Sjodogg - Landscapes of Disease and Decadence
Osmose Productions - OPCD 198 - 6 December 2007
By Jack Deming
Lately, the Norwegian BM outfit
Sjodogg has been attracting a fair amount of attention and hype for being, wait for it, a black metal band from Norway. Furthermore, there is little at face value that sets
Sjodogg apart from their multitude of peers other than featured members of
Crest of Darkness and
Enthral and their unorthodox name, taken from of all things a Norwegian tick borne disease.
However
Sjodogg's music, while not particularly catchy, has a stark, draining quality that many BM acts aspire to but cannot pull off.
Landscapes of Disease and Decadence is relentless, but not totally without some sense of restraint, as the berating assault often subsides and lapses into haunting clean interludes which prove to be some of the most enjoyable bits of the album (
'Brethren of the Weeping Corpses' comes to mind). At times the croaking vocals (admittedly, a style which is not to my taste) are weak, unconvincing and often slightly funny (see
'The Asphyxiation'), but they definitely fit the music. The production style offers no deviations from standard BM fare, nor do the arrangements, making this a listenable albeit not very engaging piece of black metal.
For what it is, this a decent debut, but I for one would not have much reason to listen other than for the purpose of review. There is potential however, as well as a distinct sound that seems to be trapped under a cover of inexperience, a sound that
Sjodogg has on the tips of their fingers. Keep an eye out for these guys, because this sound should fully emerge in future releases.
Official Sjodogg Myspace
Official Osmose Productions Website
