UMUR "Black Medium Current" is the sixth full-length studio album by Norwegian avant-garde/progressive black metal act Dødheimsgard. The album was released through Peaceville Records in April 2023. It´s the successor to "A Umbra Omega" from March 2015. Eight years also passed between the release of "Supervillain Outcast" (released in March 2007) and "A Umbra Omega", so the long time between albums isn´t unusual for Dødheimsgard. There have been a few linuep changes since the predecessor as lead vocalist/guitarist Aldrahn has left and along with him also drummer Sekaran aka Terghl. The latter has been replaced by Myrvoll, but Aldrahn has not been replaced. Instead band leader Vicotnik has taken over the vocal duties in addition to handling guitars, synthesizers, effects, and programming. Tommy "Guns" Thunberg (lead guitars) and L.E. Måløy (bass, piano, cello, theremin, effects) remain from the lineup who recorded "A Umbra Omega" along with Vicotnik.

In essence "Black Medium Current" continues the progressive/avant-garde black metal style of "A Umbra Omega", but Dødheimsgard have grown as composers and musicians since the latter mentioned release. The compositions are more fluent and natural in structure, less abstract and more atmospheric. It´s also less technical and experimental than the predecessor. In the case of "Black Medium Current" that´s not a complaint though, but instead a praise, because some of the songwriting ideas on "A Umbra Omega" didn´t always work. It often felt like Dødheimsgard wanted to do more than they were capable of or reached the limits of their songwriting abilities. "Black Medium Current" is more economic in that sense and it´s an important factor when evaluating why this is such a strong release. Dødheimsgard have found the right balance between epic atmospheres, odd avant-garde songwriting ideas, progressive song structures, and their as always strong musicianship. Vicotnik steps up with no problems delivering both strong raspy black metal vocals and various types of melancholic, sorrowfilled, and sometimes desperate sounding clean vocals (even occasionally bordering deranged). The many choirs, harmony- and backing vocals provide interesting textures to that part of the music, and it´s hard not to be impressed by how intriguing and well performed "Black Medium Current" is (both the vocals and the instrumental part of the music). The lyrics are performed in both Norwegian and English.

Stylistically it´s hard to describe exactly how Dødheimsgard sound, because they sound very much like their own. It´s difficult to reference other artists, but the progressive mindset of artists like Opeth, Ihsahn, and Enslaved aren´t all wrong (Hail Spirit Noir should also be mentioned as a possible valid reference), but still not completely true. The slight industrial influence which Dødheimsgard have previously flirted with is minimal on "Black Medium Current", although a track like "Interstellar Nexus" still features a touch of it. "Black Medium Current" is the type of album which needs to be listened to, to truly be able to understand how it sounds. The many different influences and musical elements combined offers the listener a unique listening experience, which just isn´t easily described.

It´s a long album featuring no less than 9 tracks and a total playing time of 69:36 minutes, but not a second of that playing time is wasted on anything non-essential. The album is loaded with epic melancholic atmospheres, interesting changes in texture and dynamics within- and between tracks, and a generally otherworldly/alien approach to writing music. The way the futuristic synths sometimes come in and change the tracks, or surprising moments like the absolutely brilliant closing minutes to album opener "Et Smelter" or the epic melodic choir middle section of "Tankespinnerens Smerte" prove not only the brilliance of Dødheimsgard, but also bring great emotional impact. Atmospheric album closer "Requiem Aeternum" is definitely an example of the latter too.

"Black Medium Current" features a clear, detailed, and powerful sounding production. It´s not a raw black metal oriented sound production, and the most harsh black metal parts of the music sound relatively civil and even a bit polished (not sterile though), but that type of sound production perfectly fits the material on this release. Upon conclusion "Black Medium Current" is a high quality release from Dødheimsgard, proving once again that they are one of the most interesting and unique progressive/avant-garde black metal acts out there. A 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

siLLy puPPy DODHEIMSGARD began in 1994 Oslo as a fairly typical second wave black metal band in the likes of Darkthrone, Satyricon and a large number of other bands taking metal into the depths of darkness but like many early players got a bit bored with the one-dimensionality of the scene and by the band’s third album “666 International” went rogue by taking black metal into the world of the avant-garde with heavy doses of industrial bleakness, occasional jazzy interludes and a sense of wackiness more reserved for totally unhinged bands like Mr Bungle but somehow the band showcased an extreme discipline in crafting an album’s worth of exciting musical motifs that defied logic with reckless abandon and ultimately put DODHEIMSGARD on its own trajectory of the ever-expanding black metal scene.


