Dødheimsgard
Dodheimsgard is a Norwegian metal band from Oslo. It was founded in 1994 by Björn " Aldrahn " Dencker and Yusaf " Vicotnik " Parvez as a pure black metal band, but changed their style with the 1999 album 666 International with the inclusion of avant-garde elements and elements from the Industrial Metal towards experimental progressive Metal with various influences. The band's name means roughly, home of the dead ' or simply, realm of the dead '. Since 2000, use Dodheimsgard self name the abbreviation DHG.
Band History
In July 1994, the band recorded a demo tape with three tracks, which was not published.
In 1995 published Dodheimsgard on the German label Malicious Records, which until 1997 mainly bands of the Norwegian Black Metal (such as Gorgoroth and Borknagar also ) distribution, their debut album Kronet til konge. Aldrahn took over the vocals and the guitar, the drums Vicotnik. The bass played Gylve " Fenriz " Nagell of Darkthrone and an Isengard.
The follow-up album Monumental Possession was released in 1996 also on Malicious Records. On this album took Jonas Alver of the band Emperor the bass parts, the second guitar playing the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Jørgen Ole " Apollyon " Moe ( Immortal, Aura Noir ).
In 1998, the EP Satanic kind was published on the Norwegian label Moonfog Productions, which was founded by Sigurd "Satyr " Wongraven ( Satyricon ) and Tormod opedal. As with the previous albums, sang and played guitar Aldrahn. Vicotnik also took some vocal parts and now also played guitar, but under the pseudonym "Mr. Fixit ". Apollyon played this time only drums. Svein Egil Hatlevik of the band played a Fleurety under the pseudonym " Hologram " keyboards and piano. Thomas Rune " Galder " Andersen of the band Old Man's Child played a few guitar parts and Stine Lunde the violin in the song Traces of Reality.
It was followed by the album 666 International, which was released on Moonfog Productions in 1999. Aldrahn, Vicotnik, Apollyon and Hologram (this time under the pseudonym " Mr. Magic Logic" ) remained part of the cast And it came Carl- Michael " Czral " Eide ( he worked among others with Satyricon, Ved Buens end and Aura Noir ). He took over the drums and guitar parts.
In 2003 Aldrahn Dodheimsgard left and it was quiet around the band. Only in 2006, Mat " Kvohst " McNerney was announced as the new singer.
Eight years after the last publication of the album Supervillain Outcast was released on 26 March 2007 in Norway and on 17 April 2007 worldwide Moonfog Productions. The line-up on this album compared to the previous has changed a lot. Only Vicotnik, now also sampling and sound effects programmed along with the guitar work and Czral remained on drums. In addition to the new singer Kvohst Tom " Thrawn " Kvålsvoll came on guitar, Kristian " Clandestine " Eidskrem on bass and Mort added, which also sampelte and programmed. Shortly after Czrals drum recordings he was the victim of an accident in which he crashed out of the window and was paralyzed in both legs. For this reason he left also left the band and had to be replaced.
Style
Concept and texts
Vicotnik, who describes himself as a Satanist and still relies on the rules of the 1990 -Black Metal scene, regarded as essential lyrics. You should to the song, the album and fit together and be copies of each other. Him it is a matter to put the listener on the topics and texts questions and create thoughts and visions in their mind; he even prefer albums that attract him in not a musical point.
On the first album Kronet til konge are both songs with Norwegian as well as English texts. From the follow-up album Monumental Possession lyrics are written throughout in English.
The album contains 666 International nine actual title, the last one is completion, but are still after that another 59 hidden tracks without content, so that the album contains 66 tracks and thereby achieved a playing time of 66 minutes and 6 seconds. This concept emphasizes the title of the album.
Dødheimsgards album Supervillain Outcast, in German, outcast super villain ', deals with the recognition of "mechanical, faceless structures " and the emancipation of these to a " lonely, dark place " to find within themselves and from there to define all things new; in this process we recognize his abilities. In a biblical sense translated, means Supervillain Outcast Satan, Lucifer questioned the structures of its environment and took on the role of an outcast. In his own kingdom, he fulfilled his self-imposed prophecy. At issue here is the sprinkling of the frame of their own situation and the evolution on the other side. Vicotnik put in this album emphasis on taboo - oriented texts with traces of paradox and irony.
Music
The music of Dodheimsgard is referred to by the music press and advertising as an avant-garde Black Metal. However, the presence of its own genre, the Avant -garde Metal called, is controversial, which is why the band usually the Progressive Metal, because of the electronic elements of the Industrial Metal or because of the band's roots in the Norwegian Black Metal scene Black Metal is assigned. An exact assignment is not possible due to the various influences. Vicotnik assigns the band Black Metal, which is defined more mental and less sound. Karagiannidis Panagiotis Paths of metal refers to the band themselves as " outstanding Black Metal genre ."
The music of the debut album Kronet til is konge classic Norwegian black metal variety with a catchy drum track, typical melodic guitar lines and harsh screeching vocals with Hall Effect (Reverb ). In retrospect, the album garnered good reviews, because it sounds very true to style, but above all, the absence of new elements or a more progressive approach has been criticized.
This progressive approach came with the successor publication Monumental Possession. On this album the band had incorporated elements from the Thrash Metal in the vein of Bathory and avant-garde elements.
Still further, the band went on their EP Satanic Art Here keyboards and piano are used for the first time and be heard, even sound effects and samples. The speech samples from Traces of Reality and Wrapped in Plastic originate from the television series Twin Peaks. In the song Traces of Reality is a violin in addition to hear that contributes to creating the dark atmosphere. This EP can be seen as a first look at the strong musical change, the band with 666 International struck only a year later.
In 666 International Dodheimsgard Black Metal mix with different elements, especially from the Industrial Metal and Cybergrind. The result is an unconventional at first glance, chaotic sound in the very catchy rhythmic points alternating with incredibly fast blast -beat passages. A good Sample is the title of Ion Storm, the first of all electronic background sound begins with almost spoken text with partial onset guitar riffs and then progressively builds up tension. The vocals on the album is very varied. It no longer involves only the classic Screaming vocals of black metal, but is usually screamed, sometimes growling. The cause of the crass musical change can, among other things, the influence of other Norwegian experimental- avant -working bands are called, which are also published on Moonfog Productions and where many members of the band came from as Ved Buens end, Fleurety and Aura Noir.
Supervillain Outcast poses a significant evolution of the band. The music appears partly influenced by oriental music. The reason for this Vicotniks is half Indian descent. He tries mitzuverarbeiten its cultural origins in his music. In the song Snuff Dreams Are Made Of one hears oblique flute tones, alternating with a didgeridoo -like sound synthesizer, creating a driving rhythm is generated. On the album " screaming " guitar tones are continuously squeaking and rushing electronic sounds, but also produced by bending used. The pace and structure of the songs often exchanged. The vocals of the new singer Kvohst is as diverse as the Aldrahns on the previous album, but very often clear, mostly polyphonic singing is used in the background. The title Secret Identity is a pure a cappella canon. The overall atmosphere of the album can be described as disturbing, alternately depressed and angry.