Vargrav/The Nighthold/Werewolf Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Vargrav  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "The  Nighthold"  which  will  be  released  on  December  15th  by  Werewolf  Records.

   Field  recordings  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  evil  laughter  being  added  into  the  background  briefly  before  adding  in  some  choirs  and  symphonic  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the album  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era.  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

    All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs,  the  album  also  adds  in  a  couple  of  instrumentals  as  well  as  some whispered  vocals  and  growls  also  being  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover darkness,  misanthropy  and  metaphysical  themes 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vargrav  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Woods  Of  Breathing  Shadows"  "Encircle  The  Spectral  Dimension"  " A  Dark  Consecration"  and  "Ghostlands".  8  out  of  10.

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Vargrav/Encircle The Spectral Dimension/Werewolf Records/2023 EP Review

 

  Finland's  Vargrav  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  ep  "Encircle  the  Spectral  Dimension"  which  was  released  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  symphonic  elements  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim y et  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Emperor's  "Ancient  Queen"  before  closing  the  ep  with  a  live  track.

  On  this  recording  Vargrav  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Hatred,  Misanthropy,  Supremacy  and  Individuality  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vargrav  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Glory  of  Eternal  night".  8 out  of  10.

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Vargrav/Reign In Supreme Darkness/Werewolf Records/2019 CD Review

  Vargrav  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Reign  In  Supreme  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  on  April 26th  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Clean  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  hatred  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vargrav  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Glory  Of  Eternal  Night"  "As  The  Shadows  Grow  Silent"  and  "Arcane  Stargazer".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9twUf6nmG9g

  

Vargrav Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

The band originated during starless nights in late 2015.
As the vision calmly evolved and the cloak of obscurity relinquished, Vargrav was chosen to be illuminating sign for this act of black arts.
During the formative years, the music also transmitted into a profound abyss, only to reincarnate as a sinister glow of the black flame.
A demo version of the album was then unleashed during the summer of 2016,
and  after numerous contacts from different labels, Werewolf Records was immediately chosen to be the most suitable collaborator with which to work.
The overture of a black-hearted storm has been sung and what has yet left uncovered shall be conquered...

2.You have an album coming out in January, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

After the two preview songs were published  I received a lot of feedback about the sound and overall atmosphere being very 90's.
I can't really say is it done intentionally or is it just subconsciousness. Nevertheless sounding 90's is purely logical as for me the golden age
of Blackmetal is in the early and mid '90's when everything around it was new to me. Naturally it's impossible to imitate first impressions
when I first time heard some of the classic albums but creating something as close to that as possible I can uphold the passion that ignited back then.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

The topics alternate from unleashing the black storm of hellfire upon all living to glorifying the supremacy of an individual. In the middle a certain
multidimensional approach to reign the powers shackled by constricted knowledge of your capability.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vargrav'?

Varg (wolf) has been a feared beast among many cultures for centuries and  in the bible wolf is exclusively evil. Yet wolf has also been seen as a trailblazer
and a teacher. Grav (grave) is where you bury the dead (if someone didn't know) so as an coherence Vargrav is the rest where a bestial wisdom lurks only to rise again.
It's also a palindrome with 7 letters. A palindrome is endless and a continuum. After reaching the end the beginning is the new end.
7 is the number of complement. A number of time and space, representing wisdom, perfection, balance and immortality.

5.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

Compromises kill creativity and when working with others one cannot avoid them. So because of that simple fact I work solo on
all of my bands. Even if it demands a multiple amount of work I couldn't be satisfied with the result if it wouldn't be 100% based on my vision.
It would also be impossible to even think joining a band only as a player. I am a leader, not a follower.

6.On the album you had also done a cover of Emperor's "Ancient Queen", what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

Since the first time i heard Emperor's "In The Nightside Eclipse" no other album has ever made such an impact. I could even call it an enlightenment as
in that same moment I knew exactly what I must do. It took me over 20 years to complete that task but time is irrelevant when creating timeless art.
When listening to "Ancient Queen" I've wondered so many times what it would sound like with more keyboards and some clean vocals as in "In the Nightside Eclipse" style.
So recording this cover was a perfect way to get my question answered.

7.The album is going to be released on 'Werewolf Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

The name basically tells it all. An unchained beast seeding terror and fear among those incapable to assimilate it's purposes.
An uncompromising monument of black arts.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?

As the current trend is pretty far from symphonic Blackmetal it seems that for many people it works as a stimulant ascending from the vast grey mass of thousand similar bands.

9.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

The only active band beside Vargrav at the moment is Druadan Forest - My first solo band which I started back in 1998 only to be put to rest for 17 years. 2016 I was finally ready to release the debut album "The Loremasters Time" via GS productions. The three demos
from ´98-´99 were also released as a compilation by the same label. The second full-length "The Lost Dimension" was released by Wolfspell records 2017. Also a split with The True Werwolf will be released in near future so check it out.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I try to evolve all the time. The point where you feel satisfied is the point where you can't advance any further and basically can forget any improvement from your past works.
I started musical studies back in the 80's and unfortunately quit after few years so I have a lot to catch up. In the future - if my efforts should pay off and I'll be able to move even a bit closer to the goals I've set, I see
myself as a full-time professional musician and composer.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There are tons of bands that have influenced my but as said above Emperor has always been the most important and one of the few metal bands that have truly inspired me.
I've never actually seen myself as a metalhead, headbanger or such. Of course I've listened to metal for as long as I can remember but still never felt musically inspired by it.
I enjoy melodies, atmosphere, a sort of surreal soundscapes that I can feel being similar. Seceded from reality.
Nowadays I mostly listen to electronic music and soundtracks.

12.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

I am a Satanist.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Blackmetal is not for everyone.

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Vargrav/Netherstorm/Werewolf Records/2018 CD Review

  Vargrav  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Netherstorm"  which  will  be  released  in  2018  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also   mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

 A  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  most  of the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  symphonic  style  of  the  genre,  when  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling and  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Emperor's  "Ancient  Queen".

  Vargrav  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vargrav  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Netherstorm"  "Ethereal  Visions  Od  A  MOnumental"  and  "The  Glory  Of  Eternal  Night".  8  out  of  10.

http://werewolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/netherstorm