Artist: Khold
Country: Norway
Label: Soulseller Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2024
While I concluded my review for ‘Svartsyn’, Khold’s previous record, as being fodder for those who enjoy some non-adventurous Black Metal, it was also one of the band’s best records – maybe even the best album they had yet brought forth. But, regardless of the album’s position in the Norwegian’s back catalogue, the musical DNA of Khold has remained largely the same over the course of their full existence, so grading albums isn’t quite a walk in the park.
Unlike the closely-tied Tulus, that largely uses the same sort of musical formula, Khold has never really been able to struck much attention. Okay, Tulus fanbase is primarily found in the deeper regions of the Black Metal scene and “attention” and “success” are terms that are only relative terms when we are talking Black Metal. But still, if you browse back through the back catalogue of Khold it turns out to be rather hard to pick any highlights, even on the level of individual songs. It is therefore no surprise that the band’s CD’s are usually found in the bargain bins of your local second hand record shop.
To this somewhat questionable status, the band adds another chapter with this latest offering, and second album for Soulseller Records. Just like ‘Svartsyn’ this new album sounds better than the average earlier efforts of the band, something that is largely due to the overall heavier sound, something that Khold’s groove-laden concept largely benefits from. That groove and the overall rocking vibe that characterized the bands core-sound on their earlier recordings already, has been pushed to new heights since ‘Svartsyn’. To a certain extent that same formula has also been used on Tulus’ latest work, yet, where Tulus always sends quite fresh, Khold mostly sounds dated and mostly too generic.
Okay, at first listen the tracks do sound quite catchy and they indeed have a strong rocking nature. But, the major problem with Khold was and is that nothing really sticks out, it all sounds pretty much the same and even those catchy rocking riffs lose their strength and power halfway each song. Most painful example is probably ‘Skoggangsmann’, of which the simplicity is getting right on your nerves and ends up achieving exactly the opposite of what the band must have had in mind, not a sing-along but a song you would prefer to skip right through.
In short, ‘Du Dømmes Til Død’ just sits there together with ‘Svartsyn’ as Khold’s most enjoyable work, but both are pretty much the equivalent of McDonalds hamburger: it tastes and feels good for a five minutes, but afterwards you feel bad that you have spent your money on it and you end up craving for some good food. As long as the band keeps milking this same limited musical concept and choose not to push their musical abilities any further, nothing essential will ever see the light of day that will bear the Khold moniker.
