ALBUM REVIEW: Ancestors – Völur
VÖLUR are back only a year later since their last release but they are back in full force with the new album Ancestors. This Toronto based experimental doomsters are following up the previous debut album Disir with incredibly catchy guitar riffs, capturing folk, calm prog and atmospheric doom metal.
Breaker of Silence is the first title on this spiritually induced album and it commences with slowly introduced ambient sounds with jingling of charms and a voice that serenades the listener with smooth chants, this give the song a WARDRUNA feel which relaxes you and makes you think. This sound continues to grow until it suddenly calms for the drums to begin with a simple and slow yet effective two hit beat, the bass guitar joins to create an epic doom metal sound and an extremely catchy riff that will instantly hook your attention. VÖLUR use sections that weave in and out of beautiful chaos with heightened distortion, until they really kick it up a notch by using way more fuzz this would easily tickle any doom metal fans’ taste buds. Later in the song the vocals return heavier and gravellier, they then rebuild the song from a calmed position and suddenly stop, beautiful orchestral style violin begins to play until visiting the heavier doom sound once more then ending as the track fades.
Breaker of Oaths starts off with the beautiful classical type music as we’ve listened to on the previous track it then shifts with the guitars building up in a chugging fashion until hitting into thicker doom with echoing soothing vocals and a very catchy riff that just requires humming too, the sound changes a few times throughout which just shows the experimental side of the bands influence. The song then calms down and is picked up by a choir or church singing styled vocals until growls steal the spot light beginning to build up the distortion once more, the song actually picks up in pace towards the end showing diversity in the creations but does not carry this on as it abruptly ends.
Breaker of Famine begins straight away with a distorted guitar riff that jumps you straight in the action, by adding the rest of the band it makes a crushing full doom tone, the song slows right down with atmospheric sounds and soundscape type sounds that will have the listener in complete bliss, a very simple but effective guitar riff continues to lead you down this route but its bettered further by adding slow drums and violin. The vocals for this track mainly stray towards an early black metal vibe surprisingly and this is proven by the song then breaking out into blast beats making an unexpected turn which seems very out of the blue for this album, but also works extremely well for the sound. Going right back into the slower sections with the soft chanting and soothing riffs the song plays this out until the very end.
Ancestors is available now and is produced by VÖLUR and mixed by Charlie Spearin. The album derives from elements of the old Germanic worlds and it has themes of female figures surrounding mythology, Ancestors focuses on the male counter parts in this second slice of the planned four album series covering different elements of the Old Norse world. Are you ready to meet your Ancestors?!
Rating: 8/10
Ancestors is out now via Prophecy Productions.
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