ALBUM REVIEW: Ormskrik – Ormskrik
Some things in life are just made to go together; fish and chips… sunshine and an ice cold beer… and, as naturally as night following day, black metal and thrash. What a gorgeous treat, then, to be presented with the self-titled debut from Scandinavian heavy hitters ORMSKRIK; a barnstorming trip to the underground that weaves elements of death metal, doom and even folk into its blackened thrash tapestry before setting it ablaze with a sense of youthful exuberance. As the flames die down and you pick through the embers, what you’re left with is a smouldering, uncut gem that may not remain a secret for long.
From the grandiose opening notes of Occultness through to the savage whirlwind of The Morbid Arrives, it’s evident that this is above and beyond the standard fare on offer from most metal collectives on their debut record. Destroyer of Worlds features both scorching riffs and delicate acoustic sections that hark back to Kill ‘Em All and Black Album-era METALLICA respectively, and although it’s not perfect, the transitions always feel completely seamless; an impressive achievement for a band as inexperienced as ORMSKRIK.
There’s a huge amount of variety on display here too, yet the dynamic leaps rarely feel shoehorned in, and that’s perhaps the biggest compliment of all. Oblation is a 95-second foray into slower, more doom-influenced territory – rather ironic given its brevity – yet as the full frontal assault of March of the Dead immediately kicks in to follow up, at no stage does the shift seem jarring. Continuing with the harmonious nature of the co-existing genres, sweet, soft and soothing are not words that would necessarily spring to mind for much of the runtime, but instrumental interlude Vegen Til can certainly be described in this way; ferocity replaced with a fragility that gives a glimpse into the kind of experimentation that could work wonders as the band hone their craft over the coming years.
The record overall is rough around the edges but this imperfect style gives it a real identity, as although it contains numerous Americanised passages, this could only ever come from one part of the world. This is one of those pieces that is at its best when the thrash, black and death metal stylings grab hold and are allowed to gallop into battle as one – throwing all caution to the wind and charging headfirst into the next tornado of violence. Ormskrik is also not the most technical record you’ll hear this year, but it doesn’t need to be. As modern thrash revivalists POWER TRIP have proven, load enough fire and fury into your music and the noise emanating from the speakers will do the talking for you. That’s not to say that the instrumentation is poor though – far from it – as the razor-sharp guitar work on Descend to Madness and the slowly-building crescendo of Eye for an Eye can attest to, and as the album edges toward its conclusion the anger only seems to ramp up, with Hecatomb running the gamut from spite-filled to full-on vitriolic rage over the course of four pulsating minutes.
ORMSKRIK, at this stage of their fledgling career, are not a big band, but given the right exposure and opportunities, they certainly have the potential to become one. Hailing from the west coast of Norway will help them no end given the nation’s track record for spawning metal bands of the very highest calibre, and it’s exciting to think of the potential that could blossom from the charred earth on which they have been born. Undoubtedly a band to keep a close eye on.
Rating: 8/10
Ormskrik is out now via Fysisk Format.
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