Sjodogg
Demo Anno 2005
7.3
Sjodogg play traditional black metal with a stronger focus on rhythms than most bands of the style. Absolutely phlegm-choked vocals and inventive riffs make this a demo worth checking out. For a rough recording, this is well mixed and well put together and could have easily been passed off as a proper release. The drummer powers through these tracks with a steady blast, but the guitars are what stand out to me. The minor-key melodies present on this disc are far more intricate than the typical “pound out power chords and let the open strings ring” approach popularized by Darkthrone.
A negative regarding this disc is that one of the tracks is entitled “Elegy to the Brethren of the Weeping Corpses,” which is silly even by BM standards, though this particular song happens to be excellent. The only real complaint that I can find as far as songwriting is that some of the material drags slightly, but this isn’t much of a problem at all.
The musicianship here is solid, as is the recording job. For black metal, this is more than adequate playing and mixing. On the whole, this is a very interesting demo, and I would hope that the band records a full length as soon as possible. A band that maintains the feel of the black metal genre while managing to experiment and create their own sound is always a welcome thing.
Related
SjodoggLandscapes Of Disease And Decadence
12/6/2007