DÖDSRIT is a black metal band from Sweden who formed in 2017; “Nocturnal Will” is their fourth full-length album. Their sound contains heavy elements of crust and it gives them an energetic, hard driving vibe to their music. However, they also tend to be melodic with layers built upon layers, not unlike post-metal. It is a very compelling sound and the band hasn’t released a bad album. “Nocturnal Will” is perhaps their best one yet! The song structures are on the longer side, for the most part, but with only six songs on the album, it still comes in at a solid 43 minutes—we get songs that have plenty of time to evolve but nothing overstays its welcome and the album isn’t bogged down by its own weight. While I wouldn’t say it is polished, the sound is pretty clean when compared to black metal as a whole. That won’t work for some bands but it works for DÖDSRIT; the intricate songwriting deserves a crisp production so all the details can be heard. This album is loaded with so many little nooks and crannies that it demands multiple listens—which is easy to do because the album is so smooth with its flow. However, with that being said, I definitely wouldn't mind a little rougher of a sound.

The album opener “Irjala,” is a prime example of how to introduce an album. The song as a whole not only perfectly exemplifies the band’s current trajectory but represents the album as a whole. If you enjoy this song, the rest of the album will keep that blackened grin on your face. It starts out with dueling guitar melodies with a strong rhythm section rolling underneath it. As the drums let loose, the song builds up with just the right amount of momentum. There are some surprises within this nearly 11 minute epic as well. Around the 3:08 mark, a beautiful melodic movement arrives and it wouldn’t sound out of place on a melodic death or even power metal album. It’s catchy, jaunty, and one of the many highlights of the album. Another twist comes at the 5:38 mark when the song pulls back a little for a more simple but no less emotional and introspective moment.

The next song “Nocturnal Fire,” builds up the melody and riffs simultaneously for a fantastic two prong attack that leads into straight up blackened fury. The song has plenty of breathing room however and opens up to let the riffs and groove shine through. The lead guitar birthed out from the riffs with ease, a very seamless experience. The later half is nothing short of spectacular due to its commanding bass and drums helping the melody go on a long ride. The album features a slight misstep with the third song, “Ember and Ash.” It isn’t bad but it’s just a short acoustic intro that doesn’t serve any purpose other than to bridge the two halves of the album together. In that respect, it does its job well but were it removed the album would not be any different.

However it does lead into the excellent “Utmed Gyllbergens stig,” an instrumental that is highly engaging. It lends a folkish feel to the album, adding yet another dynamic to an album that is already full of them. One of the better instrumentals I’ve heard this year. The last two songs are the best on the album. “As Death Comes Reaping,” adds in a lot of the ominous, ancient feeling of evil that I feel the band doesn't really lean into enough at times. The opening pulls back on the tempo and offers a moody adventure. Almost the entire first half of the song is instrumental and it adds the effect of the build up of a coming storm that bursts once the vocals kick in. The guitar solo around the halfway point is another album highlight, as if the clean outro.

“Celestial Will,” has a lot of urgency to it as the album rockets towards its ending destination. The drums lead the song on the first few minutes of its rousing black metal attack. In true fashion of the band’s path, the song opens up later and all the goodies come flowing in. The riffs are particularly balanced well even at their most melodic. The last couple minutes is a long stretch of instrumentation that will get stuck in your head, providing it doesn’t get bang out when you go along with the catchy beat. DÖDSRIT continue to be one of the more exciting bands in the blackened scene because their offers a lot of variety that makes it very appealing to all sorts of fans, even metalheads who usually shy away from black metal, or anything related to it. “Nocturnal Will,” represents a band that has really found their sound with no signs of slowing down.