Svartar’s Self-Titled Debut: A Blackened Beast from the UK Underground
If you’re into raw, unfiltered black metal that punches you in the face and doesn’t apologize for it, Svartar by Svartar is your next obsession. Released in 2019 under Corpse Torture Records, this album isn’t here to hold your hand or make nice. It’s a chaotic storm of riffs, shrieks, and blast beats that’ll leave you breathless—or maybe just pissed off. Either way, it works.
Let’s talk tracks. First up, “Dark Forest Where Corpses Lay.” Holy hell, this one hits hard. The opening riff slams into you like a truck with no brakes, all jagged edges and pure aggression. You can practically smell the decaying moss and rotting trees—yeah, they nailed that vibe. The vocals? Pure throat-shredding insanity. By the time the track ends, you feel like you’ve been dragged through those woods yourself. It’s relentless, dirty, and unforgettable—a total gut punch.
Then there’s “Viskeral,” which feels like getting kicked in the ribs repeatedly but in the best possible way. This track strips everything down to its bare bones: tremolo picking so fast it blurs together, drums that sound like machine gun fire, and lyrics spat out with venomous rage. There’s no room for softness here; this is pure hatred distilled into music. Honestly, if I could bottle the energy of this song, I’d probably destroy half my apartment trying to contain it.
The third standout, “Morket Av Den Menneskelige Fortid,” leans heavier on atmosphere than outright brutality, but don’t mistake that for weakness. It’s haunting as fuck, with slower tempos that let the tension build until it explodes into chaos again. It’s like staring into an abyss while someone whispers curses in your ear. Creepy as hell, but goddamn compelling.
What makes Svartar stand out isn’t just its ferocity—it’s how unapologetically grimy it feels. No polished production tricks here, just raw power straight from the underground. These guys aren’t trying to reinvent black metal; they’re reminding us why we fell in love with it in the first place. That primal, untamed fury? Yeah, it’s alive and well in these seven tracks.
So yeah, give this album a spin if you’ve got the stomach for it. Just don’t expect sunshine and rainbows because this thing is darker than a grave at midnight. And honestly? That’s exactly what makes it so damn good.
Oh, and one last thing—why does every review have to end with some deep philosophical crap? Screw that. Go listen to this album loud enough to piss off your neighbors. Trust me, they won’t forget it either.
