Album Review: Aska by Sportlov
Alright, let’s talk about Aska, the 2016 album from Swedish metallers Sportlov. It’s one of those records that just smacks you in the face with its raw energy and doesn’t apologize for it. If you’re into Death Metal, Black Metal, or even a bit of Thrash mixed in, this one’s gonna grab your attention real quick.
First off, this thing is heavy as hell—like, “drop your coffee mug” heavy. The band hails from Sweden (duh, land of frostbitten riffs), and they’ve got that cold, unrelenting vibe down pat. Released on Bone Records, Aska feels like a punch to the gut but in the best way possible. There’s no sugarcoating here; it’s pure, gritty metal madness.
Now, let me single out a couple tracks that stuck with me because, honestly, not every song hits equally hard. First up is “Azazels Lada.” Holy crap, this track just barrels outta nowhere like a runaway truck. The opening riff is nasty—like gnarly, twisted, evil-sounding stuff that makes you wanna growl along even if you don’t know the lyrics. And then there’s the drumming—it’s relentless, man. You can practically feel the bassist sweating through his shirt while laying down those thunderous grooves. What really gets me though is how chaotic yet tight everything feels. Like yeah, it sounds like anarchy, but these guys are totally locked in. That balance? Chef’s kiss.
Then there’s “Mordisk Kombination,” which might be my favorite cut on the record. This one has this eerie, almost haunting intro before exploding into full-on blackened death fury. The vocals are absolutely feral—like someone yelling at you from the depths of a frozen Swedish forest. But what really made this track stick was the midsection breakdown—or whatever you wanna call it when all the instruments drop out except for some tremolo picking and distant screams. It gives you just enough breathing room before dragging you back into the chaos. Honestly, I found myself rewinding this part multiple times just to figure out what exactly was going on. Spoiler alert: I still don’t fully get it, but damn, it works.
The rest of the album follows suit—fast, furious, and uncompromising—but those two tracks stood out to me the most. Maybe it’s their unpredictability or just how much they lean into that classic Scandinavian metal sound without being copycats. Either way, they’re killer.
So yeah, Aska. It’s not gonna win any Grammys (does metal ever?), but it doesn’t need to. This is the kind of album you throw on when you want to feel invincible or maybe scare your neighbors. It’s raw, it’s intense, and it reminds you why underground metal will always have a place in our blackened hearts.
Oh, and here’s a random thought: listening to this album feels kinda like eating spicy food. At first, it burns like crazy, but once you settle in, you realize you wouldn’t trade that burn for anything else. Weird analogy, I know, but hey, so is this album. Cheers to Sportlov for keeping things wild.
