Dødsferd has been a lot of things to a lot of people over the course of their storied career. With dalliances into everything from DSBM to blackened punk by way of more traditional black metal, the band has proven that they can do it all. Their work has remained largely confined to the black metal realm. When you are a straight up talented as these guys, why worry about stretching your wings anywhere else? Diseased Remnants Of A Dying World simply builds on this legacy of black metal excellence borrowing from a variety of notions that Dødsferd has developed over the years and many more.
The album hosts swaths of avant black metal clashing into sounds that one might think were ripped straight from Cascadia all on a stunning and bombastic sonic backdrop that lures the listener in and refuses to spit them back out. The Greeks of Dødsferd have proven once more that they are truly worthy of a place in the pantheon of vaunted black metal kings.
It's the sheer distillation of elements that serves to make Diseased Remnants Of A Dying World so addictive. The Agalloch-esque introductory track "My Father, My Wrath" paints a thrilling picture, but the record comes full circle being counterbalanced by the noisy madness of the album closer, "Back To My Homeland… My Last Breath". Throughout the record maintains a clear and defined continuity too. Whereas many of the band's peers might have difficulty with a release that is this expansive, it feels like Diseased Remnants Of A Dying World almost relishes the challenge of merging ideas.
There is something incredibly human about this record, from the immolated figure depicted on the album art to the stark realizations of our fragile reality, Dødsferd have tapped into something that defines us all. This is not a record that seeks to be pretty, but it frequently is. It's not a record that tries to be too dense, but it gives more with every listen. Through and through, it's a dynamic statement built on bombast and a deep understanding of this occult style of music that we have all fallen in love with.
Dødsferd have shown that they are among the true masters of black metal songwriting. They have refined five tracks that are immaculately put together and leave you without a dull moment. They can be just as abrasive as they can be beautiful, but the way the entire thing has been conceived and conjured up is what makes it ultimately meaningful. riving and exciting, Dødsferd have avoided many common pitfalls, though their execution is still not where it needs to be.
This is a band who clearly have a deep understanding of who they are and what they want, but as they grow there is a clear evolution that still needs to happen. That all being said, this is such a thrilling artistic statement that watching the band grow is going to be one of the true pleasures of the next few years in European black metal.
Score: 8/10
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