Djevelkult : “Drep Alle Guder”

May 3 , 2022 | 18:18

BG2 от 2EN

The Norwegian scene, as you know, is one of the pioneers in the genre and is undoubtedly rich in artists who not only make history, but also raise the bar with each of their subsequent albums.
That being said, overcoming the barriers and being among the distinctive names as a musician from this scene is definitely a huge step and not everyone is able to take it.

Djevelkult appeared in 2009 under the name Skadefryd, given by the vocalist, guitarist and main ideologue of the band Dødsherre Xarim, after he left Kvaelt – a band where he played together with Malphas from Endezzma, and an year later the band changed its name to the now very well known one.

The first demo appeared in 2011, entitled “Skapt av Helvetesild” and quickly caught the attention of underground fans around the world. It was thanks to this recording and wonderful songwriting that a few years later Djevelkult signed with Morbid Shrine Productions in connection with the release of their debut album, “I djevelens tegn” (2014).

From the very beginning of their musical path, the band strictly follows the core of black metal and the themes of misanthropy, darkness and blasphemy. The band itself has always claimed that its vision and that of black metal itself has always been and will be the darker side of life. It is precisely this ideology that is the main reason for founding the group itself – to explore the darkest possible corners of consciousness and what is beyond death and time.

Considering black metal to be a timeless art without any limits, Djevelkult absolutely never strived to go into specific frames and sound the same as their previous records, although their music tends to absorb the atmosphere of the second wave of black metal and is inspired from names like Gorgoroth, Tsjuder, Koldbrann and others.

Thus said, Djevelkult’s third full-length album brings no less darkness, misanthropy and deadly malice than the previous two albums, and this time the band seems to be somehow even more mature in sound and at the same time relying even more on their creativity. Here again we have lyrics in both English and Norwegian, as of course it is based more on the native language of the musicians.

The intro to the first song, “Drep Alle Guder” begins with an introductory excerpt from The Beast Must Die (1974).
Translated as “Kill all the gods”, the title of the song is a very good description of the blasphemous, animalistic and powerful atmosphere that sets the tone of the whole album. We have everything in this song – long crazy guitar solos, fierce vocals and traditional Norwegian cold, wrapped in manic wild energy.

In “Dødbringer”, the high-pitched screams are combined with rhythmic drums, cold-cut guitars and bass, creating an epic chaos, perfect for a victorious anthem during battle. At the end of the song, the vocals of Dødsherre Xarim are so emotional that you fall into weightlessness and freeze in a place lost among the soundscapes.

“Fordømmelse”, the penultimate song from the album, shows a unique and very beautiful composition, capturing atmospheric soundscapes, such as the pulsating rhythm of drums and melodic raw guitars, serving as background fot the lower vocals of Dødsherre Xarim, as they are all pushed aside in the middle of the song and replaced by an exploding passage of high vocals and demonical fast tempos, which gives the song insane dynamics and makes it very interesting for the ear.
Add to that the fact that at the end of the song we can hear clean ritualistic chants and it’s clear – the song is exploding with creativity and contributes with a huge charge to the album.

Each of the songs on the album is forged by a deadly fire and conquers with its sharp straightforwardness and beautiful atmospheres, leading to deep gloomy spaces, and in just over half an hour the album passes through the listener like pulsating lava, all-consuming and uncompromising.

Not to be missed is the cult cover of Misanthropic Art, which fully corresponds to the atmosphere of the album – black metal cult, a ritual of darkness. Death and unclean forces, towering over the bones of God-fearing Christian souls.

Blasphemy, darkness, pure misanthropy and razor-sharp Norwegian black metal, presented with a powerful emotional charge and dancing atmospheres ranging from raw malice to melodic soundscapes.
“Drep Alle Guder” haunts the space and draws you to the darkest rituals, making you part of the mind-boggling integrity of timelessness.