Band – Dødsferd
Album – Wrath
Country of Origin – Greece
Genre – Extreme Misanthropic Art
Release Date – May 10, 2024
Label – FYC Records/Hypnotic Dirge Records
Author – Hayduke X
Video Premiere
Today, it is our greatest honor to premiere the video for Restoration of Justice. This marks the first time either song or video are available to the public. The track comes from the upcoming twelfth full length album from the Greek duo Dødsferd, entitled “Wrath.” The album title is very fitting, as the album is incredibly wrathful. The video contains some live footage, but also scenes of violence, destruction, and civil unrest in recent years in Greece. Wrath (the mastermind behind this project) discusses this in detail in our interview below. In the notes on YouTube, we read, “Video was created by Mick Alexandrakis (Black Screen – Graphic Arts) on behalf of FYC Records.” Spend the eight minutes necessary to watch this powerful video. Be sure to stay on at the end of the music to read the important words written there. Then watch it again. Then jump below the player to read my full review of this album.
Album Review
This phenomenal and fiery album is a raging beast, awakened by the destructive and willful stupidity of the worst of humanity, and now ready to destroy all in a final conflagration that life may then start anew. In contrast to “Suicide and the Rest of Your Kind Will Follow Part II” from 2021, which struck me as a combination of progressive rock and DSBM, this latest release hearkens back to earlier, angrier releases, ready to ignite creation for the purpose of cleansing evil and providing a clean slate away from the greed of fascist and capitalist monsters.
Musically, the album is a masterwork of blast beats, tremolo riffs, and the ardent roars of Wrath. There is influence from both the second wave Scandinavian scene, as well as from the more aggressive side of the Greek scene. Wrath prefers to call his music Extreme Misanthropic Art so as to separate from a musical scene that seems willing to tolerate, or even willingly accept and honor, Nazis and their propaganda. More details on this can also be found in the interview below, but know that I personally (Hayduke), and MoshPitNation collectively, stand in solidarity with Wrath against Nazis and other scum who would oppress others simply for who they are.
Poison was poured into the wounds of my enemies,
Into the wounded consciences of these failures of life.
Thus begins Restoration of Justice, a prayer of revenge on the enemies of the speaker. Who are these enemies? This prayer focuses mostly on the coming vengeance, but in the interview below, Wrath makes it clear who these enemies are. They are the oppressors. They are the fascists. They are the murderers of the oppressed and the (figurative) lapdogs of those murderers. They are those who happily destroy the earth for another ten cents of profit, the religious leaders who preach salvation while they ruin lives for their own gain, the slaughterers of animals to satiate their greed.These are his enemies. These are our enemies.
Decay of Sanity follows next, musically a continuation of the ground covered by Restoration of Justice. Lyrically, Wrath wrestles with the darkness of his thoughts caused by the horrors of late-stage capitalism. Trying to push everything down, trying to exist in this world in ways prescribed by this world has an effect on our psyches. The thesis of the song brings a potential solution, a dark but redemptive (for the earth) thought:
End the human race, nature’s supremacy.
While the interview will make clear that Wrath really stands in solidarity with the oppressed, and that his enemies are really those described above, the strain of everything can make this an appealing thought.
Track three, Raging Lust of Creation is not only my favorite track on this record, but my favorite Dødsferd track period. The main riff in this is musical perfection. It really does musically describe a ‘raging lust.’ If Restoration is a prayer of vengeance, then Raging Lust is the Creator (whoever that is) answering that prayer. The lyrics come from the perspective of an undoing of creation. Wrath writes:
This world was meant to suffocate,
Surrendered and vanished in flames.
This is the Entity realizing the reality. And after that, following through.
Spiritual Lethargy starts with a giant ‘fuck you!’ by way of a sample. More processing time is needed for me to grapple with the fullness of what this track is suggesting lyrically, but the music is a slow burning fire creeping ever closer to ultimate conflagration. I think ultimately lines like “Fallen temples failed to rule,” and “Stray creator left disgraced and nude,” refers to the way that the powerful have claimed the church as their own domain. Those least spiritual are ruling what are meant to be houses of holiness. They have disgraced, degraded, and rejected any actual sense of holiness as another opportunity to oppress.
