Artist: Urväsen
Country: Sweden
Label: Self-released
Formats: Cassette EP
Year: 2023
While Urväsen appears to hail from Sweden, the music on the debut EP ‘Fåror’ sounds far from the typical Swedish Black Metal style. Instead, the music on the five tracks has more in common with the menacing sound of Hate Forest. Especially songs like ‘Det vi inte ser’ or ‘Där stigarna minns’ have that similar relentless onslaught with thwarted angry undertone. But there are some differences. The drums are rather more Punky with less focus on double bass, and instead of the lower growls of the Ukranians, Urväsen opts for more hoarse and raspy vocals. Furthermore the overall tone of the Swedish band carries a slight more emphasis on subtle melodies. And to be fair, a portion of that archtypical Swedish sound does surface in ‘Den krusade jorden’. Not only in the strumming break midway, but also the subsequent chord progression has quite a bit in common with Dissection. And the same case could certainly be made for the opening riff of ‘Brustna ban’. Otherwise, there is a sense of Norwegian Black Metal to for example ‘Att karva en plats’ as well, with riffs that sound a bit more in the vein of Gorgoroth. So credit where it’s due, at no point does Urväsen sounds like it’s copying any band or sound in particular, but instead it blends recognizable elements in a rather fresh, uptempo and gritty mixture.
With the riffing intensity of Hate Forest, a subtle bit of Dissection melody and a touch of Norwegian riffs, Urväsen has created a strong debut EP. Those that like a wall of crawling riffs, intense drums and a production with rough edges should give ‘Fåror’ a listen. A tape version of the EP is also still available through the band’s bandcamp page, so for those that want to support the band by buying a physical copy, they certainly deserve it.
