Black Metal has always been a poorer brother to Death Metal for me. It’s a genre often billed as ‘the most shocking genre in Metal’ and stuff and I just don’t see it. Controversial maybe in terms of its murderous, church burning past (not to mention the airs of racism that run in certain bands). If anything Black Metal is just toxic. I don’t want to trash it completely though, there are still some really great things about it, one such thing being the band Dødsferd.

This highly underappreciated Greek trio have been belting out the darkness since 2001 and have released some truly striking material. Their first three albums being perhaps some of my favourite Black Metal material ever. Not to mention their more Punk effort in The Parasitic Survival Of The Human Race. I’ve always held them in high regard and their album Diseased Remnants Of A Dying World garnered much praise also. Now in 2021 we get the band’s latest EP Skotos (which actually includes the previously mentioned album as bonus tracks in certain versions). Today we look at the two new tracks from this Transcending Obscurity Records release.

Skotadi opens the EP with pure Black Metal fire! Excellent riffs which create this maniacal yet atmospheric air. Not to mention the hideous vocals, it’s a rough and raw Black Metal mix but one that is steeped in hooks and memorability, just fantastic. Second song Cursed To Die At First Light continues the themes with little more to offer to the mix really. I mean this is excellent Black Metal but nothing really that out of the ordinary for Dødsferd, just more fuel to the fire that prompts the question, why is this band not bigger?

All in all I’m impressed, well as impressed as I ever am with this band. I’ve been a fan of theirs for quite some time and enjoy pretty much all of their output. They aren’t exactly unique or anything, I mean this is just Black Metal with a dash of atmosphere. However, they are well rounded and that is something I’ve always loved about them. This is just great Black Metal, written in the old ways and carried out with finesse and brilliance as ever.

(8/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDodsferd

https://dodsferd.bandcamp.com/album/skotos-atmospheric-black-metal