Artist: Varg
Title: Wolfskult
Type: Album
Label: Noise Art Records

In summary, this album is a series of high-octane, occasionally atmospheric and always melodic Viking Metal songs. The producer Andy Classen, whose portfolio includes albums by Legion of the Damned, Graveworm, Belphegor and Dew Scented has made an excellent job of the production. It’s easy to picture the mayhem as Varg belt through these rousing songs. As I listened to the opener “Jagd” (“Hunt”) I thought of Moonsorrow’s early album Suden Uni as the image of howling wolves and heroic warriors are created. The album quickly turns from a work which is dedicated to atmosphere – this does return over the last four tracks, for those who are disappointed by this information – to a collection of in-our-face battle anthems where everyone can join in. The picture now turns to that of long-haired blood-soaked Viking men delivering all this fire and fury with his drinking mates. But it doesn’t descend to the basic level of Korpiklaani or Turisas. It’s harsher and more intense than that. Varg (meaning “wolf” in Norwegian) are German and this is sung in German. This is no hindrance and in fact the band milks the aggression out of their language in a catchy framework. This album is geared more towards aggression than parading a collection of mediaeval instruments, of which there are none. All we have to supplement the Viking killing machine is the occasional sound of the wind and, as you might expect, wolves. “Wir stehen stolz, wir stehen zusammen” (“We stand proud, we stand together”) is perhaps a bit platitudinous but it’s all part of the power and charm. This lyric comes from “Wir sind die Wolfe” (We are the wolves), a typically fast, furious and thumpingly catchy song. The tempo steps up again for the pulsating “Schwertzeit” (“Sword Time”), only interrupted by a short Pagan intervention in the middle. Having been given German practice with the chorus of “Wir sind die Wölfe”, we have a further opportunity with “Wolfskult” (“The cult of the wolf”). Highly militaristic, the title track is like a higher energy version of Rammstein’s “Links 2 3 4”. By the end of this track, I felt as if I‘d marched 100 miles. Another thunderous high-energy tempo sandwiches a deep and eerie middle section on “Naglfar”. The drum twirls at record-breaking speed.

It is clear that Varg are not frightened to vary their style. After hints in “Naglfar”, the remainder of the album is less boisterous in general but more atmospheric in tone. Nevertheless “Glorreiche Tage” (“Glorious Days”) speeds up to the pace of a Punk track in parts. The guitar playing is sublime and the drummer proves he’s still got loads of energy. “Phönix” (“Phoenix”) starts off in mellow and acoustic fashion and is as imperious as it’s harsh. It’s quieter than some others and more reflective but the strong rhythm and dominant drumming never go away, thus making it so epic. The same is true of the last three tracks, which have less of a party atmosphere and are in more of a serious vein but are still intense and fiery. The 10 minute “Sehnsucht” (“Yearning”) reminded me in its style of the Finnish Melodic Death Metallers Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum. Like all tracks on this album, its movement is gripping and the aggression is relentless.

“Wolfskult” is seriously good and great fun too. I’m sure that anyone with an ear for rousing Metal melodies of a Viking inclination or otherwise will love it too.

http://www.varg.de
http://www.myspace.com/varghorde
http://www.noiseart.cc