Artist: Chevallier Skrog
Country: Sweden
Label: Legion Blotan / Pant Y Meddygon
Formats: Demo Tape
Year: 2023
The ever-productive MBN is not always making life easy for us; while it is of course pleasing not to have to wait long for new music, it is sometimes a bit of a challenge to keep up and be able to purchase all the (heavily limited) releases. One of the last demos he recorded with Chevallier Skrog is this one, entitled ‘Brethren Relegatus’, which was released in the early months of 2023.
The four tracks (clocking 12 minutes), traditionally released on recycled tape via MBN’s own label, once again bring you a bleak and stripped-down kind of Black Metal that is strongly based on the principles of Punk and Garage Rock. Although Chevallier Skrog’s music is very recognisable in its basics across the entire discography, the differences are mostly discernible on a detailed level. On ‘Brethren Relegatus’, the project sounds a little less harsh than on some earlier demos, but the deep love for that particular sound that lies at that musical crossroads is still very much what prevails. Fans of bands like Ildjarn, Akitsa, Bone Awl and of the new generation of Nuclear War Now! Productions bands like Nihil Invocation and Vengeance Sorcery will still be licking their fingers at this. Besides a slightly different sound, production-wise, something of melody also seems to slowly creep into the music. Nothing very earth-shattering, but it gives the music a slightly more melancholic feel.
Incidentally, the claim that the music sounds a bit brighter than before should be put into proper perspective. We are really not dealing here with pro-tool-produced and well-thought-out Black Metal. The feeling of spontaneous and energetic rehearsal recordings is what typified Chevallier Skrog from its inception, and that ambience has certainly not been lost. Another development, by the way, is that this was one of the last releases on MBN’s Pant Y Meddygon label. All future musical escapades will appear through the newly formed Cosmic Cause Productions. Not much will change in a practical sense, musically, however, he does seem to be saying goodbye to recycled tapes and taking a slightly more professional path. But even that professionalisation will have to be seen in that same context, the underground spirit is deeply embedded in MBN’s DNA.
But since everything else remains as it was, we won’t have to wait long for new music from MBN’s hand, if not from Chevallier Skrog, then from one of his many other bands and projects. Some people just seem to have a lot more hours in a day…
