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Vardlokkur

Fragmenteret Okkult Bespottelse

Written by: EW on 05/06/2010 18:16:36

Whatever the year whatever the fad it seems grimly produced Norwegian-influenced black metal is going to be produced in vast quantities such is the DIY ethic found in that scene as well as the respect with which the early 90's Norwegian sounds are held. Thus here is Dane's Vardlokkur's debut attempt on "Fragmenteret Okkult Bespottelse" to use those influences with hopefully the creation of something new in mind, a facet we know is rarely found in the BM of today.

While I have no idea how this record, released in 2008 on a random underground label, has found it's way to me, it's relative age does make it easier to assess it's true worth. Given that at any moment it's sound is indistinguishable from thousands of others, "Fragmenteret..." also possesses little musical relevance being that it sounds like it could have been recorded at any point since 1993, thus suggesting it hasn't and won't help the genre move forward, instead joining the huge pile of bands peddling a similar style. To Vardlokkur's credit however, whereas most ply the trade of early Mayhem and Darkthrone, their noise most closely resembles the early beatings of Enslaved, long before the more progressive territories entered their music. "I Forraeders Blod", with a vocal performance not unlike Enslaved's Grutle could have fitted into "Eld" being a frantic and raw assault on the senses while "Galningen" is uncompromising if a little under-finished in places. Nine-minute "Ondskabt" is for me the album's stand-out track merely for it's listenable and grim intensity and decent workings of different tempos into the song’s structure.

A cursory look at the bands' last.fm page will however tell you all you need to know about Vardlokkur: they are deemed to resemble a host of no-name BM bands who I'm sure for the most part will also be the purveyors of equally admirable and similar music, high on grimness but low on musical development/progression. One can see how the band saw potential in their "Fragmenteret Okkult Bespottelse" as it was written and recorded but with such a wealth of black metal in the world Vardlokkur need to be hitting higher heights than this to increase their relevance within the scene.

Download: Ondskabt, I Forraeders Blod
For the fans of: Enslaved, Darkthone, Carpathian Forest
Listen: Myspace

Release date 03.07.2008
Det Germanske Folket