Warthur At first listen I wasn't too impressed with Dødheimsgard's 666 International. The opening seemed to me to combine not particularly compelling industrial metal with not particularly compelling black metal, with poor vocals over the top of it. But over the course of listening to the album, these disparate elements got drawn together closer and closer, until a proper fusion was achieved by the time the magnificent Sonar Bliss and Completion were reached. On the whole, I respect Dødheimsgard's achievement here and think overall this is a very good album, though I do still kind of feel that the opening track is a little weak and off-putting.

Conor Fynes 'Supervillain Outcast' - Dodheimsgard (9/10)

On Dodheimsgard's third record '666 International', this once-orthodox Norwegian black metal band revolutionized their sound by adding a challenging layer of experimental electronics and industrial influence. As rocky a listen as it was, the inventiveness of that record is as alive today as it was when it first came out. Naturally, now that Dodheimsgard had turned black metal on its side, they would be expected to explore this new idea further, and that's exactly what happens with 'Supervillain Outcast'. In effect, Dodheimsgard refines their style into something that feels much more realized and intense than they sounded earlier before. The industrial element of their sound has been extended far beyond a gimmick, now only serves to add to the bleak atmosphere that the music creates. It still has its roots in the straightforwad black metal that Dodheimsgard once played, but 'Supervillain Outcast' stands as being one of the most challenging metal albums I have ever listened to.

It is not often to hear Darkthrone-esque black metal propped up against avant-electronica and something I might only be inclined to call Satanic dance pop. Just as '666 International' was, 'Supervillain Outcast' is a diverse, multi-faceted work, and for any who have heard '666 International' before and could not find anything to love, this one may not be any better. That being said, there have been some stark improvements in the way Dodheimsgard executes their sound. The production is given a much livelier tone, and while variety is ey to what the band does here, the music flows comfortably from one avant-garde nightmare to the next. Kvohst takes his place as the new vocalist for the band, and his performance really adds to the feel of the music, both in regards to his growls, and a clean, eerie croon, not too unlike Carl-Michael Eide's performance with Ved Buens Ende. The lyrics here are vividly powerful, often using sick, often disturbing metaphors to convey the imagery. Suffice to say, it very much reflects the distorted, deranged sound of the music.

Musically, Dodheimsgard's sound is incredibly chaotic, and certainly jarring to hear upon the first listen. Although there are some more traditional vocal melodies and harmonies to help balance out the more aggressive aspects of 'Supervillain Outcast', listeners can expect to hear a flurry of all things strange, eerie and wonderful, with sounds being drawn from circus music, dark ambient, and even porn samples, to name a few. On that note, the strength of this album lies greatly in the experimental nature and avant-garde approach that the band takes, and as a result, the more traditional black metal elements of the band often don't feel quite as powerful on their own as they would have outside of this context. 'Supervillain Outcast' may grind against a listener's taste at first, but there is a vulgar genius at work that surprises and bewilders me. '666 International' showed the vast potential of this band, but they take the sound and make it real with 'Supervillain Outcast'.

Conor Fynes '666 International' - Dodheimsgard (7/10)

With their third album, the Norwegian black metal outfit Dodheimsgard vastly changed up their sound. Dabbling with experimentation on the 'Satanic Art' EP, the stage was set for the band to achieve a very distinct sound; one that would merge industrial music and orthodox black metal in a style that had never been heard before. In this case, '666 International' is certainly a historically relevant album in the development of black metal, but as a musical listening experience, it can be a bit of a bumpy ride. Now over a decade old, Dodheimsgard's work here still sounds as bizarre as it ever has, but as befalls most pioneers, their experimentation isn't a complete success all the way through. No matter though, because for what its worth, what does work for the band is absolutely incredible.

'Ion Storm' is a fine example of what '666 International' is about; entering with a shout, an industrial beat, and about as generic of a black metal riff as they come. Hearing black metal paired with other, seemingly alien sounds is a bit jarring at first, but by the end of the first track, there is a feeling that it is certainly more than a gimmick, although multiple listens are required for it to really sink in. This grand experiment between the harsh percussion of industrial music and black metal is broken up by a couple of jazzy piano pieces, which ironically turn out to be the best composed pieces of work on the whole album. While I am no stranger or detractor to metal or experimental metal, Dodheimsgard's piano pieces are so well done and beautifully arranged, that they are more enjoyable to listen to than the somewhat mixed impression that the avant-garde aspect gives. 'Carpet Bombing' is about as beautiful as jazz piano gets, and I would love to hear an entire album that sounds just like that.

