I reckon we’ll need a lamestream n00b list for 2025 as well. Vintersorg, the band around one Andreas Hedlund, has been active since 1996. That’s not quite a lifetime ago, unlike other bands out there. But it is a whopping three decades of faithful service to further the mighty metal lore. And they had an undeniable influence on Northern atmospherics in metal, no contest.
The band sometimes showed its colors at the RMR office tower, straight out of the Northern lights at the outer edges of our aural range. But they never quite made it onto the review pipe for some reason.1 Besides, their last full-length record Till fjälls del II aired in 2017. And that’s eons ago in RMR terms. This turns this artist into one of our n00bs over at the RMR Review desk. So, as Vattenkrafternas Spel will – supposedly – appear on our most infamous year-end list, we shall give this record our undivided attention without taking comfort in their past concoctions. For us, n00bs have no past. Even if they do.
Alright. Let’s see what brownie points this abundance of blackened – something will garner with our tired geezers over at the RMR review desk. After all, modern Atmospheric Black Metal mixed with Post Black and a folky touch showed a lot of promise over the years. And that’s what Vintersorg excels in. Their style kinda follows the torturous pathways bands like Moonsorrow took on their much earlier pieces. Some folks suggested the band sails equally close to the likes of Kampfar. But I would beg to differ, this here record is nowhere near the reach and quality that the former can achieve these days.
First and foremost, Vattenkrafternas Spel is one of those all-at-once records. A monolithic monster sporting a relentless wall of sound. Meaning, once their tune fires on all pistons, every instrument pretty much comes in at the same level and competes with the predominantly clear vocals on offer. The drums often rumble away much too high in the mix to be comfortable. And it sucks that you can actually hear the friggin’ robot firing away. And this wore our mutual patience somewhat thin after a while, which is a pretty gross understatement to be honest. Perhaps a human drummer2 may be the next best thing for Vintersorg to get to the next level? We’ll never know, I guess.
But there’s more to lament on Vattenkrafternas Spel. All of a sudden, you catch a glimpse of some Cthulhu-like flutes from hell wailing away somewhere in the far background. And again, those folksy intrusions into a blackened soundscape don’t exude a genuine look and feel. So, I guess, this may be part of the “…FX programming…”, or something. But let’s stop here, lest our complaints get out of hand. All those negatives that the RMR crew picked up lead us to some weak delivery lacking depth and – I daresay – oomph. A weak amalgamation of generally good ideas that fell prey to the mix and master. Somebody opined some years back that Hedlund should let masters of the trade, such as Dan Swanö, have a go at new Vintersorg records. Sounds about right to us.
And all of the above means that Vattenkrafternas Spel is somewhat of a mixed bag. Efter Dis Kommer Dimma, the first track, proved to be a pretty sturdy one, full of darkly metallic musings and a pretty snazzy female interlude by one Johanna Lundberg. A track that showcases what this band actually could do. If only they had kept up the pace and discipline. The muscular Kraftkällan convinced with its powerful airs of Progressive and Heavy Metal. That’s where the rubber truly hits the road with some meaty vibes that weren’t quite there before. As to the rest of the tracklist, the Review Desk wasn’t amused, even if Från Djupet Dunstar Tiden and Ur Älv Och Å tried to convince us otherwise. And that despite the fact that Roy Peter Wester‘s (Vandelay) keyboard solo valiantly tried to improve Ödsliga Salar.
In the end, Vattenkrafternas Spel left us scratching our heads. Many passages are hitting the mark straight with their raw, pigheaded, and blackened fare. Those speak loudly of great quality that could have been. If only. But the weak, overloaded production, the endlessly circular songwriting3, and the messy programming of drums and other instruments kinda killed the cat with this crew. And that’s a pity. The potential we could see, yet the record – for sure – didn’t rip us out of our seats.
Well, hells bells, perhaps next time. Right?
Ed’s note: And, drumroll! Here’s to another outfit making it onto our 2025 lamestream n00b list. Congrats!
Record Rating: 5/10 | Label: Hammerheart Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 26 September 2024