OFERMOD “Mysterium Iniquitatis”

By Dr. Abner Mality

OFERMOD are one of the OG’s of the Swedish black metal scene, dating all the way back to 1996. Despite that, this new album, their fifth, is the first one I’ve really listened to. Guess I’ll have to look up the back catalog, because “Mysterium Iniquitatis” is about as pure and classical a Nordic black metal album as I’ve heard this year.

These guys hit all the right notes here...everything just sounds “pure”. It’s not the most extreme sound, but it’s far from commercial... there’s melody but also brutality...there’s variety with each song having its own identity. That covers all the bases for me. The opening title track has such a simple, elemental hook to it...cold, direct, dark. But there’s better to come. Second cut “Inax Ya Lil” increases speed and power, but has such a cool method of adding choir-like voices to the attack. It’s really quite beguiling. “When The BlackSmith Killed The Shepherd” is an essential Swedish black metal cut, like something you’d expect to find in an encyclopedia article describing the genre. “Arrteria Uterina” has a hammering, grooving hook that really sinks in deep.

This is how OFERMOD operates. “Sancrosanctus” is reminiscent of prime MARDUK in its blunt aggression as is “Poraios de Rejectis”...just pure cold black metal with memorable riffing. The last two cuts are a bit more on the “epic” side, with “Consecration” having an odd interlude of extremely noisy industrial type riffing and a profane chorus. From front to back, this album ticks all the boxes for quality black metal.

Time to look up some old OFERMOD! And hope album number six doesn’t take too long to show up…

SHADOW RECORDS

OFERMOD