Dimhymn – “Djavulens Tid Ar Kommen” – [Turannum Records]

PopeDope   11/16/2013   12-inch, A Library

Dimhymn was the two part Swedish project between Alex(aka Nordsjal) and Jonas Bergqvist, better known as Nattdal or ‘B’. This was the first project of both members until they stopped making music in 2006 when Nattdal moved on to IXXI. Nattdal was a prominent member of the Black Metal scene until his untimely death from a prescription drug overdose in 2011. From 2004-2011 he released and impressive 14 recordings under four other projects not including his solo project. “Djavulens Tid ar Kommen,” or, “Devil’s Time has Come,” was the produced??on the now defunct Insikt in 2005 but wax-released on Turannum Records and marks the second release of Dimhymn. Nattdal and Alex show a remarkable amount musical and production skill on this release. Lyrically, Nattdal’s style is ritualistic. Rather than being a standard expose of hatred or suffering, his lyrics could be considered instructions. Expressing feelings of extreme misanthropy, Nattdal demands us to mutilate ourselves either to die or let the poison of Satan consume us. Having presumably already given himself to dark-one, what doesn’t come off as ritualistic instructions comes across as a prayer. The slow, crawling rhythm of “Ceremony of the Devil” and the growling, even snarling vocals set an atmosphere that makes the listener feel like he is being summoned to join an unholy cult to become a conduit for evil, to crush the skulls of infants and watch the darkest times revealed before their eyes. Nattdal tells of the hatred that Satan to fuels him and how it will help him kill everyone he sees and how he will rejoice when armageddon sweeps everyone away. As a duo Nattdal and Alex assault the listener with a torrent of violence and destruction- there is no room for sadness, anxiety, or depression only an all-consuming hatred for existence. The release is not entirely atonal however, despite being mostly fast-driven there are still noticeable crests and throughs making listening to the record intresesting experience. It’s hard to believe this was only the group’s second release because the sound is incredibly refined and mature. An especially good example of this polished style is “Act(666)” where the vocals go in and out of being the leading aspect of the tracks and being an atmospheric backdrop to the wall of guitar until the track eventually fades into a radio pick-up then slowly into static and then- screaming. Lord Gravestench once said to me after watching “Witchfinder General,” that anything that ends with inconsolable screaming is good in his book. Amen.

-Pope Dope !