diseased remnants of a dying world

Dødsferd Remain Forever "Loyal to the Black Oath"

diseased remnants of a dying world

The weather, at least where I live, has been exclusively damp, cloudy, and cold for the past week — in other words, there’s no more perfect time to get into Diseased Remnants of a Dying World, the upcoming opus from storied Greek black metal veterans Dødsferd. Should you be instead blessed with warmer and sunnier surroundings, a sit-down with this band’s latest work will doubtlessly transform your inner climate into one befitting the album’s dreary and pessimistic themes. Test the waters with our exclusive premiere of the album’s penultimate track “Loyal to the Black Oath” below.

Diseased Remnants of a Dying World represents some of Dødsferd’s most expansive work over the course of their prolific career, reaching back over nine previous full-length records to their initial release in 2003. On their latest album, the band have channeled much of the scathing anger that characterized their previous work into sweeping elegies of despair and anguish, while still retaining every bit of the misanthropic potency that marks their discography. With a runtime of nearly nine-and-a-half minutes, “Loyal to the Black Oath” sits in the middle of the album’s five tracks in terms of length. If Dødsferd can be said to have mastered one thing on this album, it is the artful use of pacing and temperance in the creation of their mournful odes.

Vocalist Wrath kickstarts the proceedings with a stern declaration of presence, and the stilted riff which soon follows sets the tone appropriately not just for the rest of the song, but also for the greater album as well. It is unmistakably black metal, but the syncopated stutters and odd-time phrasing alert the listener in no unsubtle terms that preconceived notions of genre conventions may not necessarily apply. Three minutes later, guitarist Setesh lays down a solo that, while brief, can only be described as glorious — not something often found with many of Dødsferd’s genre peers, but which feels completely appropriate here.

Wrath’s vocal delivery is neatly divided into two distinct styles, both which he wields with technical excellence after a decade and a half of refinement. For most of the song’s first half, Wrath’s lyrics, unintelligible at best, claw their way up from the pit of his anguish, raking his throat and tongue with barbarous fingernails to emerge as frigid shrieks. As the song transitions from its dirgelike beginnings and accelerates to thrashier and blastier speeds, Wrath leaves his chilling howls behind in favor of his iconic, mucousy rasp, which he employs through to the song’s conclusion.

Dødsferd will release Diseased Remnants of a Dying World through Transcending Obscurity Records on December 14th on vinyl, CD, and digital formats, including a limited-edition autographed CD box. Pre-orders are currently live on Bandcamp.

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