Formed by Trond Ciekals in 2009, Norwegian black metal band Djevel has been through several lineup changes over the years but hasn’t lost their trademark power and haunting atmosphere. The group has kept a rapid release pace with an album almost every other year, but where others would fall into repetition and start to feel formulaic that isn’t the case here. Tanker som rir natten sees the core duo of Ciekals and drummer Faust (ex-Emperor, Blood Tsunami), but they are joined by Kvitrim (Vemod, Mare) who has taken over on bass and vocals from Mannevond. The resulting effort is a bit less somber and introspective than its predecessor, but still has the type of scorching and jagged riffs that one would expect from Norwegian black metal.
The first thing you’ll notice about this album is that the songs are quite lengthy, and the song titles seem just as long to match, as though they’re giving a snippet of the lyrical content in the title itself. But where a lot of black metal can’t sustain nine to twelve-minute tracks and loses impact too quickly, Djevel has a knack for letting a dark and sinister atmosphere build naturally until it reaches some truly menacing levels. Tanker som rir natten pulls from a significant number of second wave influences but the way that the tension rises and falls and the atmosphere seems to reach a thick, otherworldly level is also reminiscent of the recent Trondheim bands, which makes sense given Kvitrim’s involvement. But unlike say Mare, the cadence of these songs is a bit more straightforward and aggressive with the ritualistic feelings coming in waves rather than serving as the core foundation driving the material forward. In this way it often comes across like Djevel has tapped into the essence of Norwegian black metal, letting the darkness come through just as much through melody and thick atmospherics compared to raw and jagged blasting. Each of the nine tracks twists the formula slightly enough to allow for moments that stick with you on repeat listens, and the acoustic title track that breaks up the two halves of the album proves to be just as haunting and dark as its amplified counterparts.
I was excited when I saw that Kvitrim had joined the band, as his work in both Mare and Vemod have been some of the most powerful and haunting performances in black metal I’ve heard over the last decade. His performance on Tanker som rir natten doesn’t disappoint, and his sinister, raspy scream booms out over the layers of instrumentation in a way that immediately grabs your attention. But the focus is split equally between Kvitrim and Trond Ciekals who continues to deliver singing and chants, which adds to the atmosphere considerably. The way the songwriting alternates between the clean and harsher tones makes the material far more dynamic as a result, and it’s drawn me back again and again.
Djevel’s ability to build up dark and tense atmosphere that peaks in raging infernos may not be that different from the foundations of Norwegian black metal, but it’s delivered masterfully and in a way that will stick with listeners. I haven’t seen their name mentioned as often as some of the other longer-running acts out there, but with quality like this from one album to the next they deserve to be. The addition of Kvitrim makes sense as the group begins their third incarnation, and this is a mandatory listen for fans of the style. Tanker som rir natten is available from Aftermath Music.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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