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Band: Ulvegr
Album title: Vargkult
Release date: 30 January 2018
Label: Ashen Dominion
Tracklist:
01. Rune Ice Frozen Hatred
02. The End Is Near
03. Cold Graves Breathing Beast
04. Death Is Our Law
05. Cutting Off Your Throat
06. All The Sheep To The Slaughter
07. We Remember The Blood
The Ukrainian black metal entity Ulvegr is back on the scene in less than a year with their fifth full-length album, Vargkult. Last year, more precisely in April 2017, they released the album Titahion: Kaos Manifest, a hot, exotic and disturbing work. With cacophonous invocations, tribal elements this duo has created a frightening atmosphere that permeates and spreads throughout the album's tracks. I had the pleasure to review this album and you can check the review over HERE.
Following the overcast and cold atmospheric base, Helg (Khors, Runes Of Dianceht, Kzohh) and Odalv (Ygg, ex-Nokturnal Mortum, Runes Of Dianceht, Twilight Fall, Elderblood, Kzohh), this time brings us even more more raw, more in-your-face and more simplistic record. These two Ukrainians since the first albums do not follow any kind of a musical model, each album is unique and certainly surprises with changes in the way they approach to the compositions and production. It is worth remembering that the third album, The Call Of Glacial Emptiness, presented itself very cold sound, as the title itself already delivers, on the other hand, Titahion: Kaos Manifest, as I mentioned earlier, is more exotic and disturbing.
If I evaluate only the cover of the album and then go into details I would say that I saw a drop in quality. Luckily you can never judge an album by its cover even more when you have two well-known creatures of the scene. Vargkult did not disappoint my expectations, although it offers around half an hour of devastating skull-crushing black metal with a couple of hints to death and thrash/speed metal. Harmony is noteworthy, this album does not present a linear interpretation, but it has great intensity, one can find the pagan tendencies deep in each sound, but the brutal impact on the brain is very intense and comes with a frantic speed. The rhythm of the album is pleasant, insane shrieks and abrasive tremolo picks constantly drill into your head, fortunately there is no sound dirt that limits and erases the instruments and the vocals, the production is good in sonorous terms.
My favorite tracks are "The End Is Near", "Death Is Our Law" and "All The Sheep To The Slaughter". It sounds diverse and as previously said, pleasant and doesn’t disappoint, and why not say that in certain segments might be even contemporary. Vargkult maintains the pure line of traditional black metal, but it is not a copy of some well known cult albums done in the times when black metal was still evolving. Undoubtedly a good album, worth of being heard and have on your shelf for those moments of euphoria and need for something with quality yet clean, that stands out in this sea of songs released frantically these days.
Review written by: Felin Frost
Rating: 8/10
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