Raw Black Metal band Dødsferd from Ierapetra, Crete, is the largely solo project masterminded by Wrath (Nikolaos Spanakis) with the assistance of session/guest musicians. Dødsferd add further to their extensive discography with their latest compilation, consisting of rare old and new Dødsferd tracks, along with some very interesting cover songs by artists admired by Wrath. There are some fascinating choices in there that have really grabbed my interest, too.
Dødsferd – Purification Forms
Release Date: Out Now
Words: Jools Green
All the pieces fit in with the Dødsferd nihilism, anti-human, anti-religious, anti-massive, total chaos, death and destruction philosophy and are well suited for Wrath’s vocal and playing style, and equally importantly make for a hugely engaging listen.
The compilation opens with a cover of the Misfits We Are 138, an often-covered song by many, but I particularly like this version. It follows the basic feel of the original Misfits version, but it is faster and rawer. As a result, this is a hugely engaging listen, and I actually like it better than the original.
The next piece, Only Thorns Can Embrace Your Condemned Throne, has appeared in several forms on Dødsferd releases over the years. I love the opening bass work, giving a black ‘n’ punk mood to the piece, which blackens and becomes rawer as it progresses. There is an unrelenting drive to the sound with searing raw vocals that slice through like a jagged rusty knife. The screams are superbly deranged and angry. It is a confrontationally engaging listen.
Next is the self-titled piece Dødsferd, which first appeared on the self-titled demo back in 2004, as well as several other incarnations since. An excellent up-tempo dark driver with vocals delivering the lyrics with raw vitriol, especially the raw scream of “Dødsferd!”
The next piece is an interpretation of Carpathian Forest’s legendary piece from their Strange Old Brew album, He’s Turning Blue, and Wrath has done a superb job here. It is slightly cleaner than the original. Delivered as a punk-tinged driving beast of a track, with a largely full throttle paced delivery with slick direction swathes, the brief but ominous drops and a filthy groove are so addictive that it will have you leaping around the room. This version gets my full approval, and I think Roger “Nattefrost” Rasmussen would also approve.
The next piece Decay originally featured on Dødsferd’s 2017 EP Decay. A heavy driver with searing leadwork and acidic vocals, as it progresses, the pace elevates and intensifies into thrashy Speed Metal-tinged raw Black Metal, along with a deepening to the vocals, then a dramatic, sudden stop, a great piece.
The next piece is a cover of G.G. Allin’s Bite It, You Scum which first appeared on GG’s You’ll Never Tame Me from 1985. It stays true to the original but comes in harder and heavier. I do love a bit of GG, and I love this version. It does excellent justice to one of the most famous pieces by punk’s most outrageous artist.
Returning to the previously mentioned 2017 EP Decay, its B side was the next cover, Motörhead’s Ironfist, which was their last single to feature Lemmy, Fast Eddie and Philthy Animal. I love early Motörhead delivery in terms of their speed, and this cover is even faster, delivered at an utterly bonkers pace with higher vocals than Lemmy. It is a very Black/Speed Metal/punk-tinged interpretation, and it is insanely good.
Next, the 2025 version of Me Misos Sta Matia Vadizo Mprosta, which translates as With Hate In My Eyes I Walk Forward. Another intense driving beast that is guaranteed to get the blood pumping, the pace ebbs back midway briefly, but soon resumes that original driving pace.
Time for another cover in the shape of genre-defining Swedish Crust Punk Anti Cimex’s Braincell Battle. This version was rerecorded this year. The original is a great piece that comes in hard, fast and brutal and Wrath holds good to this but with a higher vocal delivery. Nonetheless, he does justice to this classic track.
Wrath returns to one of his own pieces next with a rerecorded version of Stachtes (Ashes). I love this piece. Vocally, it is raw and deeper than many of the other pieces here, reminding me a little of Klimørh of Narrenwind’s vocal style. Musically, itis a driving beast delivering a meld of black ‘n’ punk/raw Black Metal with searing bursts of leadwork for added impact.
The next two pieces, Turbonegro cover songs, were recorded especially for this compilation album to honour the memory of the late legendary Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby aka Hank von Helvete. Firstly, the hugely catchy and anthemic Wasted Again, with its uplifting swathes of lead work, followed by the engagingly up-tempo Prince Of The Rodeo, with its driving riffs and bursts of yet more searingly good leadwork. Both of these pieces are superb covers, particularly the guitar work, and make a fitting tribute to “Hank”.
The album closes on Forever Cursed. Recorded live in Athens, back in 2005, it is raw, brutal and superbly atmospheric. The subtly lo-fi quality recording encapsulates a true old school Black Metal basement venue live atmosphere. It is so good I can practically smell the corpse paint and sweat, pushing Dødsferd even further up my bucket list of bands I need to see live.
Purification Forms is an excellent collection of covers, rare pieces and reworked tracks and is out now in digital format and will be available as digipak CD, vinyl and cassette in February 2026 from FYC Records – fycrecords.com/dodsferd – or Dødsferd at Bandcamp: dodsferdofficial.bandcamp.com.
