Afsky – Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død (Review)

Afsky is a one-man Danish black metal band and this is his second album.

Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død is the follow up to the very enjoyable Sorg from 2018, and contains 46 minutes of new material. Mixing small parts of folk and doom into a traditional black metal approach, this is a melancholic and emotive take on the blackened style.

The songs are authentically engaging examples of someone producing music with a real love of the style. They’re aggressive and fiery, but in an atmospheric mood-driven way. Overall this is probably a harsher album than Sorg, but not unrecognisably so, and not to its detriment.

The guitar rhythms and melodies are well-considered and draw the listener in close. Lighter, clean sections add texture where needed, but these are not overused. The majority of the music is powered by melodically-charged black metal. Heavily influenced by the second wave, but with elements of the depressive style too, the songs are well-written and full of gloriously emotive material. The artist behind Afsky has a clear understanding of what makes this sort of music so compelling, and the songs on Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død easily transport the listener to otherworldly realms in the way that all good atmospheric black metal does.

Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død is the type of album that people refer to when they talk about underground gems. This is an album that has the sort of quality level that deserves a wider audience, but is probably destined to largely be overlooked, except for the few in the know. Make sure you’re one of these latter lucky souls, as Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død is well worth your time.