In the 1990s the band released a total of three albums and an EP all with the span of a four year period but in the 21st century has only released a mere three making us wonder if DODHEIMSGARD will ever release another album or just simply disappear into the past. Well luckily the band is simply more obsessed with quality over quantity and has released its sixth overall album in 2023 titled BLACK MEDIUM CURRENT, a whopping eight years since its avant-garde bombshell “A Umbra Omega.” Like every album since the 1998’s EP “Satanic Art,” DODHEIMSGARD has once again taken its music into new territories without jettisoning the sounds that came before. Still primarily stepped in second wave black metal with the addition of industrial bleakness, BLACK MEDIUM CURRENT jettisons a lot of the brutal progressive hairpin turns and surreal nature for a much more melodic and emotional expansive release.

Yes indeed. Still experimental as ever, DODHEIMSGARD has forsaken a ruthless attack of the senses for a more easily connective style that incorporates folk music melodies along with the melodic underpinnings of the original second wave black metal scene only with a top notch production and mixing job that allows every element to live up to its full potential, an attribute that has been the band’s bailiwick for well over two decades. Once again this is a lengthy listening experience as DODHEIMSGARD is very much into anchoring itself in the modern reality and has delivered a near 70-minute roster of nine tracks with the majority exceeding the 7-minute mark. Led by drummer guitarist / drummer / vocalist Vicotnik, the band finds yet another lineup with Lars Emil Måløy of If Nothing Is; "Tommy Guns," or Tommy Thunberg, of Kirkebrann; and Øyvind Myrvoll who is Vicotnik's partner in crime in Dold Vorde Ens Navn and a collaborator of Mayhem's Teloch in Nidingr.

Immediately BLACK MEDIUM CURRENT sets itself apart from it’s avant-garde predecessor with a melancholic yet melodic opening “Et Smelter.” While the black metal guitar heft and industrial electronic wizardry soon join in, the album remains for its entirely much more accessible than anything since the “Satanic Art” EP with super catchy vocal hooks that anchor the album’s accessibility with the avant-garde black metal shenanigans that accompany. While many an extreme metal band has “sold out” their experimental principles for a go at a more accessible and commercial sound, DODHEIMSGARD successfully manages to add all the emotive heart string tugs without sacrificing the insouciant urge to sally forth into the realms of the experimental, a feat that has kept DODHEIMSGARD regarded as one of the most accomplished musical acts in the murky waters where extreme black metal, progressive rock and the experimental avant-garde meet.

Overall this is a masterful accomplishment and although each and every DODHEIMSGARD throws me off guard upon first listen, it more than rewards upon return visits. BLACK MEDIUM CURRENT is no exception in that matter. While i still find “A Umbra Omega” to be the band’s most accomplished moment, this sixth album certain is not too far behind although some tracks like “It Does Not Follow” tend to meander at times in a repetitive loop that could’ve been trimmed down but basically all those masterful guitar licks laced with time signature excesses and hairpin twists and turns that result in high octane industrial metal to slow downtempo fueled electronic chill out moments are still found in plentitude. In essence, DODHEIMSGARD crafts music that is the absolute pinnacle of avant-garde progressive extreme metal with the added bonus of a production job that allows every element to shine like a sparkling diamond. While it would be easy to go astray doing this tightrope act, DODHEIMSGARD has proven time and time again that it was made to bring these hi brow visions of metal utopia to light.

siLLy puPPy Out of all the black metal bands to emerge from the Norwegian scene in the 90s perhaps none have strayed so far from its roots as has Oslo’s DØDHEIMSGARD and while not exactly the most prolific band having only released a mere five albums and one EP since its 1994 formation, nevertheless continues to sporadically release some of the most challenging and bizarre avant-garde metal releases that still retain the black metal template which launched their existence. The band which has had numerous lineup changes since its formation has had as many stylistic shifts culminating in the innovative industrial / black metal hybrids of “666 International” and “Supervillain Outcast.” The former was released all the way back in 2007 and then the band seemingly fell off the face of the Earth but in reality was slowly conjuring up its biggest surprise of all, namely 2015’s fifth full-length release A UMBRA OMEGA (In The Shadow Of Omega).