Heaven Drops With Human Filth is the penultimate track on the album (not counting the bonus track available exclusively on the vinyl release). The track picks up where Spiritual Lethargy left off, presenting a vision of heaven brought down to earth by the horrors wrought by humanity, and destroyed there.
Heaven kneels in front of death,
Religion seals the end of earth.
Thus the final lines of the track sum up man’s relationship with anything actually spiritual.
With the lines,
Straying down, observing disease.
Deprived and useless,
Bending to symbols of greed.
Wrath once again points out the hypocrisy of a church and higher power who allows these atrocities to happen, while the worst humanity has to offer hoard their gold like dragons of old. This is the core of the final track Failure Ablaze In Your Existence. Thus ends a tight, vicious obliteration of the hellish world humanity has created, all to some of the best riffs you’ll hear this year.
For those choosing to order the vinyl edition (which you absolutely should), there is a bonus track entitled Back to my Homeland…A Beast in Calm. This track is a throwback to the experimental style found on Asphyxiating Late Night Sessions: Collaboration with Sarvok released in 2023. There are ambient and acoustic sections, along with a stretch which calls to mind chillwave. Indeed, this track is also a collaboration with m.Sarvok, presenting a different face of Wrath, more anguished, still angry, but lamenting the pain and opposed to planning for revenge.
“Wrath” is a memorable album. I’ve been listening to it a lot since receiving the promo. It is full of power, of righteous anger, and of a cold determination to keep fighting against the oppressors in every way possible. Listen for the music. Listen for the message. Ultimately, just be sure to listen.
Keep reading for my interview with Wrath.
Interview with Wrath
Hayduke X: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Wrath, by my count your twelfth full length release, in addition to myriad other splits, singles, and EPs. I’ve had the pleasure of a sneak peek, and can’t get enough. How are you feeling about it?
Wrath: Thank you very much! My journey with Dødsferd all these years has been a soul destroying journey; A journey with no final destination, no filthy lies, no hypocritical behavior, no diplomacy and no need for acceptance by the masses. It’s an independent world, with loyal followers and proud supporters. I create when I need to and when I have something to forge with fire in the diary of my life. I am feeling more than satisfied with my new album and the work of people who participated in order to externalize my feelings and vision exactly as I wanted them.
HX: I’m glad you’re feeling satisfied with it, as I think the album states your vision perfectly, as I have understood that vision these past few years. I’d like to jump back to the beginning at this point. How did you first get involved with playing, writing, and recording music?
W: Everything started back in 1999, when I was isolating myself at the small kitchen of my house, with the company of a candle and a bottle of strong alcohol, raki (traditional alcohol drink of my homeland, Crete) writing some of my darkest thoughts, wonderings about life and death and things that created very strong feelings for me during my childhood. But that wasn’t enough. I bought my first classic guitar in the same year and started some lessons. I never wanted to be a guitarist, or perform cover songs. So after a year, I quit lessons and continued alone. By the time I learned the basics, I started composing my own songs, screaming my thoughts I had written. In 2000 I created a project with a friend of mine and I named it “Haven of Sorrows”, which later in 2001 changed into the band that never compromised with none and that was Dødsferd. Everything was new to me, but I never feared or backed down. I worked very hard in order to spread my vision all over the world, to the ones that had eyes to see and the ability to understand. But the main goal was to calm my own demons.
HX: Has that been a successful endeavor? Have you been able to calm your own demons?
W: It depends on how success is defined on this serious matter. It’s something that will never end. They keep me focused on my vision. They have never let me down all these years. Only when I make peace with this world, will these voices disappear.
HX: As you say, getting to the point of making peace seems like an unending task.
W: You have seen the evolution of humans and this world. How can you make peace with all these imposters, who try to suck the blood of proud people every day in order to feed their arrogance, gain more money and power? Feeding their own fat bellies by destroying nature, animals, and voiceless people. And things seem to get worse year by year.
HX: You state the following on your albums and various Bandcamp pages and website: “Dødsferd is Wrath & Wrath is Dødsferd! Till the end of this corrupted and diseased world!!!” I know that at times, you have had other official members, and sometimes just studio musicians. For example, on Wrath, the members are listed as yourself and Neptunus. In the early days, was this a completely solo project, or have you always worked with other musicians?
