Urfiend - Dau​þ​alaikaz

Urfeind is a black metal band from Germany who formed in 2015. Their latest release, “Dau​þ​alaikaz,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP.

Yes! This is EXACTLY how I like my black metal: punishing but with a sense of adventurous purpose. It’s aggressive ,each song laced with nearly uncontainable rage. But it doesn’t always need those elements as endless speed or old-school mentalities that don’t allow the band’s songwriting to shine. There are parts where it is fast and it certainly also includes many moments of that classic caustic, 100% against the grain underground sound that has made black metal so famous.

But it has more to it than just that. It’s also melodic and atmospheric, unafraid to introduce subtle sprawling moments into what incorrectly may seem like ‘just’ simple songs.  

The production is PERFECT. It's just haunting enough but has weight to it—this is an incredibly dense album. 

“Dau​þ​alaikaz” is an deceptively engaging album that is a journey of blackness that will swallow you whole with its caustic yet engaging atmosphere. 

"Thorns of Madness” begins and immediately hits me in the face with a papalable sound that nearly affected me on a physical level. The guitars are a maelstrom of riffs and the drums are a storm within a storm. The vocals are balanced into the mix, coming up through the riffs like a zombie recentyyly vacating a grave.

Beginning at the 3:38 mark, the atmopsheric side of the band is let loose. Huge swaths of riffs move as waves of blackened noise that crest against the powerful rhythm section.

“Serpent's Flight,” is direct as well but this time with hammering drums pushing out pummeling grooves. The band moves as one with the blackened growls leading the charge. The subtle melodies creep in, allowing the aggression to fade away while these lighter flourishes move in.

I like how the demo is pulled back, the music sinks in here and becomes a dimension unto itself. The vocals are quite expressive, channeling the song's emotional struggles. 

“Hymn of Corruption,” is one of my favorites on the album. The beginning is fantastic as the instruments build up into a righteous fury. This is a strong song because the tempo isn't overly fast but the density of the music is unrelenting and very much a wall of sound. The band's brand of melody bridges the song together—engaging and engrossing.

“Void,” is another favorite of mind. It's very straightforward in the beginning—pure unadulterated black metal. The final half is particularly engaging: it's frantic, violent, and like a force of nature, with maddening vocals.

The final song “Inner Rampage” is introspective in a sort of way that only this kind of black metal can pull off. It's raw and profane but grand in scope.

Urfeind's “Dau​þ​alaikaz,” is an artistically composed album that doesn't sacrifice anything that makes black metal against the grain.