Dodheimsgard's heavy aspects isn't as simple as merely pairing industrial and black metal; there are nuances here that really help the somewhat lacking flow. The band works some magic by throwing in Opeth-esque mellow breakdowns and sometimes even danceable electronica right next to crushing black metal riffs. The contrast is- once again- rather disconcerting for a first timer, but it is indeed excellent. The avant-garde parts sometimes use some electronic aspects that feel a little out of place (even taking to heart the experimental nature) but the only real weakness here are the vocals, which are often layered with strange phaser effects and mixed far too highly in the record. This can lead to the flimsy sprechzegang performance becoming irritating, especially due to the fact that it is almost working against the really interesting instrumental aspect of the album.

'666 International' must still be lauded for its great ambition, although it cannot be said that all of the aspects that Dodheimsgard works with here work entirely well. All the same, a very refreshing album, especially when put into its context.

Xaxaar Criminally underrated masterpiece of experimental black metal.

This album is the turning point in Dodheimsgard's musical career; before this album, they were just fairly raw black metal. Why others would say Satanic Art would be this turning point, I have to say this is when they started to really shine. THIS is when the music came out of the stone age into something intelligent and unique. This is the album people should look back on and realize just how damn good it is.

Just calling this album "black metal" is very misleading. It's mix of black metal, avant-garde, industrial, and even some thrash thrown in. This being said, it's a tough pill to swallow. I know it took me 10 or 20 listens to realize how good it is and every listen it just gets better and better. All of the separate elements of the album are mixed perfectly together to get an excellent mix of complexity and musicality. This album really has so much to offer and I hate to see people turn it aside off the first listen. I can't help but think that they just didn't really give it a shot; I'm not sure how you can dislike this if you are a fan of intelligent and experimental metal.

Shiva-Interfere - What a start this is. Starts off with piano in the first few seconds (calm enough, right?), but then the blast beats just come out of nowhere. It's such a new experience that when I first heard it, I kinda laughed; not because I thought it was stupid, it was just THAT COOL. Then afterwards it just stops, kinda reminding me of the calm after the storm. The ambience they add is a nice touch. It then comes back in to show its more industrial roots as the effect they add that makes the snare drum sound like an anvil adds a certain power to it. Along with Aldrahn's vocal performance, this song creatures a dark, tortured mood, but yet it is still very powerful. Beautiful song.

Ion Storm - A bit more straightforward than Shiva-Interfere as it seems the whole song is blast beats with small breaks. But if anything it shows the stamina of the drummer, I mean my god! That is some fast blast beating. But what makes this song amazing are all the small things. I won't list them all, but there are just so many, such as how they use the piano, that you will miss if you don't pay attention that really make the song that much better.

Carpet Bombing - A nice piano piece to give your head a break after all that blast beating and noise. Not only is it a nice break, but it's nice to keep a constant theme to the album. The haunting piano comes back every so often and I just love when artists do stuff like this. Great small addition that adds to the whole album.

Regno Potir - The epic centerpiece of the album. All of the effects they do to the drums just add so much. Not one feels forced, maybe just attempting to be weird, they all feel like they blend in to the song. Also all of the industrial elements added just make this song awesome. This goes for every song on the album, but especially this one: listen VERY carefully. I'm telling you, you cannot comprehend everything this on the first listen, not even the second. There are just too many things that can go over your head. The song fades out of its industrial influences and then is slowly greeted by the haunting piano...just to smack you across the face with this next song!

Final Conquest - I think I like this one more than most. It's one of the more "sound good" songs on the album, and does it sound good! It's also one (reached 666 words! how fitting...) of the more heavy songs on the album. And yes, of course it has to have the return of the haunting piano. Typing this review is just reminding me of how much I love this album. It's really THAT GOOD.

Logic - Another piano piece like "Carpet Bombing," but a bit shorter...by that a mean it's only a minute, but still very good. Retains to the feel of the album. And yes, the next song does smack you in the face again...

Sonar Bliss - Another gem. It's another song on the album that has a lot to offer along with the others. It has some more very original electronic sounds, and yes, the piano! I'm sure you get the whole "piano" point by now, but still, I love it.

Magic - The last piano piece on the album and probably my favorite. This one just really sets you up for the mood which is the last song on the album...

Completion - This one is just crazy. This song makes the album go out with a bang. I think it's safe to say this is the most experimental song on the album. Just let me get this over with: there's a piano part! But moving on, the electronics on this album are just so exciting and innovative, it really is an excellent closer to an album. As Completion pt. 1 is quite crazy, the much shorter Completion part. 2 just kinda comes back that haunting mood and plays the album on it. Both of them representing two very different sides of the album. Excellent.

I said enough - I adore this album.

...Piano.