W: I always worked with guest, session musicians. Even in my first two demos, I worked with a drummer, and a guitarist. On Skotos I recorded everything except for drums. I am not a drummer, guitarist, bassist or singer. I am not a musician. I am a man with vision. I work with certain people, in order to make the best for my art. Only Neptunus has proved all these years we work together (since 2009) that he could carry the burden of the world I created.
HX: Twelve albums, plus a variety of other releases into your vision, how would you describe your output? How does Wrath (the album) stand in relation to the rest of the discography?
W: There’s still a lot of work to be done, not in terms of being a rock star, but to establish my own scene, my own world, my own society. My music and my writings witness this with no doubt. The demons in my head never stop reminding me of the work that still needs to be done. My new album, “Wrath” is the result of hard work and dedication to a vision that never compromised with the recipes of the masses. A genuine and pure album, showing that after 20 years and more of existence, the flame is burning stronger and with more rage towards the destructive and parasitical human kind.
HX: This album is a dense, straightforward, aggressive raw black metal attack. Some past releases have been musically similar, but others have taken different approaches, such as a more DSBM approach and some acoustic work on Suicide Part 2. Why have you chosen to explore different soundscapes throughout your discography and why did you come back to the aggression for this release?
W: With Dødsferd I create the diary of my life. I do whatever I feel is necessary to permit my soul to breath clearly and satisfy the voices in my head. My music, my writings depend on my feelings and my thirst to oppose several issues of this rotten world and poisonous society. I don’t follow specific rules or advice from others on how I should lead my band. So if I want to make an acoustic album, or an ambient album, or a pop album, or an extreme album, that depends only on me, and not the followers of my band; I don’t care to satisfy anyone else and especially the ones who hate my band and me. No trends nowadays and from the past are capable of changing my points of view. The last few years, my albums externalized my disappointment that humans created with their stupidity. But my rage and hatred has returned wilder than ever and there are a lot of reasons here in Greece to feel this way. “Wrath” is my answer!
HX: Great answer. Well put. Each album meets your needs and the needs of the world at the time, if I have that right.
W: Exactly! But the world I want to create through my band!
HX: Tell me about your writing and recording process on Wrath.
W: Some of the songs of my new album were created before I left Athens and isolated myself in my homeland, on the island of Crete. But all of them were completed here in Crete. I recorded all guitars and vocals at m.Sarvok’s “Barking Dog Studio,” in Ierapetra, Crete. Bass was recorded by Neptunus at “Luseed Studio” in Athens and drums were recorded by N.D. at “Made in Hell” Studio, also in Athens. Mixing was done by Giannis Leledakis at “The Omegha Studio”, in Irakleio, Crete and mastering by Nasos Nomikos at “Vu Productions Mastering Studio” in Athens.
HX: What is the album about lyrically and thematically?
W: Imagine a beast that rises from the darkest corners of earth, thirsty for vengeance, bringing justice for the non stop exploitation of mother earth, animals and people who were brutally forced to sacrifice their lives for the growth of capitalism and this new age. The beast must destroy this world and its exploiters in order to build a new one!
HX: Were there any specific events in your life, in Greece, or in the wider world that prompted this album, or is it the accumulation of all the horrors of capitalism and humanity which have been ongoing longer than you or I have been alive?
W: Whatever happens to this world, affects us all. All governments of the world need brainless people, in order to do their unethical and dirty work that will ensure a prosperous and easy life for them, their families and their supporters. Here in Greece a lot of people died in 2023, due to the incapability and corruption of the Greek government. And despite all of these deaths, they were elected again. Human kind is like a filthy river, full of germs and disease. They exterminate whoever tries to clean it and give life to others with his/her acts.
HX: Your video for Restoration of Justice, which we’re premiering along with this interview, seems like a visual representation of that reality. Tell me about the video and how it fits with your message.
W: It includes some of the most important events here in Greece that ended up with the destruction of the country and the unjustified death of many people. It also shows the greed and unsatisfied appetite of the ones who consider themselves as Elite, in order to make this world an endless graveyard.
HX: How was the video made? Who was involved?
