I seem to have a lot of black metal albums for someone who doesn’t profess to be a black metal fan. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t dislike the genre. It’s just that in my experience people who are into black metal are into black metal in a serious way. So it feels a bit weird to be a casual fan of the music, or perhaps even a tourist. I don’t know precisely how many black metal albums I own – unfortunately searching my collection on Discogs pulls up every album with the words “black” and “metal” in the submission, so that includes things like the first Van Halen record, which is tagged “heavy metal” and in the notes the inner sleeve is described as being “black and white”. Then there are releases that, well, someone tagged as black metal but clearly are not, like Ham’s Hold. Regardless…. scrolling through the list tells me I probably have about a hundred black metal albums across all formats. Which is kind of insane.
A lot of black metal comes to me because of where it originates. I’m pretty sure Iceland produces more black metal albums per capita than any other place on the planet, and I buy a ton of Icelandic music. Which is how Vafurlogi arrived on my front porch a month or so ago. The band is fronted by long-time black-metaller Þórir Garðarsson, best known for his work as part of Sinmara and Svartidauði. He is joined by drummer Ragnar Sverrisson, who earned his metal chops with Helfró, Ophidian, and others. There is a great interview with Garðarsson in Kvlt Magazine you can read HERE in which he talks about his prior projects as well as Vafurlogi. Honestly it’s so good I don’t want to grab parts of it and rehash them here – so I suggest you give it a read if you’re interested in learning more.
The duo compliment each other perfectly on Í Vökulli Áþján. This isn’t your standard blast-beats-and-growling black metal album – there is virtuosity on display both in the playing and, just as importantly, the composition. These eight tracks are fully realized songs, not just exercises in speed and noise. Yes, Sverrisson can blast with the best of them, but he’s also given plenty of room to change the timing and add some of his own flavor and flourishes. Garðarsson provides the rest of the sound, playing both guitar and bass as well as providing the vocals. The guitar work provides mood and tone – sure, he can shred at times, but just as often Garðarsson is providing shape on top of the fast rhythms, creating some space and allowing the songs to soar instead of slog. Vocally he knows the assignment, but does so with clarity – you can hear the words within the growl, allowing the listener to feel like they’re part of a story instead of being the victim of a sonic assault. It all comes together exceptionally on “Dreyrrauði”, a track that brings all their strengths to the front and lets them shine, an inspirational blend of black and viking metal.
Í Vökulli Áþján is available on the Vafurlogi Bandcamp page HERE, and you can stream it (at least on Spotify) as well. If you’re new to black metal, this will be a good starting point – all the elements are here, but in a more familiar way. This is one of the most enjoyable black metal albums I’ve heard in a while, so I definitely encourage you to check it out.