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Urskumug: Am nodr

10/12/08 || The Duff

Finally back on safe ground; I don’t know who’s bright idea it was to send us Sharp Practise and Tessmarka (check for their respective MySpace pages), but my unibrow was definitely furrowed in pained concern at the thought of having to review such albums. For now, I don’t think I’m prepared, and so I’m tackling my next task on the list of priorities before Lord K swims the Channel with nothing but a pair of briefs, a survival knife clenched betwixt his chompers and a hard-on for drawing blood, something I’m pleased to report is situated within familiar territory. Ah, blackness, all I can see is blackness; ‘tis good to be home. So Urskumug hail from Latvia, and I’ve had some good black metal come through my way from labels promoting their business, this band being no different. Bits and pieces of “Am nodr” remind me of a heavier Negura Bungett, so I’m putting down Enslaved as a major source of inspiration, just without the “hey, come on, it ain’t so bad; let’s all be jolly and bake some cookies”, light and fluffy atmosphere the black/prog masters have the tendancy to flirt with. No, this here is kept very, very close, and about as withdrawn from heart-warming emotions as possible. Where Enslaved have bits and pieces of thrusting away looking deep into your lovers eyes, Urskumug embody post-ejaculation relationships, where she’s hogging all the damn covers and your balls itch because the lube she used isn’t water-soluble; do you really need this bitch sleeping next to you anyways?

The last black metal band I wasn’t fanatical about yet still enjoyed thoroughly, Akrival, were talented and a little showy; their music, though, was really quite light considering it wished for a belonging amidst the most nefarious of black metal crews (the ones that would take a scoop of a little girl’s Rocky-Road ice-cream, only to leave the rest of the pot out in the sun to melt). Urskumug go the other way entirely, but retain some of the technical prowess – this isn’t Darkthrone, but it isn’t exactly the black metal equivalent of River Dance, either; discordant tones, fast-strumming of notes and intense drumming are to be found – these guys remind me quite a bit of Dissection too, at times even of Emperor (and then just before the halfway mark of “Talking as a shaman’s son” and parts of the closer, some Immortal), and seem to also have taken notes from some of the more avant-garde up-and-coming acts from the States (Averse Sefira) and Europe (Deathspell Omega) currently revitalising the scene all the while bringing the most important BM elements about-face – you can be rest assured that minimal keyboard work has been infused to this project, acting more as a subdued backdrop to the blistering sonic dread. The production is dry but quite crisp, the one gripe I can find being that the bass sounds a little hollow; everything else, though, is very well pronounced, sprightly (despite the atmos conjured) and rich.

The musicianship is all kinds of fine, as these Pagan warriors sure know how to create a very bleak atmosphere; viewing a picture of them would indicate that they may spend most of their time in haunting woods, raping small defenseless animals between meals of raw animal hide, as I’m not entirely sure they’re one hundred percent human. They have a sound understanding when it comes to dynamics, the music overall being quite layered and some real moments of ethereal beauty creeping in once in a while to symbolise the juicy catches like a squirrel with a tight virgin ass or a pygmy that has strayed too far from home; these moments give some breathing room to the very dense soundscapes, and it wouldn’t surprise me if these guys were taking a little from Enslaved’s book of prog adorations, just nowhere near as forgiving to those who do not trail the paths of Viking battleships.

Other quite spacey moments entail the aforementioned keys, which hold a simple, non-invasive charm yet deliver in creating an almost serene gloominess that is very complementary when placed alongside the fury; they pull quite a few surprises overall, making this a combination of classic material and a modest amount of uniqueness, all a dollop of kickass. Another sense in which this disc is quite diverse is in the vocals – you know this band means business when their old vocalist had two black metal names derived from, probably, the Pagan God of Sodomizing Goats Determinately No Matter How Much They Kick and Beg For You to Stop – Aw Yeah, Rape That Shit; Make Them Use a Cane For A Fortnight Just To Walk Upright, BLAAAAAAAAARGH. Present vocalist Krauklis (Latvian for Crackly Wiry Pubes) spits out low, guttural growls that don’t sound unlike something from Akercocke, the usual “If Abbath and Abbath had a love-child” light rasps, some Negura Bungett clean, passive singing, some piggy-grunts and a whole lot of in-between; yup, the vocals bring “Am Nodr” up to a whole new level.

In closing, this disc is bitches-hot; I would highly recommend this seriously talented outfit to anyone looking for something new and to all you necrodudes who loves the metaphorical glory hole of black metal grim.

9 unlucky squirrels out of 10.

Information
Released: 2006
Label: Ledo Takas Records
Website: Official MySpace
Band
Krauklis: guitars, drum programming, vocals
Maero: guitars, drum programming
Ilze: bass
Mythago: keys
Balrogh: drums

Tracklist
01. 2012
02. Kovarnu Laiks
03. Beowulf
04. ——
05. Talking As A Shaman’s Son
06. Sargs
07. Am Nodr
08. Mother Of Halfworld

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