Kaosmakt

Dødsfall was formed in 2009 by Ishtar, a Mexican black metal musician who relocated to Sweden and ultimately to Norway, where the project is currently based. Kaosmakt is the band’s fourth full length album, which was released in the early part of 2015 through Osmose Productions. Ishtar provides guitars and bass on Kaosmakt and is joined by Adramelech (Skygge, ex-Astaroth) on vocals and current Valkyrja drummer J. Wallgren.

Kaosmakt continues Dødsfall’s tradition of no frills second wave black metal worship. If anything could be said about the band’s earlier work, it’s that their strict adherence to second wave aesthetics pigeon holed them into a sound that is rather derivative. Most of Kaosmakt flirts with the grand traditions of Darkthrone and Urgehal, that being cold trem riffing, rampant double runs and blasts and a tendency to shift into rather delicate and haunting minor key segments. The dissonant mid range screams are acerbic and hostile, but aside from a brief eerie clean segment the vocals are rather black metal by the numbers.

Most of the album plays through unceremoniously. The music is good, with thoughtful trem riffing and some chaotic songwriting, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is ground that has been tread numerous times before: bands like Beastcraft, Koldbrann and Svarttjern have peddled a similar style of second wave throwback black metal. The only thing really differentiating Dødsfall from the hordes of second wave emulators are some hook-laden, thrashy riffs thrown into the mix. “Fane av Kosmisk Hat” and “Fitte av Kristus” show just how these breaks of Aura Noir styled blackened thrash force open new avenues for the band, unfortunately, these riffs are seldom. Perhaps further development of the blackened thrash side of the band would help things, because even these thrashing elements seem to be buried amidst a heap of bland black metal.

Although Kaosmakt features competent musicianship and some decent bursts of chaotic, second wave styled black metal, the overall lack of variety and frankly bland songwriting keeps this from being anything more than derivative. Sure, those who gobble up anything that sounds like second wave black metal will no doubt like this, there’s really nothing to differentiate Dødsfall from the masses. Kaosmakt is just one of those albums that is decent while it’s on but fails to leave a lasting impression. Fans of Beastcraft, Svarttjern and Darkthone clones may get a kick out of this, but there are more solid acts out there.

Written for The Metal Observer.