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askog vargArtist: Åskog
Title: Varg
Genre: Black Metal / Death Metal / Doom Metal / Heavy Metal / Swedish Black Metal
Release Date: 16th October 2020
Label: Self-released


Album Review

ÅSKOG are a relatively new band hailing from Vänersborg in Sweden. They were formed by Adam Chapman and Lars Hansson out of the embers of their previous band MURDRYCK. What they were looking for was something fresh that brought a renewed cooperation and stronger identity to the band members. Now, I don’t know what went on before but they have definitely started off on the right foot with this effort. I enjoyed it. I liked the interplay of different styles that didn’t take away from the whole. There are only three tracks here but none of them feel disjointed or splintered. There is a theme and it is stuck to. The theme is the “harsh brutality of nature”.

The first track, ‘Varg’ (Wolf) slowly builds the tension, soaring and sinewy guitars pull you in and upwards before emphatic driving drums and guitar help you along a dark tree lined track. Tapping infers glistening lights in the darkness. Triplets. ‘Korp’ (Raven) is a pleasant enough track. It plods along with a head bopping regularity until near the end when blast beats and more urgent riffs break up the tempo. Ravens soaring above the tree line waiting for an injured animal to shuffle off its mortal coil or for the danger of other predators like wolves to pass so they can swoop down to feast on the flesh of fresh death play through my mind turning this track into a satisfying 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

Final track, ‘Vatten’ (Water) is a cassette only track and not for download. Water is the giver of life and the taker of it. It is predictable and unpredictable. It is a dangerous friend that has no sinister motive. It is what it is. We fear it and revere it. This is what this track says to me. It’s like a journey down a mountain stream with all its steady harmlessness before dropping down gullies and gorges and morphing into fast flowing rapids. The latter stages of ‘Vatten’ are torrential. It’s Black Metal at the outset before morphing into Death Metal, standard Metal riffs assert near tracks end.

Yeah, there is something fresh about this. I’m curious now as to what comes next when the album is finally released next year. Good stuff!


Tracklist

01. Varg (Wolf)
02. Korp (Raven)
03. Vatten (Water) - Cassette Release Only


Line-up

Lars Hansson - Vocals and Bass
Adam Chapman - Guitars
Rodion Belshevits - Session Drums


Website

https://www.facebook.com/askog666 / https://askog.bandcamp.com


Cover Picture

askog varg


Rating

Music: 7.5
Sound: 8
Total: 7.8 / 10




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