The occupational hazard of reviewing music is a fixation on novelty. At a certain point, you have heard the same riffs so many times that you can fall asleep to even the most unhinged blast attack. This bias should raise problems for a band like Ofermod, known for playing black metal of the most orthodox variety. This two-man Swedish black metal act stands tall as a beacon of Luciferian black metal in the tradition of Ondskapt, Watain, and the legendary Dissection. Back in 2012, Madam X heaped praise upon the band’s sophomore release Thaumiel, which I made the Record o’ the Month. Again in 2017, Grier was overjoyed to heap more praise on Sol Nox. And now, 13 years after the release of Thaumiel, Ofermod is back with Drakosophia, testing once again what’s more important: novelty or execution.
Black metal hasn’t changed much, and neither has Ofermod. Minimalist and kinetic, Drakosophia is the vision of second-wave black metal. Blasting drums, tremelo-picked guitars, with every guitar melody descending in sinister half steps. There’s something almost meditative about this music when it hits its stride, and listening to it feels like sitting in the eye of a hurricane, watching the twisting wind and water around you. Ofermod is a two-man band, driven almost entirely by Belfagor, who, despite forming the band in the 90s, put out his debut full-length in 2008 due to ongoing periods in prison. There has been a rotating cast of band members, but current vocalist Adeptus makes his debut appearance here on Drakosophia. Together, Ofermod’s sound is not so different from what it was on Thaumiel. And therefore, it relies almost entirely on strong songs and convincing performances to demonstrate quality.
Drakosophia shows its strength as it unfolds, gaining momentum the deeper it goes. My least favorite song on the record may be the opener “Aichah Kandisha,” which grinds like 1349 rather than grooves like Ofermod. But as the album progresses, things start to feel more familiar: there’s groovy riffs that beg for synchronized guitar swinging (“Drakosophia,” “Belialistic Gra’al Codex”); there’s lightning-picked melodies that no one could ever describe as “slick” or “melodic,” but that nonetheless burrow into your brain and stick there (“The Painful Movers,” “Vinyards of Gomorrah”); there’s Adeptus’ vocal performance, which has a Dim Mak-like rhythmic tendency to at once feel like it’s in line with the music and also slightly detached from it, lending a sense of chaos. And despite a good A-side, the real quality kicks off with “Zazas Zazas Nasatanada Zazas,” which is a partially hilarious and partially entrancing track with a chorus that is unforgettable. It’s here, and in “Belialistic Gra’al Codex” and “Sister Acolyte,” where the sense of what it means to be “orthodox” in black metal comes through. Melodic chanting sets the table in a way that gives Ofermod a unique—and slightly disconcerting—ritualistic feel.
The result is a record where everything flows towards an epic conclusion (“The Painful Movers”) while sounding great. Drakosophia clocks in at 45 minutes, almost exactly—perfect for the Angry Metal Attention Span—and leaves you wanting more. But the other thing that truly stands out about Drakosophia is that it sounds genuinely good. The drums from the Austrian guest drummer Florian Musil sound as good as any drums I’ve heard in black metal in a long time. Not only can Florian really play, Devo Andersson—who has produced every Ofermod record—has clearly mastered the art of producing black metal that sounds acoustic. Drakosophia sounds natural and live, while still being punishingly heavy. Nothing feels re-amped or replaced, even though that’s almost certainly not true in 2025. It’s worth noting that Andersson also played bass on the album, and in that, he did himself a disservice by mixing it a bit low.
Ofermod’s Drakosophia feels like a proof of concept that what matters is how well you execute your vision, not how much you push the envelope. While I do think that Ofermod’s sound is unique—embracing the ritualistic choirs and chanting and living in groove rather than grind, are things that not a lot of bands are doing in black metal—they have not remade black metal. And yet, Belfagor has riffs and a feel for black metal orthodoxy that reminds me of the execution of the first three Taake records. And while other bands play black metal, Ofermod feels different. Like dinner with Hannibal Lecter, there’s something both deadly serious and disarmingly charming about Drakosophia. Combine that unease with riffs, excellent production, and perfect pacing, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success.
Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Shadow Records
Websites: Bandcamp | facebook.com/OfermodOfficial | instagram.com|ofermodofficial
Releases Worldwide: October 3rd, 2025
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