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Review: Slagmaur - Domfeldt
Slagmaur
www.slagmaur.com
Domfeldt

Label: Inferna Profundus Records
Year released: 2008
Originally released in: 2007
Duration: 30:45
Tracks: 6
Genre: Black Metal

Rating:
4/5


Review online: September 27, 2009
Reviewed by: Brett Buckle
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 3.25/5 (65%) (8 Votes)
Review

Domfeldt was the third demo for this disturbing Norwegian trio, and what I'm listening to here is a re-release from Nocturnal Woodlands Productions/Inferna Profundus Records, with a different track list. Slagmaur play a twisted, tripped out kind of Black Metal, heavy on the madhouse aesthetic and Funeral Doom of the cthulu-esque kind. No doubt a combination that will appeal to only a few lost souls, but those who appreciate these darkest shades will find plenty to enjoy here.

From the get go we are in ambient, or atmospheric, territory with "Retten Er Satt" washing in like some bleak tide – it is effective if somewhat redundant. "Vandalens Hevn" is where the music starts, and that atmospheric vein continues to pump black blood with an echoey drum beat and some Verdenkeln-like distant guitars. This really is pretty cool, sounding far off and twisted, especially with the poltergeist piano and background sounds (noise?) that floats around the slow and haunting main riff. Aatselgribb's vocals remind very much of Silenius from Summoning in voice, but much broader, pushed wide and far away by a good deal of reverb. There is a definite air of Funeral Doom present throughout Domfeldt as well, as mixture of Brown Jenkins heavy oppression and the minimalist blackness of Funeral Mist's more ambient moments, noticeable particularly in "Gnager", with its empty depths and Arioch-inspired growling and torture. "Ingers Lyddagbok" is the centerpiece of this sickening journey, layering the putrid ambience of grave digging and mournful wailing under some Verdenkeln-ish guitars before stepping into an ambling beat and wall-of-sound guitar assault. This is ugly music with a disturbing aesthetic. The songs presented here are far from any definition of traditional with little to no standard structure, being as much as the atmosphere (perhaps more) than the riffs, often ending abruptly and frequently meandering somewhat aimlessly. Whether this is a good or a bad thing will depend entirely on what you expect from this kind of music.

Domfeldt will not be an album you spin as background music or for a casual listen; this demands a specific mood, a specific mania. But if you can find that mania then it will be a potent balm, taking that edge off in a way usually reserved for some of your more colourful chemicals. This is for fans of the psychedelic – Arcturus, Verdenkeln, Nortt, and the like, its slow pace, distant guitars and horror movie vocals and atmosphere painting a vivid picture and well worth a listen.

More about Slagmaur...
Review: Skrekk Lich Kunstler (reviewed by Pagan Shadow)
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