Review Summary: An odd but satisfying blend of sludge metal and progressive elements. In short, great Avant - Garde Metal.
This album does fascinate me, as it was the only album made by this band, and makes me wish they went forward with this project. The low fi production really enhances the overall vibe the music conveys. But it generally sounds like it was recorded with the cheapest equipment they could afford and can throw people off alone.
It's a bit all over the place, but it mainly lives in between being melodic and atonal. The atmosphere it creates this way is off kilter just enough to be noticeable. Heavy, groovy, strange, and atmospheric.
The main force that drives all of this is the cacophony of dissonance that this band makes. The parts of the album where they lean more into this is confusing but just enough to not become overbearing on the atmospheric elements. The second track, Asfinnsaas, is the best example of this. It combines groove and atmosphere to where it kind of becomes hypnotic, letting it be broken up here and there. The dissonance is still there to keep it all tied together.
Although, I haven't been very thorough on groove and heaviness. The third track, Halandsdal, has a fantastic example of this in the very beginning; but the song moves on from this a bit too quickly for my liking. But the two are there to break up the atmospheric dissonance that the band mainly focuses on.
The fourth track, Slatt Fra Rostad, starts out slow and quiet and eventually incorporates djent elements at the latter half of the track. I find that this band does great when it leans into said djent elements in the album, but it's more put out of the way in favor of atmosphere.
Spissrot is an excellent closer, letting the distortion and dissonance ride out the end of the album.
The drumming is something else on this album, which is pretty interesting for an album that’s pretty slow paced and laid back. It’s something you have to hear yourself to get what I mean.
In the end, this album is a strange blend of ideas put together in the most low production you can imagine. It's something I would recommend if you want to listen to something unique and/or weird.
Recommended Tracks: Anfinnsaas, Slatt Fra Rostad, Spissrot.