W: I had this idea, to make a video, depicting all this sadness and injustice, so that everyone knows all these hypocritical parasites of the Greek government that drowned decent hard working families in sorrow and pain. To show how this government uses uneducated bullies, paid by the taxes of the citizens of this country in order to use violence while enforcing their catastrophic laws of their bosses; To show also, the total destruction of a city, in the context of the expansionary policy of a powerful country, with the tolerance and apathy of others. I worked with Mick Alexandrakis (Black Screen Graphic Arts) for the first video, a loyal partner of FYC Records. He did an exquisite job, combining all these videos, along with the live footage from our recent live performance in Athens Greece in May of 2023; the video of our live performance was recorded by Christos Karalis, another one loyal partner of FYC Records.
HX: How about the album art? Who was involved with that and how does it connect with your message?
W: The artwork was created once again by my brother, Georgios Gyzis (aka Bacchus), a member of my other band, Grab. I just told him about the main theme of the album, he listened to the songs, read the lyrics and created this magnificent piece of art! Whenever he creates something for me, I never change anything at all. He is always into the theme, accurate and every time he overcomes his artistic powers for me and that’s the greatest honor. Graphic Design / Layout were handled by my long time partner in FYC Records and a brother to me, Nikos Stavridakis (VisionBlack). He always manages to make the best of everything he undertakes and offers me only pure quality. In the artwork, you can see the beast standing alone, watching the world burning…details of it, you can understand by reading the lyrics.
HX: I would agree that the final cover is a fantastic representation of what you’re going for. You are working with Hypnotic Dirge Records for “Wrath.” Tell me how that came about and how the label is a good fit for this release.
W: Nicolas is a decent man, with a philosophy very close to mine. We started working together some years ago, as far as the distribution of the releases of FYC Records is concerned. When I completed my new album, I had two people / labels on my mind in order to propose them for a possible cooperation. It’s one of my greatest albums and its impact will be very important out there. My message would be spread even further, with the support of an honorable partner. And that is Hypnotic Dirge Records!!! I didn’t want any fancy label or any kind of label that follows trends, or likings of the masses, nor any imposter to take advantage of my work. FYC Records is still the label of Dødsferd. But Hypnotic Dirge Records is the only appropriate label I would work with together with mine, in order to carry this difficult task. And as time goes by, I am really glad for my decision. Total respect and support to Nicolas and Hypnotic Dirge Records!!!
HX: In addition to writing music, you are also a poet, with a fairly recently published book of poems. Tell me about your work as a poet and about the book.
W: My poems, if I can name them like this, enclose all the essence of my life, of my philosophy, of my existence. Firstly, I started expressing my feelings and my thoughts through my poems and afterwards through my music. Some years ago, I understood the importance and power of my writings; when I saw people, at my presentations, crying and trying to share with me their thoughts on what I had expressed through them; only then I started realizing that their effect would be incomparable to anything I had imagined! The second edition of my book, in Greek is almost finished and by the end of the year, it will have been published also in English.
HX: That’s exciting (for me) that there will be an English translation. Will there also be worldwide distribution?
W: Through FYC Records for sure.
HX: Dødsferd is currently two people, but I know you also play live. Do you have regular musicians you work with when you play live? What is a Dødsferd live performance like?
Since 2023, I have live members and most important I have loyal and hardworking live members. Neptunus (Bass), Setesh (Guitar), Merenhor (Drums), and The Omegha (Guitar) are my loyal companions in this difficult journey! They respect my philosophy, embrace it and give all their strength to externalize it with me through our live performances. Genuine feelings, being true to the vision we serve!
HX: Will you be doing any touring in support of this release?
W: We have already discussed this with Nicolas, in order to arrange some live performances in Portugal, as also here in Greece.
HX: As you said above, even though you are also working with Hypnotic Dirge, you have your own label. Can you start by telling me about the creation of FYC Records?
W: I am more than 20 years in the underground music industry and have worked with labels all over the world. I was fed up with offering my unique art to people who were not willing to understand. I lost significant time, trying to make them understand, which made me feel tired and angry. I started working on the idea when I was in Athens and when I finally moved to my homeland, my dream came true. FYC Records became my new shelter, my new reality. I produced limited copies for the few, for my true followers; no lies, no excuses and no messing with quality; It was more difficult, cause I am not a spoiled rich boy, who has money to spend, so I had to gather money, before I produce anything at all. I worked really hard in order to find capable partners and supporters of my label. I created the label for my band and my projects, but afterwards I realized that there were a lot of people I knew from the scene, very talented and hard working, sharing the same experience and philosophy with me, so I welcomed them to my label. FYC Records is a small community with people sharing a higher vision, giving all their powers to spread their art to the ones who have eyes, to see, as also pure heart and soul to feel! There is no place here for sneaky diplomats, who are thinking to take advantage of me or my label. I respect my fellow visionaries and they respect me. It’s mutual. I am not doing it for money or recognition. I have a vision to create a new society, by starting from the people who have joined my label. It’s not for everyone. I don’t work with people who I don’t know, or have hype in what they are doing.
