Published: August 13, 2020 

Ov Shadows are a Swedish black metal band and this is their second album.

Featuring a member of Obitus, Ov Shadows play ferocious, yet textured, black metal that should find favour with fans of bands such as Dark Funeral, Nordjevel, Nightbringer, Barshasketh, etc.

I Djävulens Avbild contains 43 minutes of blistering black metal, performed at withering speeds for much of the time. The pace does change, to be fair, but this album is near-relentless in its pursuit of violent darkness. Having said that, however, I Djävulens Avbild is not a one-dimensional affair, and has much to offer the discerning black metal fan.

Blackened melodies complement the extremity, adding colour to music that revels in its blackened aggression. The band have a decent grasp of atmosphere too, I’m pleased to say, which lends their chosen brand of intensity a deeper edge than it might otherwise have, and also justifies the individual song lengths, (none are under five minutes).

Ov Shadows’ ability to blend atmosphere and aggression is a signature of I Djävulens Avbild, and one of the reasons that I find this album so compelling. Lots of bands can play fast, but Ov Shadows combine this with good songwriting, a grasp of dynamics and atmosphere that works well, and an insidious melodic approach, to produce music that strikes hard, but that also has enough depth to stay with you. I very much like the classic blackened screams of the singer too.

I Djävulens Avbild is a strong album, one which offers a very enjoyable slice of black metal. If you like a good hit of blackened aggression, but also want a deeper listen in places, then this is for you.

Very highly recommended.