Metalcatto
It’s been a while since we’ve had decent Black Metal emerge from the pit. Enter Doedsvangr with Within The Flesh, an album sporting one of those cover arts that makes you take this whole thing way too seriously. I’ve been let down before, so my defenses are high. I can’t be hurt again. Either way, that discussion is for my shrink. In the meantime, let’s wonder just how Norwegian this thing can possibly get.
If you thought “more Norwegian than a cheese slicer,” then you were totally right. Within The Flesh manages to sound more like Satyricon and more like Tjolgtjar than those bands have sounded in years. If anything, it feels like a Watain take on that classic Norwegian formula—the one that made the genre legendary in the first place. The riffs are so sharp they could cut through a truck tire without effort. The ice is abundant here, frozen and unforgiving. It’s been a long time since I was stabbed with a blade this poisonous. The cold seeps through the speakers and settles directly in the bones.
There are traces of the Icelandic school present as well. Lots of atmosphere and songs that run for what feels like eternities, but in the best way possible. However, the aggression and essential evil remain intact throughout. The album might slow down occasionally, but that doesn’t mean it ever reaches numbing dimensions. It’s simply the soundtrack for some pagan and heinous crimes unfolding in a frozen forest, yet it remains dynamic and in constant change. Nothing overstays its welcome, even when the tracks stretch past conventional lengths. Still, I need to highlight a few things now.
The album’s production is particular, to say the least. It goes for that coveted 90s sound, but it feels incredibly saturated in a way that might divide listeners. Those guitar and bass tones are nothing short of overwhelming at times. Or maybe I’m just not a fan of the white noise lurking in the background of every track. It makes me unreasonably mad. Oh, and well, the album essentially has two modes: blasting and ultra blasting. Don’t expect anything in between. No ballads, no acoustic interludes, no moments to catch your breath. Just relentless, frozen assault from start to finish.
Within The Flesh is Black Metal that delivers with a pace and attitude that almost made me recover faith in the most traditional side of the genre. I know, I know—we’ve heard it all before. But consistency needs to be rewarded here and there, especially when it’s executed with this level of conviction. So, next time you want to sacrifice a hamster on your closet altar, Doedsvangr has provided a nice soundtrack for such disturbing tasks. May your rituals be frostbitten and your neighbors suitably concerned.
Label: Soulseller Records
Release date: 20 Mach, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/doedsvangrofficial
Country: Many places!
Score: 3.7/5.0
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