HX: I’ve noticed that it seems more important to you to have people on the label who share that philosophy than who share a genre. You’ve released all kinds of music, including a pop single recently. Tell me about the diversity of FYC releases.
W: As an artist, I never stick to one genre. Creation has no boundaries. If you are true in what you are doing, then everything you do will fulfill all your highest expectations. That happens with my label. Dedicated people from different kinds of genres have joined my label, respecting my vision! This is the privilege of the underground! Doing what your heart desires, without caring for others opinions! I don’t earn money through my music, or my label; I don’t depend on anyone in the music industry in order to pay my bills and support my family and my beautiful animals. All these years I work daily, a shitty job, so I don’t depend on anyone! I have never compromised and I am not planning to do it for anyone! I do whatever I want, whatever gives life to my soul! And that’s my act as a man who creates music and runs a label! A label with people, of different genres but with a common vision and attitude in life!
HX: Black metal has a dark stain in certain quarters, a support of and tolerance of nazism and other far right beliefs. You and I have spoken of this several times in the past, so I know where you stand, but I wanted to give you an opportunity to share with our readers your stance as an artist and the label’s position on this.
W: Greece and the Greek people have suffered a lot from Nazis and dictatorships. My ancestors have seen and faced the brutal reality of Nazism. My ancestors fought in order to free my country from them, as also from dictatorships and with great sadness I see that the last years, people forget and flirt with the sick idea of Nazism; FYC Records, me as a person and my philosophy stand against Nazism and this entire offensive turnover of history. I am against all those who reminisce about such disgraceful years; the ones who want to hurt animals and nature, voiceless people, the ones who cannot protect themselves. I do not respect at all humankind, for thousands of reasons. Animals are of greater value for me. But I respect people who never give up and fight to be free, who fight to create and live their lives with dignity. I respect all those who stood against dictators and sacrificed their lives, so new generations can be free and have a chance to create. But the bad thing is that I see more and more, brainless human androids, following them. Same thing is happening to Gaza. The majority of Greece’s government consists of fascists. It’s such a shame, when you realize that they were elected by the Greek people. So you understand that this is one of the reasons I hate this humankind. They are trying to gather in political, religious or any kind of groups in order to hide their failure as human beings. It’s been for years, that I do not use the term black metal in my music. It’s one of the reasons I tried to separate my band from this scene and create mine.
HX: Rather than black metal, what term is better to use?
W: On my Official Bandcamp page, or site of FYC Records, or YouTube channel, you can see that I call it misanthropic black metal. But this is just to label the music. Since the beginning of my band this term is defining the music of Dødsferd. But in my interviews, or when I talk with people, I just use the term extreme misanthropic art. There are also people in the scene, which I respect, that attribute this term of metal, black metal, only to those who speak about Satan. I am not into black arts, or have this kind of theme, so black metal doesn’t define my philosophy, just my music. A man is capable enough to become whatever he wants; God, or Satan! Nothing is external!
HX: Thanks for clarifying that. You’ve mentioned animals a couple of times. Tell me about your work with animals.
W: I spend a lot of time with them. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter. You can learn a lot from them. They choose their leaders, the capable ones. Not the ones who have more rich friends, or serve interests of other rich parasites. Dogs, cats, birds, goats, chickens are some of the animals I take care of with my family. I spend a lot of time in nature, away from the society this rotten world has created. They make me calm and ease my anger from what I face daily, because of human stupidity.
HX: At this point, I’d like to wrap up by giving you an opportunity to share anything else you feel is important, anything I may have missed.
W: Thank you very much for the time you spent in order for us to have such a wonderful time through this interview and for your nonstop support, all these years!
Be a King and Your Kingdom will Come!
With Respect
Nikolaos Spanakis (Wrath of Dødsferd / FYC Records)!
HX: Thank you! I really appreciate your time and thoughtful answers.
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
