Regardless of hailing from the sting of Northern Norway, Vemod now discover themselves musically nearer to the particularly American model of atmospheric black metallic popularized during the last decade; suppose Wayfarer or Panopticon. “Inn i lysande natt” is the shortest essential observe and a microcosm of the album as an entire. The lead riff (apart from being very cool) has a jangly tone and manner of stringing collectively chords which remind me of a banjo, and the pulsing beat has the vitality I might attribute to Western films. Vemod don’t have the frosty really feel I affiliate with Norwegian black metallic, nor the fiery really feel I affiliate with Icelandic. As a substitute, it’s heat, dusty, and climate-worn. Because the melody develops on this music, a shredding guitar colours the layer above in a manner I can solely describe as like a cowboy galloping over empty plains. The music is considerably black metallic, and there aren’t any devices sometimes utilized in Americana. However this picture flows from the tone and really feel.
Vemod’s biggest power, apart from their uncommon aesthetic, is their capability to assemble and deconstruct their music. “Der guder dor” trundles by a number of minutes of atmospheric, melodic black metallic earlier than slowly stripping its guitars to show low-key synths in a quiet area. The muted passage steadily layers with a drum roll, choral chants, and jangling guitar chords, constructing a moody ambiance. A shredding guitar layer brings issues again to a maximal strategy. I’m left feeling glad at how The Deepening treats its songs as superstructures, which will be layered and delayered into totally different types of themselves. Comparable passages are notable on “True North Beckons” and the title observe. What’s most admirable is how the heavy turns into the sunshine (and vice versa); the passages are interwoven with these gradual transitions in order that they sound like two sides of the identical coin, somewhat than a heavy passage changing into a separate mild one. It belies a deft contact in Vemod’s songwriting hand.
I struggled with articulating why, regardless of its strengths, I don’t love The Deepening. My incapacity to simply achieve this displays the truth that after quite a few listens I didn’t have many notes to make use of. It has good melodies. Good riffs. Good ambiance. Good emotive influence. But it surely lacks something – optimistic or unfavorable – excellent. My ideas are usually favorable however they’re few. If you happen to’ve heard atmospheric black metallic beforehand then you definitely’ve heard issues that sound like this. On reflection, I’d additionally argue that the desire for lengthy songs is misguided and exacerbates the sense that the file isn’t all that it could possibly be. 45 out of 48 minutes are cut up throughout simply 4 tracks. Whereas the songs satisfactorily circulation between mild and heavy as described above, the slowness of the transitions and tendency to stay with simply a few key melodies per observe means they will develop into repetitive. “Inn i lysande natt” has cool options however by its conclusion, I’m bored with its core melodic loop. It has fascinating concepts however doesn’t progress these concepts sufficiently.
The closing of The Deepening, with 3.5 minutes of synths on its title observe, encapsulates how I really feel in regards to the album total. It’s unusually calm and heat for these already versed in black metallic. I get pleasure from it as a result of it’s nicely-produced and nicely-composed. Likewise, The Deepening sounds just like the skilled work of a prolific group that’s had time to chop its enamel and develop its sound. Those that get pleasure from this model of atmospheric black metallic may do quite a bit worse. However Vemod lack that sheen of actual high quality or ingenuity to raise their work past this smooth advice.
Ranking: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Prophecy Productions
Web sites: fb.com/vemod | vemod.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: January 19th, 2024