Band:	Nortt
Album:	Dødssang
Style:	Black metal, Funeral doom metal
Release date:	April 04, 2025
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. Dødssang
02. Dødsengel
03. Død Mands Sang
04. Alt Er Tomhed
05. Ensomhed
06. Ihukom Natten
07. Bøn Til Døden
08. Udslukt

Nortt’s triumphant death song, Dødssang, is the second and true comeback of the funeral doom veteran.

I fell for this Danish one-man project a long time ago, back when Nortt brandished Galgenfrist upon the lifeless masses in 2007. At the time, Nortt was a household name within the underground doom metal scene. It’s not difficult to understand why; Nortt’s dirges have always carried a very distinct touch to them. It’s all in the raw and distorted nature of the riffs, amplified by the grim dark ambient undertones that separated Nortt’s music from any other funeral doom metal project. It might sound like a mouthful, but the description that accompanied Nortt’s debut album, Gudsforladt, was most appropriate: “Pure Depressive Black Funeral Doom Metal”. It’s what you’d get if you thought up “Filosofem but dead slow”.

Endeligt, Nortt’s return after a decade of silence since Galgenfrist, was a conflicting affair to me. The necro vibe was clearly there, but the songwriting was all too simple even by funeral doom standards. There was too little in the way of progression and, most importantly, of immersion. The songs ended just before I was getting pulled in by the phantasmagoric ambience. The dark ambient influences seemed to get in the way instead of developing a haunting atmosphere. It was contradictory to be dissatisfied with a project known for its minimalistic nature, but immersion and adequate time frames are key elements within this type of music.

As you may have guessed, I was only mildly excited when I first heard the news of Nortt’s new record. I was hoping the project would release something more up to the standards set by the first couple of works. Whatever happened in these past 7 years clearly recharged Nortt’s batteries; everything about Dødssang is a one-up over its predecessor. The guitars are more prominent this time around, and their powerful riffs, marching to the glacial beat of dry-as-sand drums, mix the sorrowful tone of doom metal and the harshness of black metal. Then there are the leads, which, despite their minimalistic nature, produce heartwrenching melodies.

That being said, when it comes to melodies, the piano and synths are definitely a step above the rest of the instruments, and probably my favorite aspect of this album. They are slow (like everything else obviously), but also have a very solemn, almost peaceful, tone to them that truly captures the feeling of someone who has accepted their ultimate fate. The only thing that remains ever the same are the vocals; Nortt still has those slow, gargling gutturals that seem to come out of a decaying corpse. I’ve always been a fan of them, as they add a perfect layer of filth and decadence to the haunting music.

Dødssang is the album I was expecting when I first heard Endeligt. Even though Nortt has never been about buildups or crescendos in any way, Dødssang has a very memorable, impactful sound with great staying power. The immersiveness of my favorite Danish pure depressive black funeral doom metal project is back!