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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\u2019s sophomore release Thaumiel<\/a>, which I made the Record o\u2019 the Month<\/a>. Again in 2017, Grier was overjoyed to heap more praise on Sol Nox<\/a>. And now, 13 years after the release of Thaumiel, Ofermod is back with Drakosophia, testing once again what\u2019s more important: novelty or execution.<\/p>\n \ufeffDrakosophia by Ofermod<\/a><\/p>\n Black metal hasn\u2019t 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Drakosophia shows its strength as it unfolds, gaining momentum the deeper it goes. My least favorite song on the record may be the opener \u201cAichah Kandisha,\u201d which grinds like 1349 rather than grooves like Ofermod. But as the album progresses, things start to feel more familiar: there\u2019s groovy riffs that beg for synchronized guitar swinging (\u201cDrakosophia,\u201d \u201cBelialistic Gra\u2019al Codex\u201d); there\u2019s lightning-picked melodies that no one could ever describe as \u201cslick\u201d or \u201cmelodic,\u201d but that nonetheless burrow into your brain and stick there (\u201cThe Painful Movers,\u201d \u201cVinyards of Gomorrah\u201d); there\u2019s Adeptus\u2019 vocal performance, which has a Dim Mak-like rhythmic tendency<\/a> to at once feel like it\u2019s 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 \u201cZazas Zazas Nasatanada Zazas,\u201d which is a partially hilarious and partially entrancing track with a chorus that is unforgettable. It\u2019s here, and in \u201cBelialistic Gra\u2019al Codex\u201d and \u201cSister Acolyte,\u201d where the sense of what it means to be \u201corthodox\u201d in black metal comes through. Melodic chanting sets the table in a way that gives Ofermod a unique\u2014and slightly disconcerting\u2014ritualistic feel.<\/p>\n The result is a record where everything flows towards an epic conclusion (\u201cThe Painful Movers\u201d) while sounding great. Drakosophia clocks in at 45 minutes, almost exactly\u2014perfect for the Angry Metal Attention Span\u2014and 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\u2019ve heard in black metal in a long time. Not only can Florian really play, Devo Andersson\u2014who has produced every Ofermod record\u2014has 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\u2019s almost certainly not true in 2025. It\u2019s worth noting that Andersson also played bass on the album, and in that, he did himself a disservice by mixing it a bit low.<\/p>\n Ofermod\u2019s 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\u2019s sound is unique\u2014embracing 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\u2014they 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\u2019s something both deadly serious and disarmingly charming about Drakosophia. Combine that unease with riffs, excellent production, and perfect pacing, and you\u2019ve got yourself a recipe for success.<\/p>\n Rating: Very Good! \n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Ofermod-2025-500x362.jpg\")
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DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb\/s CBR MP3
Label: Shadow Records<\/a>
Websites: Bandcamp<\/a> | facebook.com\/OfermodOfficial<\/a> | instagram.com|ofermodofficial<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: October 3rd, 2025<\/p>\n