OÐKRAPTR is yet another creative vehicle for one Geistaz, who also numbers the esteemed likes of GEISTAZ'IKA among his endeavors. While that band tends toward a traditional expression of classic '90s black metal, OÐKRAPTR departs down the most unorthodox corridors of black metal - or simply erases the "black metal" altogether for something wholly haunting and incredibly unique. To date, OÐKRAPTR has publicly revealed two demos, Det Onde Oje in 2020 and Dromme i Heksehuset a year later. Both were released in extremely limited quantities on cassette tape by SIGNAL REX, and now the label combines them together on Ookraptr as one full-length work. Sonic signposts range anywhere from Ved Buens Ende to Dolorian, early Manes to later Manes, Grausamkeit to Moev-t. However, OÐKRAPTR's movement is stately and deliberate, always allowing spaces to expand - to infinity, and beyond - and the blackest metals to only flicker like a flame for maximum effect. Within those vast spaces are a whole host of sounds far outside metal and much closer, in fact, to modern classical or electroacoustic realms. And yet, again, the teeth-gnashingly tense spectres of sound OÐKRAPTR conjure are incredibly musical; there's no chaos nor noise nor improvisational randomness anywhere to be found across these 45 minutes. Those who had the good fortune to acquire the pair of original demos will be mesmerized here by the 3D mastering courtesy of Henri Sorvali at Trollhouse Audio, adding a whole new dimension of supernatural mystery to OÐKRAPTR's sublime spells.
