Holy black metal, batman! Dødsfall are perhaps as typical as Norwegian black metal gets, from the black-and-white trees and corpsepainted figures on their earlier album covers to their old-Darkthrone-on-speed sound. Still, there's no denying that this sort of thing satisfies a definite need when done well, and this duo are good at what they do. Fast, blasting, and most definitely keyboard-free, Kaosmakt has a subtle rocking thrash influence notable that makes it a very enjoyable listen, although the lack of depth elsewhere makes it a short-term love rather than one I'll still be praising come the end of the year.

Even so, it's worth your time. Produced by Tomas Skogsberg of Sunlight Studio fame, Kaosmakt is a short, sharp album that does what it needs to without fuss, but retains enough depth to be worthwhile seeking out. Opener Merket I Sjel og Blod blasts in with a classic black metal sound, driven by pounding drums and sharp-edged riffing, hypnotic and melodic. Forakt for Livet and Under Fane av Kosmisk Hat are groovier and catchier, with moments of light-speed raging blasting. Nothing outstays its welcome; the band are skilful at weaving songs from various strands and riffs and keeping your ear hooked. The title track even manages to pull off some acoustic strumming and tortured spoken word without it feeling like a cliché!

It's not uniformly excellent – the slower Heksenes Natt feels like the vocals overpower the riffs beneath at moments. Yet later pieces like Ain with its oddly melodic soloing, and the sheer powerful intensity of ten-minute closer Fitte av Kristus more than make up for it, and ensure that Kaosmakt closes on a high note. Not a top-tier album, perhaps, but a reminder that there are plenty of bands out there making perfectly good black metal, and that the general underground quality level remains high.