This is an entirely new lineup for DØDHEIMSGARD with only founding member Vicotnik still around over twenty years later and the result is truly an entirely new sound that takes black metal into even stranger more challenging extremes. This is an album that i had to wait several years to fully grasp as it eluded me for the first few listens, a feat that is almost non-existent in my reality since as a music nerd i’m fairly quick to latch onto musical challenges but despite the fairly accessible opening hooks that exist on A UMBRA OMEGA, the album delivers a labyrinthine system of alternating between high octane black metal outbursts (usually at the beginning of the six tracks and then revisited) along with a mix of everything from post-metal sounding segments, Floydian space rock, classical piano runs and even trip hop amongst others. While not the first to employ such adventurous tactics of juggling disparate genres, the beauty of A UMBRA OMEGA is how seamlessly integrated all these extra touches are stitched together and add a perfectly polished production job and you will be treated to a perfect avant-garde metal delivery if only you have the patience to allow this near impenetrable fortress of sound to open its gates for your arrival.

Like any album that excels in complexities rarely reached in a musical format, A UMBRA OMEGA is one that requires 100% of your attention being focused on every intricate development of the musical flow. If this music is thrown on willy nilly as background music then this will sound like utter gibberish. The six tracks meander all over the place but the melodic development does provide a stream of consciousness which threads it all together so this album isn’t as impenetrable as some of the most extreme examples of avant-prog or some of the avant-jazz fueled brutal prog out there. This one almost sounds like it was constructed like an electronica album that implements changes in tone clusters and timbres dressed up in musical styles to convey its message. The tracks start out with bombastic black metal fueled tremolo guitar riffs and blastbeats but after a while they dissolve into more surreal passages that generate electronic fueled space rock accompanied by classical piano. Perhaps even stranger yet is the weird shared vocal styles of Vicotnik and Aldrahn’s semi-spoken heartfelt lyrical deliveries that literally sounds like nothing else i’ve ever heard.

This is definitely a case of a band going for the art rock jugular as this is a truly challenging listening experience where every sonic addition is a stroke on a magnanimous musical canvas where no compromise is made for the sake of the non-musical types out there who don’t embrace the pinnacle of artistic evolution and while the whole project may come off a bit self-indulgent and disconnected from the pulse of the commercial metal scene, that’s exactly the point. This is the type of musical project that is targeted for those interested in hearing something hitherto unexperienced. After a few years of letting this one sink in, i can only conclude that this is a work of genius and continues the intermittent legacy of Norway’s weirdest extreme metal band in perfect form. Clearly DØDHEIMSGARD is a musical project that emphasizes quality over quantity and with A UMBRA OMEGA, the band produced its most intricately sophisticated oeuvre to date. Although Aldrahn departed in 2016, a new album has been purported to be in the making. Where will this strange band go next? It is futile to even attempt such a prediction. Simply wait patiently and find out when that day comes.

siLLy puPPy After two albums of fairly orthodox and good old fashioned second wave Norwegian black metal, DODHEIMSGARD started to get a lot more experimental and playful with their demented and devilish musical madness. Serving as a tradition of sort, they released an EP titled SATANIC ART in 1998, two years after their second album “Monumental Possession” and a year before their third “666 Internation.” SATANIC ART finds the band at an interesting halfway point between their second wave black metal origins and their avant-industrial leanings that follow.

SATANIC ART finds not only another lineup change but a few guest musicians adding all kinds of interesting new elements to the band’s new fangled black metal smorgasbord. This EP despite its short duration offers many transitions and not only musically. Svein Egil Hatlevik aka Mr. Dingy Sweet Talker Women Stalker (Fleurety) would debut as keyboardist and Galder (Dimmu Borgir, Old Man’s Child) would pick up extra guitar duties but only on this one release. Cerberus replaced Jonas Alver on bass.

