Album Review: Åskog – Varþnaþer (Grind to Death Records/Leviaphonic Records/Corrupted Flesh Records)

Swedish black metal unit Åskog presents their debut full-length, Varþnaþer, which will be out on CD via Grind to Death Records and digitally via Leviaphonic Records on 12th May 2021. A vinyl and cassette release by Corrupted Flesh Records will also be available soon afterwards.

As cold as a Swedish night in the dead of Winter, Åskog’s Varþnaþer is wholeheartedly and without compromise, a black metal album. Filled to the brim with dark and heavy black atmosphere, the howling wind are the riffs. The cascade of snow; the drums and bass, and the bone-chilling wetness that skulks throughout the body; the perverse vocals.

If this sort of arduous listen sounds like your idea of an enjoyable experience, then this album will bury you deeply in an emotionless pit.

The thing is, it’s an excellent album and as debut’s go, Åskog make one hell of an impression. Not always the simplest of tasks when it comes to black metal, especially when you have a band sticking so firmly to the traditional format. Though, that’s not to suggest they don’t have a few tricks here and there to keep things interesting.

For starters, this a much riffier album than you might expect and with top shelf production you can hear every single one clearly. Then you have these occasional touches of atmosphere and gothic horror that add depth and even more icy chilliness to things. It doesn’t change the desolate murkiness of an all-consuming black metal album, but it does keep things interesting.

Åskog – Varþnaþer Full Track Listing:

1. Svält.
2. Vinter
3. Tid
4. Måne
5. Varg
6. Korp
7. Eld
8. Aska

Links

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