Svin is the third part „Three Protocols of Fosen“, together with the two other demos Skregg and Domfeldt, and has been re-issued earlier this year.
And on the occasion of this re-release, SLAGMAUR from Norway talk big: The band claims to play the only True Norwegian Black Metal, which would most likely not be appropriate for most of the listeners. And even those who might understand the music would be demanded a great deal of. Rather self-assured words by guys using such strange names as General Gribbsphiiser or ÅtselGribb *g*
Anyhow, I was quite curious what might come up to me. Giving the CD a first try during a train ride wasn’t a good idea though, as I could not clearly make out which sounds came from CD and which from the train ;) What the General and his myrmidons call True Norwegian Black Metal is indeed different from what the most fans (including me) would expect. And I even think it’s not too abstruse to wonder if this still comes under the term Black Metal.
Extremely distorted guitars, partially even beyond recognition, and a monotonous and sluggish drums form the basis for the five tracks on Svin. Added to that, there are bizarre and obsessive vocals, as well that much distorted, that one occasionally will not recognize any humanity in the voices anymore. The sound collage of the songs in particular is completed by various other ingredients: Skrell Skjaer Svin is content with an almost simplistic keyboard which literally finishes off the dazing atmosphere of the track. Other songs again summon sinister images to ones mind’s eye by the use of minimalist ambient elements. And the final song Will Sher Svain surprises at first with dazzling guitars and at the end with an astonishing melodic finish.
Even if one doesn’t understand a single word, it’s not hard to imagine that SLAGMAUR most likely live in a very bizarre and grotesque world of their own. And whether you categorize the music on Svin as Black Metal or not, it is in any case a fascinating opus. And it’s nothing to listen to everyday, that’s also for sure.