Under tiden jag sålde min själ till Satan

Dispyt is a band formed as kind of a side project from musicians active in bands such as Ondfodt and well-known Finntroll. While there might be some trademarks to be recognized in the sound of Dispyt the overall direction is quite a different one compared to the atmospheric and dense black metal played by Ondfodt and the light-hearted blackened folk of Finntroll. The second full length of Dispyt comes with the complicated title “Under tiden jag sålde min själ till Satan“ and brings some crusty and blackened death metal.

The riffing is kept in mid-tempo for most of the time and immensely powerful. The guitar tone is thick and buzzy, and together with the growled vocals there is a strong Swedish vibe inherent in the music. The songwriting is great and delivered without any kind of dull moments, with some well-placed tempo and rhythm changes giving the whole thing a great flow. With an emphasis on creepy yet funky melodies and an energetic not to mention all-out aggressive take on death and black metal, Dispyt tear through their compositions in a highly confident and determined manner. The great thing about this offering of theirs is that despite the crushing heaviness of the music it is surprisingly easy to get into. This surely is eerie and nihilistic music, but thanks to the fantastic guitar work and the stringent songwriting it is easy to enjoy the tracks here from the get-go.

The songs are all kept quite short and get straight to the point. Instead of sprawling transitions and lengthy introductions, the songs are direct and brutal. Despite the crashing sound, there are enough melodic moments to make your feet bounce. Personally, I still like Dispyt best when they take some time to build up, like in track number seven "Ödmjukhetens hand", and add a little variety. In any case, it's obvious that there are very talented musicians at work here, as everything is played to the point and every note is perfect. There is nothing overly complex about the music, just pure and unfiltered fun.

The production is absolutely powerful and really pushes forward. The guitar tone has an immense buzz and screams Entombed, Dismember etc., but enhanced by a punkish attitude and some blackened harmonies. The vocals were sung by all three gentlemen as far as I can tell and are dirty and perfectly suited to the music. The 13 numbers bring it altogether to a length of just 30 minutes, but due to the consistently high intensity you are flattened afterwards anyway. Under Tiden Jag Sålde Min Själ Till Satan" is probably less suitable for fine spirits, but those who want to have their auditory canals properly blown through again are exactly right here.