ALBUM REVIEW: Döda Själar – Mylingar

Sweden’s MYLINGAR are one of the more caustic and mysterious bands within the underground black metal scene. Since their formation in 2015, the band have been fairly prolific, swiftly following their debut EP with two full lengths, both of which take elements of black and death metal to create an oppressive and brilliant sound. Their latest record, Döda Själar comes little over a year since the release of their debut album, Döda Drömmar, and sees MYLINGAR take their sound to even more dark and aggressive territories than the previous two records, making for one of the most primal and ferocious records you’re likely to hear this year.

Obalansen doesn’t mess about, diving headlong into a visceral, grating wall of noise, with a few tight, jarring melodies thrown into the mix to provide a break from the general cacophony on display. Dense gutturals, pounding percussive blasts and buzz-saw guitars all make for a fierce and rabid affair, starting the record off promisingly with a strong track that is a precursor to the way the rest of this album will turn out. Nedstigningen provides slightly more clarity in terms of its tone and delivery, with the leads being more prominent in the mix, but ultimately this continues in much the same vein as the previous track, with bestial and savage music and a caustic, claustrophobic tone making for yet another aggressive and focused slab of sepulchral blackened death.

Offret, with its driven drum sections, thick, droning guitar hooks and murky, haunting atmosphere, proves to be a much more hypnotic, albeit still unflinchingly primitive, song with some tortured and feral sounding vocals, which really help to carry the song at many points. Once again, this is an impenetrable and monolithic whirlwind of demented rhythms and dizzying hooks, which begin to incorporate dissonant chords more overtly to great effect, adding a discordant edge to an already chaotic piece of music. Bländningen adds plenty of groove to the proceedings, taking the established formula that has dominated this albums sound so far and giving it a thick, sludgy feel that really helps to elevate this track and make it stand out from the pack.

Mållösheten makes excellent use of razor sharp, jarring riffs and huge, thunderous rhythm sections to create a song that, even by this albums standards, is unrelentingly ferocious and powerful. With a slightly cleaner sound, the music is allowed to come to the fore more prominently, ensuring that this is, overall, far catchier and more memorable than many of the songs that came before it. Giftet follows in much the same manner as the preceding song, with much more riff focused writing overtaking the sound. Although there’s still plenty of acerbic and frenetic elements within this songs sound, it’s arguably the records most accessible offering, with some great guitar work and incredibly forceful rhythmic passages, coupled with more intricate drumming, making this eclectic offering stand head and shoulders above the rest of the record.

Förlusten is one last blast of bellicose and belligerent brutality. As Döda Själar‘s lengthiest track, clocking in at just over ten minutes, it manages to fill the vast majority of its running time with great, soaring guitars, punishing, primal percussion and tar thick, monstrous gutturals, which go a long way to ensuring that this particular song remains as interesting and engrossing as possible for the most part. Although it does outstay its welcome just a touch, Förlusten proves to be an fantastic way to bring Döda Själar to a close, easily being the record’s most grating and aggressive outing.

When many bands stick to a formula when it comes to writing their music, it often times proves to be their downfall. Döda Själar is one of those rare cases where the record possessing a cohesive and uniform sound really benefits the album as a whole. This is thoroughly acerbic and visceral, at many points bordering on outright noise, and when coupled with a raw and primitive sound and a heady, hazy atmosphere, it makes this album impressive and completely engrossing from start to finish. Those looking for music that is more melody driven with a cleaner, punchier sound are likely to be disappointed, but if you like your music unrelentingly energetic, frenzied and claustrophobic, MYLINGAR are definitely worth your time.

Rating: 9/10

Döda Själar is out now via Amor Fati Productions. 

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