Here's a crankin' little EP from Norway's Frosthardr, a four-piece black metal act who have been toiling around the extreme metal underground in their native country since 1997. Varg is made up of three very well played examples of old school black metal, the title track being a new recording, and the remaining two pieces, the epic "Tortured" and the brief "Thrash Against Sin", are older songs from 2004 and 2005. You can really hear the maturity of this band in just the few short years that separate these tunes. The title track is an unrelenting and powerful example of the genre, with inventive guitar riffs, effective vocal growls, and rampaging drum blasts. The lengthy "Torture" features some intricate riffs and musical passages, but tends to meander just a tad, and doesn't hold the solid production values that the title track emotes. Still, if you like the more epic sounds of Immortal, 1349, and Throne of Katarsis, this piece will definitely be for you. The last track, "Thrash Against Sin" is a more grueling number, with some tasty riffs and evil screeching, as well as some creepy atmosphere, and quite frankly could have been better served by adding a few more minutes to the quick three-minute run time. There's also some wild death metal growls during the mid-section on this one that adds a different element to the overall sound. Judging by these three songs here, Frosthardr have a lot to offer the modern black metal scene, and I for one can't wait to hear a full length CD from these lads from Norway. Bring it on.
Track Listing
1) Varg (5:38)
2) Tortured (11:44)
3) Thrash Against Sin (3:14)