eight years with “Black Medium Current”. While the band has continued to play live and deliver some truly enthralling performances, this release shows that the years of waiting were not in vain as it is their best release to date. Featuring nine tracks and nearly 70 minutes of masterful Avantgarde Black Metal music, this release will blow you away from the first couple of minutes.

The madness commences with the mellow opening to “Et smelter”, a slow momentum building couple of minutes until the relentless waves of BM riffs make their way. With Vicotnik and Tommy Guns handling the guitars, this opener oozes melancholy and intensity, perfectly paired with unique vocal arrangements and a very oppressive atmosphere. This unique and chaotic vibe is nicely continued with the ravaging and temperamental “Tankespinnerens Smerte”, a track that nicely leverages dreamy vocals and brilliant melodic interludes.

Vicotnik’s ability to create intricate tempo changes and fulminating instrumentation alongside melody and highly melodramatic vocals is the main staple from this band and songs like “Interstellar Nexus” and “It Does Not Follow” are perfect examples of this. The weirdness and uniqueness of the band’s sound lies in the intricate mixture of styles and tempos blending perfectly in a chaotic and yet very lush and magical way as songs like “Halow” and “Det tomme kalde morke” seamlessly deliver. There are even some weird Industrial elements thrown in the mix that create even more bizarre magickal weirdness.

While all tracks are brilliant, “Abyss Perihelion Transit” and its outer space weirdness is definitely our favorite piece in this release. In general, “Black Medium Current” is one monumental step in the very unique and storied career of Dødheimsgard. There is a ton of madness perfectly blended in with lush vocal arrangements and dramatic atmospherics to create some of the most magical pieces of music we have heard in a long while. Don’t sleep on this release and make sure to hitch a ride on this psychotic journey.

Label: Peaceville Records

Release: April 14th, 2023

Genre: Avantgarde Black Metal

Country: Norway