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░ ██ ██ Artist: Vrag ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Species of One █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-04-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Schattenkult Produktionen ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Aaack, can it really be true that just over six █
█ years have passed since I reviewed anything by █
█ Vrag? But time has flown fast and Vrag, now █
█ expanded to a trio, have brought out their █
█ runner-up album to "Black Plague of Extinction". █
█ If you've been waiting with bated breath, you can █
█ now let go ... if you remember how to exhale. █
█ After six years during which main man Vrag Moj █
█ left Sydney and settled in Hobart, in Tasmania, we █
█ can expect Vrag's style to have changed a great █
█ deal to the extent where "Species of One" could be █
█ considered the first album for Vrag (Version 2.0), █
█ and previous recordings belonging to a different █
█ band altogether. █
█ "Species of One" is a work on the attack, always █
█ on the alert, crackling with energy and fuelled by █
█ a scornful attitude towards Homo sapiens and the █
█ great havoc humans have brought to planet Earth. █
█ The disdain for organised religion, the contempt █
█ for sheeple always following the herd without █
█ thought for the consequences, alienation, madness █
█ and defying conformity and being free among other █
█ things are all grist for Vrag Moj's mill, █
█ expressed in succinct lyrics he either sings or █
█ spits out with filthy slavering relish bordering █
█ on the deranged. █
█ The songs are short, streamlined and punchy, and █
█ dominated by the singing. That's not saying the █
█ music merely serves as a backdrop: most songs have █
█ riffs, melodies and strong rhythms that define █
█ them, making them potential singles material, and █
█ a definite groove is present on tracks like █
█ "Ahasver" and "Vagrant in the Astral Plane". █
█ Although the production on the album might be █
█ basic, it is clear enough that very discreet █
█ ambient effects can be picked up, as on "Ahasver" █
█ where tiny licks of synth tone give a cold feel to █
█ proceedings. The music might be best described as █
█ a mix of black metal (the dominant style) and █
█ elements from death, doom, grind and melodic hard █
█ rock. Earlier tracks showcase Vrag as a █
█ straightforward old school BM band, trampling on █
█ the things that humans have done which make them █
█ undeserving of inheriting the Earth, while later █
█ songs from "Madman" on seem much more personal and █
█ have more complex music and mood, along with a █
█ definite rock'n'roll feel. █
█ Even though the songs are short and █
█ straightforward in musical delivery, there are █
█ little surprises for those who listen to them very █
█ carefully. I think some of the middle songs like █
█ "Madman" and "Vagrant ..." could be a little █
█ longer than they are: when some songs have so much █
█ vitality and electricity in them, anything less █
█ than three minutes feels like a decapitation! One █
█ big surprise is the completely space ambient █
█ "Interlude" - it seems a shame that it's less than █
█ a minute long and is an unassuming piece. █
█ I'm in two minds about the quality of sound and █
█ production: the songs might have benefited from a █
█ better production with a deeper bass sound. On the █
█ other hand, this might rob the music of some of █
█ its raw, primitive BM quality. There is a ragged, █
█ desperate quality that is worth preserving and █
█ better sound and production might make the music █
█ seem too polished. █
█ Moving to Tasmania and regrouping with a new set █
█ of musicians have definitely given the Vrag █
█ project a new energy and positive outlook. The █
█ music now has a distinct tough flavour while █
█ staying raw, primitive and crazed. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Although the Australian black metal scene has █
█ always seemed a little alien to me, it looks like █
█ it's changing when I come across bands like Vrag. █
█ The band is no newcomer and, being in existence █
█ since 1999, released the second full album - █
█ Species of One. Let me introduce you to the █
█ so-called anti-convenience black metal! █
█ The eye-catching cover art is certainly not the █
█ only advantage of Vrag's new record. With rather █
█ classic approach to the subject, those guys don't █
█ serve any unnecessary gimmicks or experiments. █
█ Putrid sound and raw production give the album the █
█ real black metal feel not artificially enhanced █
█ with any special tricks. Keep it simple! The first █
█ thoughts about Species of One come straight after █
█ the first listen to the album - degeneration, █
█ havoc, genocide (in that order!). There is, █
█ however, much more to Vrag that meets the eye █
█ (ear) at the first contact. █
█ Classic compositions smuggle a lot of little █
█ 'hidden treasures' which you find every time you █
█ tune in to Species of One. It's like unboxing the █
█ package containing another package. Every listen █
█ comes with a different surprise, different █
█ compelling moment. Spontaneous black'n'roll █
█ references give it some extra energy putting it █
█ definitely into my liking. The whole creation is █
█ recorded rather dynamically, even though it is as █
█ rough as hell. Good mix! And that mix makes this █
█ album easy to get back to. █
█ The title track remains my personal favourite with █
█ the doomish mid-song section terrorizing your █
█ entire soul. Madman is the perfect demonstration █
█ of Vrag's primitive intensity and the filthy █
█ spirit. It makes the perfect combination with the █
█ dirty and furious vocals that fit into the band's █
█ aesthetics quite smoothly. █
█ There is something unique in this sound - is it █
█ enchanting rawness or pure aggression? Probably █
█ both... Species of One has definitely made me want █
█ to investigate further into the Australian scene. █
█ It also made me curious about Vrag's next steps █
█ and if they are able to keep up with their highly █
█ set bar and spread the alcoholocaust worldwide! █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Alcoholocaustic Carcinogenocide 2:45 ░
░ 2. Ahasver 4:42 ░
░ 3. Cynicism & Hate 4:16 ░
░ 4. Species of One 3:29 ░
░ 5. Madman 1:37 ░
░ 6. Vagrant in the Astral Plane 2:56 ░
░ 7. Interlude 0:42 ░
░ 8. Inverse Horizon 5:34 ░
░ 9. Invisible Chains of Infernal Command 3:45 ░
░ 29:46 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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