Den Sorte Død – Den Sorte Død (Album – Cyclic Law)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinemtographic.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Swedish duo Den Sorte Død is driven by ‘Offermose’ and ‘Angst’. Previous works were released by Swedish label Pomperipossa Records while they now signed to Cyclic Law unleashing this new opus featuring eight tracks.
Content: The work takes off a rather Dark-Ambient way featuring some heavy, bombastic sounds. Quite progressively Den Sorte Død moves throughout a dark and dreamy trip, which has something Cinematographic-like. The tracks are achieved with analogue sound treatments and effects. Passages with slow rhythm patterns accentuate the spooky atmosphere from the work.
+ + + : “Den Sorte Død” makes me think of a dark movie, wherein the music appeals your fantasy to create the visual content. It’s an album of dark reverie, which comes to an apotheosis on the title track.
– – – : The sound formula of the album becomes pretty repetitive after a while.
Conclusion: If you like dark Cinematographic music you definitely have to try “Den Sorte Død”. I think there’s more potential hiding in this project than what came out.
Best songs: “Den Sorte Død”, “Evigt Morker”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/densortedoed
Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw
About Den Sorte Død
Den Sorte Død, Danish for The Black Death, is the joint project of the Swedish artists Offermose and Angst. Discogs lists the digital EP “Intet Kan Stoppe Den Sorte Død” (2016), the vinyl album “Bundløse Søer” on the Swedish label Pomperipossa Records (2018) and the self-released digital album “Undergangen” (2019).
The self-titled album was released by Cyclic Law on 9 March 2021 as a CD in a four-panel digisleeve limited to 500 copies, as a gatefold LP on black vinyl limited to 300 copies and as a download. The eight tracks, running 38:28, are “Evigt Mörker”, “Intet Liv”, “Det Tabte Slag”, “Forladt Af Forlangst Slukkede Stjerner”, “Den Sorte Død”, “I De Förlorade Årtusenden”, “Stille Mot Dödens Horisont” and “Kosmisk Håbløshed”. The label describes the music as “the sacred ritual of old” performed on “wooden synths”.
Cyclic Law reissued Undergangen on 22 July 2022 and released Depressiv Magi the same day; Side-Line reviewed both in August 2022. The vinyl album “Hemmeligheden bag Den Sorte Slanges Konstellation” followed on Crying Cosmos on 7 February 2025. “Den Sorte Død” is the duo’s first release for Cyclic Law.
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