Originally written by K. Scott Ross.
Over its twenty-odd years of existence, “black metal” has grown to be a large and frankly confusing genre. When somebody says a band is “black metal,” it could mean anything from a lone guy howling in caves in the wilderness to Motörhead with fewer card games and more demon raising. The landscape has been shifting even more rapidly in the past few years, with bands like Deathspell Omega somehow becoming the banner bearers for new and scary blackness. Germany’s Dysangelium is new to the musical world, and although they’ve existed since 2009, it was only in 2013 that they released their first demo. They definitely fall into the “most modern” camp of black metal, and their debut full-length, Thánatos Áskesis, is well worth the attention of those who care to hear the evolution of the style.
Dysangelium is a quartet with a dedicated singer, and they adhere to the grand old tradition of stage names, corpse paint, and secrecy. The vocalist is named Sektarist 0, while one guitarist goes by “Götzenzertrümmerer.” The other band members chose more simplistic names; T., C.H., and A.N.L. for the other guitarist, bassist, and drummer, respectively. Little else is known of them. Aside from Sektarist 0, who was the vocalist in the now defunct Udraborokh, none of the members has any past band affiliation, nor are their actually names revealed. This attitude works well for black metal, as lyrics about devils and the reign of chaos are somehow more palatable when delivered by unknown and pseudomystical beings than, just to give a prominent example, Adam Darski, leukemia survivor and free speech advocate.
There’s a thick, dark, and frenetic sound in Dysangelium’s music. They successfully use both guitarists and the bassist to give counterpoint melodies and thick soundscapes. Even slow arpeggiated chords sound meaty and powerful, but with an organic guitar tone that ultra-modern production often strips away. The band is particularly skilled at syncopation; witness the neck-snapping fury of “Chaomega” for just a taste. Interestingly enough, “Chaomega” and “Obelisk of the Sevencrowned Son” were both featured on the demo Leviaxxis that Dysangelium released in July. The songs are nearly identical, but these album versions sound louder and more distinct, particularly in the guitars. In this critic’s mind, the change is for the better, but if you prefer an ultra-raw lo-fi sound, you might be disappointed by the change in production.
Sektarist 0’s vocals are of particular note, as he employs a loud bellow that has more in common with hardcore singers than snarlers like Quorthon or Maniac. The lyrics as well are poetic and fairly intelligible. This is a high mark for the band, despite the fact that they are, at heart, still lyrics about dark lords and chaos. The attention to the lyrics makes these songs feel like high-class dark fantasy, not some sort of “evil kids campfire songs.”
Thánatos Áskesis is about 46 minutes long, but it feels more like 30. This is a testament to the band’s ability to craft something invigorating and enthralling. When “I Am the Witness, I am the Servant,” the final and longest track on the album rolls around, you’re left thinking “already?” A band like this should keep you wanting more. If Dysangelium truly is the future of black metal (as this critic suspects), then the genre is in good hands. Dysangelium doesn’t sound like Deathspell Omega. And that’s good. We already have many bands playing that particular style.They don’t sound old school like Abazagorath, and they don’t sound new age like Nasheim, they don’t sound hardcore like Hexis. And yet they don’t have a sound that makes one say “Wow, this is completely new and foreign and different.” It sounds like good black metal. Black metal in 2015.
