Doedsmaghird was born out of chaos.
Following the release of the latest album by his main band, Dødheimsgard, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez aka Mr. Vicxit Baba Maharaja (Ved Buens Ende, Dold Vorde Ens Navn, ex-Naer Mataron…) teams up with Camille “Ms. Longue Vie Imminent Doom” Giraudeau (Dreams of the Drowned, Veule, Void, Ysengrin, ex-Smohalla, ex-Pilori…) to create Omniverse Consciousness, their debut album, which they release with the help of Peaceville Records.
The album gets off to a relatively ominous start with Heart of Hell, which opens with a cosmic introduction, then reveals its dark side when the screams and riffs begin, confirming an approach that is both modern and visceral. The irregular rhythmic pattern allows keyboards to bring a semblance of order to this electronically-driven chaos, but the more melodic final carries us through to Sparker Inn Apne Dorer, where strange sounds integrate with an aggressive rhythmic pattern, breaking to let the vocalist intervene. Dissonant Black Metal quickly resurfaces, but adopts the vocalist’s unpredictable nuances before a moment of floating, followed by Then, to Darkness Return where we quickly return to the abrasive hypnotic riffs for an icy but imposing performance. The sound softens on the opening moments of Endless Distance, creating an interesting contrast with the furious blast in the background, but the saturation will come back to haunt us, coupling with raucous vocal parts, still retaining those soothing parts that fly within the rhythm. The growls make for a terrifying mix, but Endeavour gives us a well-deserved break with reassuring keyboards and clean vocals, which won’t last long as we return to Death of Time’s frantic patterns and the vocalist’s heart-rending vociferations. The backing vocals make for a relatively unsettling atmosphere, even during the soaring guitar moment, but the track becomes even stranger afterwards, going so far as to feature children’s laughter in disturbing tones before returning to its original aggression. Min tid er omme has the originality to place a few more cheerful Electro sounds over a heavy rhythm, making the contrast even more striking, especially during a final that is first minimalist then strident, which will also rub off on Adrift into Collapse, the following track, where piercing guitars dance with the duo’s obvious modernity, plunging us ever further into the inexplicable. The central break is simply chilling, with its depressing yet aggressive atmosphere, and the finale is as gentle as it is intriguing, delving once again into the horrific before opting for an almost religious climate with Requiem Transiens, an outro made of soaring keyboards and choirs that lets us gently escape this trap.
Friends of the strange and unexpected, rejoice: Omniverse Consciousness is by far the craziest album you’ll hear this year. Doedsmaghird have no limits, and the band don’t hesitate to draw on their raw Black Metal roots as well as disturbing cosmic tones to create their terrifying universe.
85/100
