Following up on 2022’s Svartsyn, Norwegian Black Metal legends Khold return with their latest grim studio offering. Album number eight, Du dømmes til Død, is a concept album about henchmen and various people being condemned to the death penalty throughout Norwegian history.
Khold – Du Dømmes Til Død (Soulseller Records)
Release Date: 22 March 2024
Words: Jools Green
On Du Dømmes Til Død, the dark but poetic lyrics are penned as always by vocalist/guitarist Gard’s wife Hildr, with Gard delivering them as usual with his inimitable gravelly sinister vocals.
There is one line-up change with this release, with Sarke’s guitarist Steinar now covering bass dutie. But sound wise it’s business as usual with Du Dømmes Til Død delivering yet another slab of raw, down-tuned, mid pace, groovy and addictive Black Metal spanning nine-tracks and thirty-three-minutes.
The album opens with Myrdynk with its slow ominous bass lines. This and the slow heavy pace makes for an unnerving combo when the precise raw and acerbic vocals are added. A powerful crawling beast of a track. The pace picks up and the more familiar Khold down-tuned groove takes prominence on the next piece Vanviddfaren.
Heks (Du Dømmes Til Død), which translates roughly as Witch (You Are Sentenced To Death), brings the pace up further with a dark rolling groove and searing lead guitar intro by Andy La Rocque. Further in, the bursts of sinister riffing, popping up between the lyrics, adds extra impact.
Skoggangsmann, which means Forester, is a catchy chugger with a sinister but groovy undercurrent and a good ebb and build to the pace. I challenge anyone not to join in with the catchy choral repeat of “Skoggangsmann.” I absolutely love this track.
After a haunting intro the next piece, Misgrep, develops even more emphasis on the rolling groove to its addictively raw, heavy and plodding sound. Midway you get a surprising and short squealing lead burst.
Trolldomsdømt, meaning convicted of sorcery, is guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine as it opens. Its eerie guitar and spoken intro switch up to a familiar rolling groove that ebbs and builds with bursts of punchy riffing popping up in the midst. The second half intensifies in pace briefly.
Although the next piece, Lædel, is slow and sinister to open, the pace again builds rapidly, expanding into a track that ebbs, builds and delivers excellent variance in both pace and direction.
The penultimate piece, Galgeberg og Retterbakke, is an absolute pounder of a track. It’s dark and intense and, overall, quite a bit more up-tempo than its predecessors. However, it switches between that and more groove. Finally, Dølgsmål is an eerie and suspenseful piece but with equal measures of engaging rolling groove.
Khold first grabbed my attention with their 2014 release, Til Endes, an album which blew me away with its unique style. 2022’s Svartsyn continued to feed my fascination, and this latest masterpiece, Du Dømmes Til Død maintains that irresistible attraction for me. It’s a superb album from start to finish.
Du Dømmes Til Død was recorded, mixed and mastered by Andy La Rocque at Sonic Train Studios, Sweden and will be available as a CD, limited edition vinyl in a choice of three colours or as a digital download via Season Of Mist, Code 7 via Proper (UK), Aisa / The Orchard (USA, Canada, Mexico).
