Vargsang "In the Mist of Night" CD

Vargsang is back. Frankly spoken, I thought that this metallic squadron from Bavaria had been buried by its spiritual fathers. But that is only half the truth. After six years of silence, the band has turned to a one-man project. That sounds more dramatic than it is. Multi-instrumentalist Vargsang operates on his own instead of working together with a drummer. That's all. There is no need to panic, because Vargsang does not put his past behind. He still walks the path of thrash-influenced black metal without taking care of alternatives.
Due to this fact, the music is still deeply rooted in the underground. Once again, raw black metal forms the backbone of Vargsang's sound attack. The compositional pattern equals that of the tracks on the previous albums. Consequently, the songs are comprehensibly structured without following a primitive songwriting approach. Harsh guitar lines, driven by the reliable rhythm section, break the silence. The guitars dominate the sound in a significant manner. This is almost too much of a good thing, because drums and bass guitar come off badly. Nevertheless, the production confronts you with a big portion of hate and aggression, not least because of the deep and throaty voice. Speaking of the vocals, Vargsang is occasionally supported by atmospheric keyboard melodies that work like background vocals. This stylistic device seems to be a kind of corrective factor for the large amount of thrash metal elements. But we do not need to speculate about the intention. It can be noted that the "background vocals" are put to good use and that´s the crucial thing.
Although the thrash / black metal frame is clearly defined, the songs do not sound monotonous. When you look more closely at each and every number, you will identify some unexpected details. For example, an almost sentimental solo characterises the instrumental part of "Praise the Dead". The outstanding "Of Sickness and Lust" surprises with an atypical guitar line at the beginning. It sounds rather like a pagan metal melody. Its atmosphere is enhanced by a simple yet ingenious keyboard melody. Nevertheless, the song breathes the spirit of black metal as well as the remaining tracks. "Begotten" follows a different pattern. Due to its ghostly atmosphere, the opening riff of this track is in close proximity to the main riff of "Dauðafærð" of the Swedish Pest. I would not be surprised if Vargsang admits that he is a proud owner of a copy of this black metal masterpiece.
Vargsang keeps an eye on tempo changes and dynamism. The average velocity is high enough to emphasize the harshness of the songs, but Vargsang is not afraid to offer slower tracks as well. In this context, the aforementioned "Of Sickness and Lust" marks the prime example. "There is no Heaven" takes roughly the same line and is also among the numerous highlights of the album. Songs like the furious title track or "Captured in the Dark" are definitely worth a closer listen, too. As a result, it is a good thing that Vargsang has returned. The album proves that the black metal underground is still alive. Nice to know.

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