siLLy puPPy
The bleak sonic soundscapes of pagan black metal don’t always emerge from the frigid northern bleakness of Scandinavian winters but some that don’t sure sound like they do. Such is the case of the Argentinean band VARGSKRAFT which resides in the extreme southern city of Comodoro Rivadavia which is located on the Atlantic coast approximately equidistant between Buenos Aires and the tip of Tierra del Fuego in the isolated middle section of Patagonia.
Despite the huge distances from the frosty Nordic highlands of Sweden, the inspiration nevertheless finds the band’s name sporting a Swedish moniker that means “wolf power.” The band was formed in 2015 and i assume is still together but so far has only released this mere three track EP titled AULLIDOS DE LIBERTAD which is Spanish for “Howls of Liberty.” Considering Argentina’s in flux of European immigrants throughout the 20th century, it’s not surprising that many of the Nordic influences reside there as there are many European outposts in Argentina and Brazil.
The band consists of five members which includes VargVand (bass), Panzer (drums), DysterEnsomhet (guitars) and Velkan (vocals). Considering many non-European or North American bands fail to understand the intricate nature of constructing black metal, there are of course always exceptions and VARGSKRAFT is definitely one of those rare outliers who has mastered the art of pagan black metal and shows an amazing amount of promise crafting some of the best black metal on the market. So what in the world are these guys waiting for? Release a real album already! Another interesting feature is that the lyrics are in Spanish and can actually be deciphered at points. The subject matter covers the expected range of pagan topics such as mysticism and nature.
The bad news is that AULLIDOS DE LIBERTAD consists of only three tracks that almost hit the sixteen minute mark but VARGSKRAFT doesn’t waste a microsecond in delivering some of the highest quality black metal with all the expected twists and turns. Firstly, Velkan has the most effective vocal style for this style of music with just the amount of raspiness that could win him a slot in any of the established Norwegian bands that needed a replacement. Perfect fit for Mayhem, Darkthrone, Gorgoroth or even Swedish bands like Dissection. The instrumental interplay is impeccable and although there could be more dynamic shifts, it’s actually fairly well done for a first time endeavor.
VARGSKRAFT has also mastered the art of delivery which is often the most difficult intricacies to master. Despite the rather tritone tremolo guitar antics, the compositions keep things interesting as the energetic rampages meander through different chord progressions while the bass and drum attacks are clearly audible. The production is excellent for black metal and perfectly allows just enough lo-fi indie charm to shine through the darkened cloud covered skies. Perhaps the biggest drawback of AULLIDOS is that it’s simply lacking any sort of originality but the performances are so well executed that it’s an entertaining listen nonetheless. I could totally see this band emerging as one of the newest best things if they find their own voice. Whether they do that remains to be scene but this is a promising debut EP.