One of the absolute mind-blowing aspects of metal as a culture is how it permeates all borders, both literally and physically.  House of Ygra is a label out of Hanoi, Vietnam that has a litany of bands from the country that dabble in the dark arts of extreme metal.  One of those bands is DODSSANGER, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Downfall, a dark, sludgy, depressive black metal band that specializes in creating a soundtrack for self-destruction. Seen through the lens of this tropical southeastern Asian country, riddled with the remnants of a distant war that saw the deaths of 1.3 million human souls, it makes sense that this type of dark, angry music would wind its way through the tendrils of the Mekong delta. The album deals with the suicidal soul that's hidden deep within the hearts of all of us. In this case, that soul has found its way through  blood and guts, weaving its way to the surface like a giant tapeworm.  While most of us learn how to keep that worm at bay, it's unfortunate that there's still a sad minority of people who feel the only way out is by letting it consume oneself.

DODSSANGER can be lumped in with the other depressive/suicidal black metal bands that seem to be the unbespoken offspring of DSBM patriarch XASTHUR. Whereas the latter engaged in a brilliantly chaotic version of black metal that explored the nadir of human misery, DODSSANGER seems to get straight to the point.  These songs find a doom-inspired motif and stick with it, be it the ten plus minutes of album opener "Long Dream" or the five-minute title song. Downfall successfully communicates the stagnancy of depression- of being locked into a prison that you can't escape.  The guitars are crisp and tastefully done, usually with a ringing, simple four or five chord progression juxtaposed against a second guitar that explores counter-tones and harmonies through some gorgeous arpeggios.  His vocals seem to be an afterthought- hard to decipher lyrics delivered through a series of mid-pitched screeches and growls.  The snare cuts hard, and while the songs don't delineate into typical black metal blast beats of fury, they drive the stake through the darkened heart, bringing an end to the pain and hopelessness.

"O rotten world," Downfall bellows on "Reflection of a Wretched Soul". "Mirror I gaze into gazes into me, eyes filled with malignance: twisted figures I see in you." Lyrically, the album is particularly strong.  Written in free verse, each song seems to trace the inevitable demise into misery and death.  Interestingly enough, it seems to bring into question whether or not it's the state of the external world that causes the despair, or  is it the despair that causes one to look at the world through these shit-filtered lenses. Anyway, all of these roads, according to DODSSANGER, inevitably lead to one sitting alone at the foot of an ancient palm tree, the rifle resting across your lap as your fingers slowly tremble before you.  Fast, tremolo-picked chords over a pummeling drumbeat project this feeling of inevitable destruction. "Penance" was released as a single before the full-length, a pretty apt representation of the torment Downfall is trying to project.  The riff is a simple one, as is the entire song, with clean, crisp production that makes it feel as if there may be a sliver of hope.  But don't be fooled.  This 'penance' Downfall speaks of is to simply sever yourself from this mortal coil, too wretched to grace the surface of a planet on fire.

"Consumed by Absolute Loss" continues tracing the demise of the DODSSANGER protagonist, the last vestiges of living pain before carrying through with the ultimate sordid decision.  The mood is stark, and no different than the three previous songs, a turbulent blackened thrust over a three-chord riff that is pounded into your head over the course of six minutes.  If the album has a single fault, it's Downfall's decision to stick with this one-colored palette.  This, of course, is a deliberate artistic choice, as it does contribute to the album's utter misery; however, it limits the involvement one can have with the album over the course of its playing time.  In other words, it's easy to drift away from the agony, when the goal of DSBM is to be all encompassing.

In the end, DODSSANGER has invited us all to join their depressive existence in Southeast Asia- to revel in the busy streets of Hanoi, breathing its decrepit, smog-filled air in a last desperate attempt to sever ties with a self-flagellating world. It's a promising debut, truly.  As Downfall develops as an artist- much like Scott "Malefic" Conner has done with XASTHUR- and adds variety and (sickened, putrid) flavor to his approach to DSBM, DODSSANGER may become a band that can burst out of the malarial swamps of Vietnam into the greater world, where we can all celebrate our depressive terrestrial sorrow together.