
It takes time, luck, and extreme skill to become anything close to an icon. I’ve been raving about the excellence of Dødsferd since I first discovered the Greek phenomenon a scant three years ago, but it’s since then that I’ve truly been exposed to one of the most engaging and uncompromising acts that Greece and possibly even Europe as a whole as ever seen. Not even a full year after the band’s 20-year anniversary celebration, we’re given something truly special that I don’t think any of us were expecting: a sequel to what’s possibly the band’s most recognizable work to those who know the name. The original “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow” still stands as a pillar of what the band’s sound has become in the many years and volumes of material that have been churned out since. So, to hear of an impending sequel definitely tickled the brain by all accounts. It’s hard to go into such a work without all of your previous experiences screaming that this would be one of the most striking pieces of its kind that this year will provide.
Whether it be the simple fact of a new Dødsferd work or the actual runtimes of the two songs featured in this opus that catches your eye that eventually draws your ears in, there’s no shortage of reasons to fall into what this act has crafted for another scathing effort with every factor that plays into “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow II” being such a magnificent piece right from the beginning. But, for me, it’s easily the song lengths that catch me off-guard, for even though it follows in the same style of the album’s predecessor, it’s no less than exhilarating to fathom what Dødsferd can accomplish in a properly done and orchestrated 20 minutes. What follows is a nihilistic view on the feeble human existence and the bastardizing of nature done in a fashion that cannot be considered anything other than trademark from the likes of this act, but it’s even if we were to compare this work to anything that came before it that it would become difficult for me to not look back and consider this one of Dødsferd’s most complex and mature creations to date which is really saying something for a name with a reputation like this. There isn’t a single feasible moment spread throughout these 40 minutes of sleepless nights, burning forests, raped beauty, and unyielding unorthodox black metal the likes of which becomes all but haunting come the end of “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow II” with every factor of this sprawling masterpiece not only showing us why Dødsferd has still remained relevant even after twenty years of thriving in the Greek underground but why the act is a true phenomenon the likes of which we’re lucky to get even once every twenty years with an effort like what we’ve gotten here being stunning but somehow expected.
This year hasn’t been short whatsoever when it comes to grand works from bands new and old alike as we emerged from a year of madness and global confusion, but even when I put aside all of my previous experience with this band and look at what has been created here as objectively as I possibly can, I cannot help but find myself still unconditionally in love with everything that is brought forth to bring “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kill Will Follow II” into this disgusting world that we have tainted surely beyond repair. Dødsferd is not a name that should be new to any real black metal connoisseur who knows their stuff, but it’s any listener whether they be new or experienced in the dark language of Dødsferd that anyone should become utterly enamored by what has been laid forth on this work that can only be considered a magnum opus.
“Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow II” is out now! You can listen to “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow II” on Bandcamp here.
Track Listing:
- Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow: The Red Lake of Your Innocence
- Servants of Ego and Filth: The Bastard Sons of Nature
Just a metal head who loves just about all metal. I want to spread the word about the REALLY great bands out there, well known and underground. I do this for fun and don’t want any sort of money from doing reviews. It’s its own reward. I also do daily reviews for my own review site, Head-Banger Reviews, where the reviews are longer and daily as mentioned. No bullshit, just here to have some fun, listen to cool music and meet cool people.