There must not be much to do in Greece, as solo-project Dodsferd has cranked out a staggering four full-length albums since 2006, with no sign of slowing down (as this particular album is apparently the first of a trilogy). One might equate such seemingly compulsive productivity with lesser quality, and you’d be right about plenty of bands, but that isn’t the case here.

I’ve never bothered to give Dodsferd much of a chance until now, but I’m well aware of sole member Wrath’s penchant for exceedingly hilarious song and album titles and the project’s ties to the recent “black ‘n roll” movement. While I was expecting something comparable to Darkthrone’s recent albums, what I got instead was a fairly traditional, yet consistently high quality black metal release that manages to combine energy, catchiness, and even a touch of black humor with some truly hateful, demented atmosphere.

The easiest point of comparison style wise would be Gorgoroth circa Under The Sign of Hell, in that Wrath borrows from all ends of the BM riffing spectrum and delivers the devilish guitarwork with sloppy drumming, subtle thrash undertones, and a harsh mix. While this may sound like a tired formula, I assure you that Wrath’s high-end riffing ability and ear for songwriting is more than enough to justify interest even from seasoned black metal fans. The man mixes in a little of everything on Death Set The Beginning of My Journey, from Transilvanian Hunger-esque melodies to punkier thrash segments and face-stomping grooves, but every riff is catchy as hell and expertly crafted, making for a surprisingly memorable set of tracks.

The ludicrously titled “You Were Talking About A Kingdom; What the Fuck Is That!!!” establishes the album’s bread-and-butter formula of alternating between fast blasting melodies and simplistic, high-hat driven groove, but the album as a whole feels refreshingly diverse for a raw black metal release. The second half of “I Can Easily Destroy All The Things I Have Created” focuses in on an emotive, memorable set of mid-paced melodic passages that flow nicely, lending more weight to Wrath’s songwriting and abilities, while “Light Is Darker In This Swamp” really gets the moody vibes going with some icy cold riffs. The closing title track notably deviates from the album’s main recipe, relying more on haunting layers of melodies and a slower tempo to create a seriously tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. Special praise has to be given to Wrath’s vocals, which are so demented and seemingly dripping with evil that even the more jaded black metal fan will find them disturbing, and the drunken shouts and hollers that accompany the screeches in the background add an element of personality and slight cheekiness to the vocals that is unique to this project.

Despite its ultra-serious misanthropic themes, Death Set The Beginning of My Journey is just a damn entertaining black metal album, and has officially sold me on the merits of Dodsferd, who I used to write off as more focused on image than musical quality. Anyone who has enjoyed this project’s previous albums will love this one just the same, and if you were like me and have underestimated this outfit in the past, I urge you to give them another look, as this really is a well-written black metal album that will appeal to anyone with even a casual interest in the genre.