Metal Maniac

 

Returning to Depressive/ Suicidal Black Metal, one of the genres that I enjoy the most, when you feel that the music is created with honesty and passion, today I’m sharing my thoughts on Ofdrykkja’s début album, “A Life Worth Losing”. Here’s what the band has to say about their music: The main valuation of Ofdrykkja is to reflect our view of our contemporaries which often can be quite tangled and complex. But we try to be honest with what we do and do not exaggerate or fictitious catch on with the DSBM culture of total negativity. Though we sometimes use extreme expressions (as a kind of visual art or authentic presentations). But those incidents that rarely happens and affects the members of the band are unfortunately parts of our lives.

 

 

The music, obviously, is very dark, pessimist and sorrowful. There’s this melancholic atmosphere during the entire album, a sentiment of grief, misery and suffering. It all feels bleak, spirit crushing, it does feel depressive, but not in a romanticized way, rather desperate, when you reach rock bottom and see no exit at all. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel and if there is, sometimes it’s a train, as the saying states. If you’ve experienced such awful condition, you’ll sense that there’s honesty in this album, that it’s not something imagined, actually lived, I really believe it’s all very real.

 

 

When it comes to the songs, how they sound, what we can find in this release, I humbly believe that this is a unique album. There are several “vocal” styles, raging from spoken, clean female vocals, anguished screams, black metal shrieks, with the lyrics mixed in Swedish and English. The guitars and the drumming have a melancholic feel that is difficult to be described. One of the songs is delightful and delicate piano interlude, it seems like a moment of piece, but I sense some sadness in this song and, while you’re relaxing, the thoughts of depression and anxiety might actually be all back into your mind.

 

 

The production of “A Life Worth Losing” is raw, but very usual when it comes to the Suicidal Black Metal genre. This is a work of refinement, with genuine sentiments; it’s impressive how they manage to capture in music such feelings with high excellence. I finish my thoughts by inviting all of you to check Ofdrykkja’s music and, if you enjoy it, please, support the band the way that is possible for you.

 

 

Until next time.

 

Grade: 9,7/10

 

Band: Ofdrykkja

 

Album: A Life Worth Losing (2014)

 

Label: Avantgarde Music

 

Tracklist:

 

1. A Life Worth Losing

2. Livets dystra gång

3. Urban Enlightenment of Desolation

4. Under My Influence (Guided to Damnation)

5. Ensam kvar efter dödens år

6. Omöjligheten till lycka

7. Västerås

8. Bury Them Under Nails and Crust

9. I skuggan av mig själv

10. Befrielsen

11. Bitterljuv nostalgi

 

Ofdrykkja is:

 

The Associate

Drabbad (aka Alprazolam)

Pessimisten (aka C9H13N)

Stefan Wahlberg (aka Bödeln)

Session member: Arkomann

 

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ofdrykkja/

 

Official Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ofdrykkja

 

All photos belong to their rightful owners.

December 11, 2014