Vattnet Viskar unleash atmospheric savagery, black metal grace on debut EP

Photo by returntothepit.com

New Hampshire probably doesn’t seem like the logical origin for one of the USBM movement’s most promising and enthralling acts. I know that I had to read and re-read the press release on Vattnet Viskar before that fact truly set in that these guys hail from there. But it’s true. This quartet comes from one the New England territory’s prettier states and certainly has an appreciation and respect for the picturesque surroundings in their midst. That all comes to the forefront on the band’s excellent new self-titled EP, coming out on vinyl via new Brooklyn imprint Broken Limbs Recordings.

The domestic black metal scene has really prospered the past few years, with bands such as FALSE, Barghest, Bosse-de-Nage, Palace of Worms, Wrnlrd, Necrite, Fell Voices, Deafheaven, and Ash Borer (among many others) making excellent, genre-altering records that became templates to follow for those who came after them. There are a lot of great ideas and pounding music making the rounds, and I don’t remember a time when my record collection swelled so massively during a single period. Now with Vattnet Viskar (Swedish for “the water whispers”) in the mix, the pool gets deeper. In fact, if you’re into the aforementioned new crop of USBM bands, as well as veteran acts such as Agalloch and Wolves in the Throne Room, you’re bound to be excited by what you hear on this EP.

The only other recording to the band’s name is a well-received 2011 demo, so this band really is in its infancy. Considering that, they seem equivalent in their progress to a toddler who can read and do math. They sound like a group with far more experience together than their tenure indicates, as this three-cut effort is rich, rewarding, and wholly satisfying, especially for a listener such as myself who likes a nice bit of atmosphere. Surely a lot of that was generated by recording this thing in a barn, where they could be more in touch with the elements and not restricted to a confined space dominated by machines. That led to this stuff having a real, organic feel that’s in tune with an animalistic spirit.

Vattnet Viskar is made up of guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Thornbury, guitarist Chris Alfieri, bassist Adam Sobodacha and drummer Matt St. Jean, and they make for a really formidable unit. They play something akin to what has come to be known as Cascadian black metal, a term many people despise for some reason. Look, it’s just a label, but whether you like or not, it does happen to stand for a certain sound that these guys have a bit of. But it’s not all they do, so settle down. There’s also some spacious doom and sludge to their work, and Thornbury’s vocals are beastly and violent much of the time. It all combines to create a gigantic force that, as far as I can imagine, will become one of the more talked-about bands in underground metal very soon.

The three-track effort kicks off with “Weakness,” a song that’s made the rounds a little bit and is not to be judged by its name. While it opens with small town church bells and whispery chants, it explodes into a complete storm of chaos, with melodic threads, harsh vocals and eventually some delicacy via a nicely placed acoustic passage. It leads right into “InterventionOblivion,” a cut that has a pretty tasty groove from St. Jean before it turns into a song that would sound fitting being played on a blazing hot summer day, when the AC is dead, there is no breeze to be had, and you don’t know if you’ll succumb to dehydration. The song pulls you in with it and makes you sweat with its shoegazey power and total explosion of emotion. Closer “Barren Earth,” that clocks in at about 14 minutes, changes things up a bit, as acoustics help lead the way for the first part of the song, where they dabble in progressive rock, before it totally rips open. From there it gets colorful and dynamic, aggressively melodic, and completely savage. About three-quarters of the way through, the band hits on a riff they ride out to the end. It’s majestic and uplifting, a tremendous way to end this EP.

Vattnet Viskar’s debut EP is an impressive display that seems to indicate they’ll remain one of the more interesting acts in the USBM movement. They have a way of expressing themselves that reaches inside of you and makes you feel something. This band’s music might have a place in your home on a stormy summer evening, when all you have to keep you company are some burning candles, libations and your thoughts. In fact, next power outage, I’m going right for the iPod and giving this another visit.

For more on the band, go here: http://vattnetviskar.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/vattnet-viskar

To download the band’s 2011 demo for free, go here: http://vattnetviskar.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go` here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/