Ondfødt - Dimsvall (2025)^{Release ID: 60284}

As full-frontal attacks go, Dimsvall is head and shoulders above most releases so far this year. For a band of just four members Ondfødt manage to make the din of a prison riot at times. If it is a no-nonsense approach to black metal that you are looking for then you will not go far wrong with this, the Finns fifth studio album. Yet, at the same time, you should not enter into the record just believing that this is smash and grab, blastbeat black metal. There are depths to Dimsvall that deserve exploration. Melodies to enjoy, individual instrument performances to appreciate and some very well-built structures to admire also. The acoustic intro is an early sign of this, giving a medieval mystery to the start of the record.

The fleeting acoustic sections that pop up on the record do nothing to mute the offensive textures of the album though. If anything, they glorify the aggression inherent in Ondfødt’s sound. Listen to the horns on ‘Svartsyn’ and tell me you don’t want to go march with an undead army. I tend to think of these sections as being along the same lines as the medieval, celebratory tales that told stories of battles fought and wars won in times of yore. Of course, they do also show the depth of the talent involved. With Owe and Tommi already responsible for another record that is in my top ten this year (Void of Hope ‘Proof of Existence’), I personally am not surprised by the quality of the nine tracks on offer here. The production job does the instruments justice, even if the drums do suffer a little from an effect of them being shrouded somewhat at times. The vicious rasp of the vocals really shines though, and the guitars manage to pick out their own spot in the mix too. The leads are especially good throughout, which is refreshing to hear during the more furious-paced tracks.

There are death metal tinges to the blackened proceedings that you can catch glimpses of in good measure. Ondfødt manage to hit that sweet spot of adding some depth to the fury of their black metal by beefing up the riffs, which makes for a blistering and bruising experience in equal parts. Yet they by no means repeat the same model or methodology from song to song and can create just as much menace on less heavier tracks such as ‘Futuria’ which builds a sense of growing threat to an almost overwhelming crescendo. Meanwhile, black metal bangers like ‘Grymhejtins ansikt’ and 'Bakom blekna skuggor' more than get the message across in the most direct means possible.

Whilst I cannot quite put my finger on it, there is a charm to this record that is only obvious when I return to it. I can remember bits of it when I am post-listen, but there is nothing specifically memorable about it overall. When I am sat in front of it, I like most of what I am hearing. It is vibrant with a pagan undercurrent at times, whilst staying as grim as you like for the most part still. Whilst not flawless, it is hard to criticise at the same time. It most certainly is not a record to push any boundaries, and I like that safety aspect to it, I guess.