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DHG - Supervillian Outcast

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DHG have been mostly absent for eight long years when they released the exceptionally bizarre 666 International album under their former moniker DODHEIMSGARD. Their new album, Supervillian Outcast, is both a step forward and a step back, so to speak. The Norwegian avantgarde metallers continue to fuse experimental, electronic, and industrial influences but with their caustic, progressive black metal attack of old. “Vendetta Assassin” blasts away in the raw yet in-your-face, guitar-driven style of their Satanic Art Mini-CD/EP. On the flip-side is “Apocalypticism,” which captures the more industrial/electronic side of the band with a more repetitive and near-danceable feel while still retaining 100% of the band’s black metal bite. Also, “All is Not Self” is comfortably genre-bending like anything on 666 International. In between are other delicious tracks, like “The Snuff Dreams are Made Of,” “Unaltered Beast,” and the epic “21st Century Devil” that meld all influences. Fans of the band will instantly appreciate their unwavering artistic vision…especially despite a largely different line-up featuring only original guitarist/vocalist Vicotnik (a.k.a. Mr. Fixit) and drummer Czral (a.k.a. Carl-Michael Eide). When the former DODHEIMSGARD put out their last album, black metal was arguably at its peak. Now eight-years later, the landscape is entirely different. Crafting yet another future-proof album in Supervillian Outcast (despite less-than-optimal production values) is a landmark feat. (The End Records)