It truly saddens me when I find people saying that black metal is dead or that newer acts don't have anything worth checking out anymore. It's a damn shame that anyone could ever find themselves loathing what the scene has become while people like me feel as though the sound has never been better. There's truly something for everybody out there should they want bands that worship the old vein or desire something new and fresh that offers a new take on what black metal can become. Tons of bands have embodied both, but few are able to encapsulate them in their own ways. Gjendød is far from a new name, but their eclectic run in just seven years has resulted in them achieving much in their time. Their fifth album proves to be no different.
Important is it to know that the very core of Gjendød's has always been a resoundingly intense breed of black metal that is not easy to keep down. Gjendød has done much with those central values to make four distinct albums that are feel like different faces to the same psychotic beast whose bloodthirst cannot easily be sated by a single mere body in the snowy woods. For their fifth album, "Livskramper", Gjendød clung to the melodic factor that we've seen within their sound here and there, but it's with a surprising level of emotion that takes into account everything from sorrow to despair to hate to profound sadness that's all wrapped in this fiery cloak of black metal that is still more than capable of pulling back and showing us a side of Gjendød that we've rarely seen before, if at all. Nothing feels off the table for "Livskramper" as Gjendød does a tremendous job at showing us that their particular breed of black metal is not just some powerhouse that has loads of venom and seething within every given moment, but it is able to quickly become three-dimensional and densely layered to make for what could be argued to be the most nuanced performance from Gjendød thus far. A single spin of this madness is not nearly enough to tackle all that Gjendød has brought forth for this creation with every track having some special to offer. Tons of flavor, all the fire that one could ask for from this kind of black metal, and loads of surprise to show us that Gjendød can still keep us guessing while consistently delivering the goods, how is "Livskramper" anything but a wild success for this rising Norwegian act?
While far from the most innovative or progressive act to find its way into the world of black metal, Gjendød still manages to subvert expectations while always making damn sure to revere the old ways without outright copying them in some pale attempt to ride off their very glory. We could pick any one of Gjendød's previous efforts to see that simple truth, but it is here with all eight tracks of "Livskramper" that we see it in such a compelling form that it demands our attention from beginning to end.
"Livskramper" releases on June 28th via Osmose Productions!
LISTEN to an advanced track from "Livskramper" on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.
LIKE Gjendød on Facebook here.
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