That horseshit saying that black metal is supposed to have no rules is rarely applied when discussing the bulk of current BM bands. The scene is so fragmented and divided, it doesn’t really matter who can establish themselves as the most true, so maybe that’s why Death Set the Beginning of My Journeyis so raw and enjoyable. Lone dude Wrath is just so unhinged and so savvy with his songwriting, that it’s so easy to get into this album (and band) that it’s not even a joke.
One look at the song titles might make one think otherwise, but when put into the context of the band’s very necro, but swathed in melody sound, it all comes together. Wrath handles everything (as he should) and never lays off the gas. Better yet, his tortured wails are truly terrorizing on “You Were Talking About A Kingdom, What the Fuck Is That?” evoking the spirit of one Varg Vikernes (Burzum).
When Wrath sets melody into motion, as in “Suicide Was Created By Your Competance” and more noticeably, “Death Set the Beginning Of My Journey,” Dodsferd’s songs become less about his ethos and deranged song titles and more about how well these compositions are put together.
Killer stuff across the board, Dodsferd is one of the few true, necro BM bands worth following. By no means does Wrath have this down to a science (he occassionaly gets too carried away), Death Set the Beginning of My Journey is one of the rare moments when music this primitive and primal becomes forward-thinking and engaging.
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)