Paganism, Norse mythology and black metal music go hand and hand and many bands follow this path like Windir, Drudkh, and Graveland. KAMPFAR is one of these bands in the forefront and it is probable that they are also known as one of the best in this genre. The Norwegian group return after three years to present their sixth studio album Djevelmakt which seems to be their most progressive and epic release to date. Going from being a more direct folk influence black metal band that sounds like Windir meets Taake to a more Enslaved progressive sound really shows the growth of the group.
Djevelmakt is a unique album to say the least with no tracks sounding the same nor the album itself sounding one particular style. The first single released titled “Mylder” begins with a soft piano intro then leads into a progressive black metal sound similar to latter Enslaved with overtones of Moonsorrow. What really stands out is the moments with clean vocals and even flutes to give the track a folk sound without diving straight into folk metal. Another stand out track is actually the second single that was released, “Swarm Norvegicus” which brings synth orchestrations that created a hauntingly eerie atmosphere along with Dolk’s aggressive vocals. The overall use of synths and piano is perfectly blended being either intro to the songs or atmospheric in some tracks to make them stand out even more.
When most bands progress or put out a new release, we fear the worst since some go into a sound we are just not familiar with but Kampfar has truly moved forward into a more mature, progressive and epic sound. This release marks twenty years the group has been hard at work and bringing a refreshing view on the black metal scene. Instead of releasing albums just to put out music, Kampfar has set a prime example for those on what taking the time to write something worth listening to truly means. Twenty years of Kampfar and no signs of stopping anytime soon and that is the way it should be.
MY VOTE:
5.0 / 5.0
