ALBUM REVIEW: Nie Nas Widzę – Varmia
The combination of black metal and folk music is far from a new concept within the extreme metal underground, with even some of the genre’s earliest purveyors from MASTERS HAMMER to BATHORY incorporating folk in some small way into their sound, establishing a link between these two seemingly distinct styles that often pays dividends. Poland’s VARMIA are one modern act who have managed to seamlessly blend the two most effectively within underground circles, with their mix of noxious black metal and traditional folk instrumentation lending the Olsztyn-based quartet a primordial and beguiling sound that’s far removed from the dancing melodies of many bands, with each of their albums establishing them as one of Poland’s most impressive black metal acts. The band’s latest, fourth album, Nie Nas Widzę, is arguably their best work so far, and another magnificent addition to a growing catalogue of fantastic records.
I is a great instrumental driven by acoustic guitars and haunting ambience, drawing the listener in and setting the tone for the first track Sva incredibly well. This proves to be an intense offering, with thunderous drumming, arid vocals and sharp guitars and bass that has more a solid black metal undercurrent, with some impressive folky hooks and epic chanted vocals adding a catchy edge to this fairly murky and brooding track. This bleakness is carried forward into Agre, a sombre and grandiose song that utilises slicker leads and massive rhythms to create a cavernous feel, seeing the band push the energetic black metal at the music’s heart and injecting folk elements only when required, making these sections more impactful.
II, another bombastic instrumental affair that embraces crystalline acoustic guitars and booming percussion, is an excellent break from the main tracks, perfectly segueing into Kad Saule Div; this weighty, mid-tempo piece accentuates the band’s epic side, with huge chords lending a touch of classic heavy metal and doom into the mix as the acidic vocal keeps things anchored within black metal, providing depth without sacrificing what made earlier tracks so impressive. Swaixtan, with its hazier guitars and dense, percussive drums, is a monstrous slab of folk-inflected black metal with fantastically visceral vocal performances, ranging from harsh, venom-soaked aggression to soaring cleans, turning this into an emotive and effective song.
III, another brilliantly atmospheric piece with some excellent guitar work, leads into Dies Tremor, a song that features very focused but savage musicianship, with the lean guitars, precise drumming and vocals carving their way to the forefront of the sound to add an acerbic counterpoint to the polished approach of the music. Kres is a melancholic, mid-paced monolith with meaty guitars, steady drumming and bestial vocals creating a fierce backbone around which acoustic guitars and subtle folk instrumentation are woven, serving as perhaps the most seamless blending of the black metal and folk sides of the band’s sound, with excellent chaotic sections thrown in to inject some intensity into proceedings, resulting in perhaps the most layered track on the record.
IV, the fourth and final instrumental interlude, utilises the folk instruments at the band’s disposal most effectively out of these four tracks, providing a dark and cinematic edge and setting the listener up for the two climactic songs extremely well. Daina 4 is an incredibly lively and catchy number, with dancing riffs, rumbling bass and brilliant folky flourishes, tinged with a slight dissonance and cacophonous, blisteringly fast passages adding an uncomfortable, discordant aspect to the music that makes this more intense, and indeed one of the best songs on the album. Poswiat is a great, slow-burning offering that gradually introduces black metal elements into the folky sound, albeit with sudden time changes that add an air of unpredictability. Like the other seven main tracks on the album, it’s sinister and primitive, but does manage to insert a lot of musical shifts that mean that this lurches from one brilliant moment to the next, being one of the more adventurous songs on the album and bringing things to a head in fantastic fashion.
It’s incredibly hard to think of many albums that are close to 70 minutes long, and boast a fairly singular sound, that are still as utterly engrossing and immersive as this one. Unlike a lot of albums that have a solid folk influence within their sound, the folky elements aren’t overdone or forced into the sound, and when they do appear, they complement and contribute to the wider sound and atmosphere of the album rather than provide the majority of the hooks, allowing the underlying emotion and atmosphere of the album to carry the music for the most part. With Nie Nas Widzę, VARMIA have once again created an incredibly powerful record, cementing their small but growing legacy as one of Poland’s best underground black metal acts.
Rating: 9/10
Nie Nas Widzę is out now via M-Theory Audio.
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