Ofermod - Tiamatu Review
by Mark Hensch
.
Ofermod is a Swedish word meaning "bravado." As far as this underground black metal outfit is concerned, it might as well mean "blasphemy." Formed in 1996, Ofermod have toiled ceaselessly on the fringe of the Swedish black metal scene, never rising towards the surface until only recently. Founding member Michayah served jail time for robbery and assault in 2006, and upon emerging, his band released this offering, Tiamatu, in 2008. This violence and oppression Michayah (and by extension, his bandmates) participated in shows – Tiamatu is a raw, filthy journey through the framework of classic black metal. Sounding at times like the best of their country's classic black metal acts mixed with the gritty death metal scene of Stockholm, Ofermod have a familiar yet distinct interpretation of black metal's essence.
Tiamatu, for its part, follows this left hand path in spades. The songs alternate between blistering bursts of speed and slower moments often mired in filthy riffs and anguished howls. Though the band is obviously cross-pollinating genres for the sake of having an original-sounding debut, the end result is something that is wholly dark and evil regardless of influences or styles.
Title track "Tiamatu" is a prime example of this. Speedy picking is utilized in dirge-paced tempos, the result being a hanging cloud of black darkness which never dissipates. Amidst this claustrophobic atmosphere, frontman Nebiros yowls diseased choruses which simultaneously entrance and repulse.
"Death Cantata," meanwhile, might be the album's best song given its mix of filth and fury. Confident death metal riffs walk through a fetid dusk generated by levels of patience bordering on doom metal sluggishness. Beyond this, the song displays an absolutely bone-rattling breakdown focused on thick bass slaps and confrontational howls.
For its part, "Dreaming in the Veins of Kingu" follows this pattern by setting up monolithic guitar riffs all before demolishing them in a twisting labyrinth of speed picking. Even more brutal is when even the fastest of these assaults is revealed as a mere skirmish – the band soon launches into even more pummeling territory with hideous cackles leading the charge.
Last but not least, "Maasseh Nechushstan" offers a brief nod towards the Middle Eastern flourishes of Melechesh before pounding skulls with an increasingly harried musical attack. The melodies are knife sharp here, while the drumming is simple but enraged, giving the song a fanatical atmosphere that boils blood and bares teeth.
It is a fitting end to a solid album. Tiamatu is a worthwhile find, its mix of doom, black and death metal indicating another stellar release within the third wave of European black metal. If notions like vileness, viciousness, and vanity are appealing, Ofermod's Tiamatu fits perfectly within the black metal cannon so many undoubtedly worship.
Ofermod's Tiamatu
Tiamatu
Pralayic Withdrawal
Death Cantata
Eu Angelion
Dreaming in the Veins of Kingu
Tophetian Cleansing: Furnace of Moloch
Khabs Am Pekht
Maasseh Nechushstan
CD Info and Links
Ofermod - Tiamatu Rating:8.0
Preview and Purchase This CD Online
Visit the official homepage
More articles for this artist
tell a friend about this review
.
...end |