Album Review: "Gotterdammerung" by VARG

Although I am grateful to the British Empire, Elvis Presley and Black Sabbath for ensuring the majority of heavy metal is performed in the one language I fully understand, I wouldn’t mind if more bands performed in their native tongue.  The rhythm, cadence and melody of the vocals has always been more important to me than their lyrical content.  This isn’t to say strong lyrics are not of great value, but if a German band can get the vibe right, I am happy to dust off the little German I did learn in school and let Google translator handle the rest.  Certainly, if a band is performing German Pagan Metal, it is reasonable to assume, expect, and hope for the lyrics to be in German.  In this matter Varg delivers.

Varg has quite a devoted following in their home country with their brutal assault of melodic death metal.   The label of death metal alone does no fully describe their sound, as there are several passages throughout the EP which delve fully into the black metal sound.  Their strong visual element is a perfect blend of the death and black metal aesthetics.

Pagan metal masters Varg

They appear as creatures spawned from the underworld creating a visual component as intriguing as their music. I hope the momentum they are creating in Europe will one day bring them to American shores.   

The band’s ambition and aplomb are evidenced by the energy and aggression poured into every song.  The music is intense and powerful.   I need not be fluent in German to recognize the conviction of their message.   

Götterdämmerung translates to twilight of the Gods, and this truly is music of the apocalypse. This is a suitable soundtrack to the final days, ushered in by the mighty Varg.

Genre: Pagan Metal, Death Metal, Black Metal

Release Date:  April 14, 2017
Label: Napalm Records