“Oneiroscope” introduces the new Dodheimsgard with a piano piece that sounds like demented carnival music in a minor chord or even a psycho-drama flick soundtrack piece with lots of murder scenes. While “Traces Of Reality” reverts into the super bombastic black metal of the past, it is punctuated by a “White Zombie-esque” sampling, eerie atmospheric keyboard effects and most surprisingly the guest musician Paganini virtuosity of guest violinist Stine Lunde. “Symptom” continues the black metal bombast but adds some underpinnings of industrial metal that would surface on “666 International.” “The Paramount Empire” also sticks to black metal a la “Monumental Possesion” but with a more loosy-goosy construct. The Finale “Wrapped In Plastic” is another piano driven outro.

Although this EP originally only clocked in at just under sixteen minutes, it exhibited more diverse elements than the first two albums combined. SATANIC ART has been virtually unattainable in a physical format at a decent price for two decades but has found at last a much needed rerelease in 2018 on Peaceville and adds a couple bonus tracks (“Black Treasure” and “Symptom (Alternate).” SATANIC ART is like dipping into the pool of avant-garde possibilities where obviously DODHEIMSGARD got the experimental bug and never looked back. Good for them because this is where they got really interesting and put themselves on the map in the metal world. Despite only being a little EP, this one is a monumental moment in experimental extreme metal.

siLLy puPPy DODHEIMSGARD jumped into the Norwegian black metal snake pit and became only one of many in the legions of Darkthrone imitators with their debut album “Kronet Til Konge,” which showed a group of angry misanthropic metalheads pulling off a really decent carbon copy version of albums like “A Blaze In The Northern Sky,” however quickly after they released their rather ho hum debut to the world, the band started to take itself a little more seriously and started upping their game by infusing more creativity into their second wave black metal shtick. While not quite reaching the out of the box approaches that would define them, on their second release MONUMENTAL POSSESSION some of the avant-garde explorations had already started to creep in but in the end this is a black metal album from start to finish.

While firmly steeped in the same black metal world as the debut, MONUMENTAL POSSESSION has a much more diverse palette of ideas this time around. Firstly there are more thrash leanings. While the trebly black metal tremolo picking is ubiquitous as are the blastbeats and buzzsaw guitar distortion, there are many periods of thrash riffing and even soloing. This is a stylistic fusion that would be abandoned in favor of heading down a more experimental industrial path but a blueprint for bands like Aura Noir to adopt in DODHEIMGARD’S stead. Initially released on the Malicious label before the band had become better known, this album had been rare and out of print prior to the 2016 reissue on Peaceville.

MONUMENTAL POSSESSION saw a lineup change, a feature common with many extreme metal bands. While Aldrahn and VIcotnik are back for a second round, Jonas Alver replaces Fenriz on bass and Apollyon joins the grew as second guitarist. Another aspect that makes this album much different than the previous is that Aldrahn, Apollyon and Vicotnik all share vocal duties with each having a distinct style that offers more variations in the vocal department than most black metal releases of the 90s. So in addition to the usual shrieked vocal style, Victonik offers his own bizarre croaked shouts not unlike the vocalist of Inquisition which offers a freakish sensibility to the mix.

The album is bookended by hellish sound collages that offer freaky ghoulish Satanic sounds accompanied by swirling dark ambient turbulence. It sets the tone for the album but the music is unapologetically brutal black metal with thrash elements sewn in for good measure. A huge step up from the debut and a clear link to the future is the fluid and frenetic percussive attack of Vicotnik who offers a much more varied array of drum abuse than the average second wave pummelation of skins. Avant-garde and jazzy, they point to some of the weirdness that would emerge on the most experimental albums like “666 International.” Overall, the music falls into the brutally melodic zone with distinct hooks that are augmented by the orotund bombast.

MONUMENTAL POSSESSION is a huge step up in terms of quality from “Kronet Til Konge” in every conceivable manner and while still firmly planted in the black metal universe is a surprisingly consistent and pleasant journey into the sickened Norwegian minds of these face painted miscreants. This is an album i actually enjoy and want to listen to. While this would be the band’s last true black metal album, it is one that displays their talents of pulling off more than a mere Darkthrone clone routine and finds the band coming of age just in time to jettison it for something else completely, a trait that would find DODHEIMSGARD drifting from album to album much like Ulver without ditching the metal sound altogether. Not as great as future releases but damn good for an orthodox 90s black metal release.