VARG
Götterdämmerung EP
Napalm (2017)
Rating: 8/10
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It’s no secret that Varg is a polarizing band. They’ve fought accusations of racism and far right wing leanings regarding imagery of the band in recent years, and it probably doesn’t help that these German vets share a name with the infamous Varg Vikernes of Burzum and Mayhem infamy. Add to that both the band Varg and Varg Vikernes share beliefs in paganism.
Sure, there’s a lot of similarities but that’s where it ends. Varg have worked hard over the last ten years cranking out some of the best pagan metal Germany’s seen, and trust me, there’s a lot to check out including the likes of Finsterforst, Wolfchant, Adorned Brood and Suidakra, to name a few.
When Varg began in 2005, pagan metal was cult status at best, it held a niche spot in metal. A decade later the field has opened up and a genre of music now exists, and lot of that credit must be given to this band for all the hard work they put in.
Varg’s four song EP, Götterdämmerung, is a showcase of the band at its pagan best, riding high on the much-deserved success of 2016’s Das Ende Aller Lügen (The End Of All Lies), having landed in the Top 20 of the German album charts. What you hear on this record is an even more focused and mature Varg, continuing to establish itself as a force in the metal world to be reckoned with. The music is fast, hard hitting and intense.
With five full-length albums under their belt, Varg have become that force to be reckoned with as evidenced on Götterdämmerung, a solid offering of European melodic death metal with a heavy thrash element. I throw the tag “European” in there because it’s a recognisable sound and style. What I really enjoy about Götterdämmerung is the fact that it’s a sneak peek into what the future looks like musically for this band. The word “crushing” is an understatement here.
As long as they continue evolving and moving forward – because remember, this band basically started out as Viking metal with pagan leanings – Varg will be huge, not that they aren’t now, just, bigger in sound and form. If there was ever any question regarding Varg and the sheer wall of sound they command, one listen to Götterdämmerung will silence critics immediately. Even though this is an EP, it’s still a powerful declaration of who the band is and what their future holds.
Theron Moore
