Exile CD, released by Schattenkult Produktionen, limited to 500 copies.
Recorded in 2009/10 and featuring Emaceator on guitar and Exciter on drums this is the sound of an unenviable future, narrated by a voice drenched in echo of a dreadful past. Shelved until now, it can be contained no longer.
Vrag Moj - bass, vocal
Emaceator - guitar
Exciter - drums
Lyrics and engineering by Vrag Moj. Cover art by Arnold Böcklin, "Die Toteninsel" (fragment) 1884. This is one of five versions of this painting. It is believed to have been destroyed in a bombing raid on Berlin during WWII. Layout by Alexis Panaretos and Fiona Grace Mcdonald. Vrag logo by Heesco.
At this point in time, "Exile" is a very fitting title for Vrag's most recent recording: in case your name is Rip van Winkle and you've just woken up after a very long sleep, Vrag is now a trio and moved some years ago from Sydney to Hobart in Tasmania. Those of you who've never heard of Tasmania, this is an island state of mysterious misty Ice Age landscapes, exotic temperate rainforests, weird animal species that might be extinct or still alive, and a history of European genocide against the original Tasmanian hunter-gatherers, being an island prison for the most hardened criminals and being host to Australia's worst mass murder incident in which 35 people were killed and 23 injured by a lone shooter. Living on an island with such a history and an odd reputation for insularity - it's the butt of Australian incest jokes, same way as parts of Appalachia are the target of incest jokes among Americans - should suit Vrag with their focus on darkness, alienation and isolation, madness and the band's contempt for mainstream Western society, its corrupted institutions and the conformity these foster in people.
The band has always served up some of the most raw and aggressive old-school BM with a vicious edge, yet always with an ear for distinctive and punchy rhythms, strong bass lines and the most infectiously catchy melodies. At the same time, they don't hesitate to use synthesisers and ambient effects like reverb or a cold atmosphere where these can add nuance and an individual flavour to the music and they're not averse to nicking elements from doom, death, hard rock or folk where these might suit. On "Exile", Vrag show no signs of flagging or mellowing in this respect: though their overall sound is still a bit thinner than it could be (that's just my personal opinion and not to be taken as a criticism), the songs are still very individual and able to stand on their own as singles if need be, and have a cold, frosty ambience that gives them a rounded, slight three-dimensional feel.
For those keen on raw full-throttle attacking BM aggression there are tracks like "Cold Air" and the ragged, almost punky anthem "Youth Against Christ". Other tracks like "Слава тебе чёрное пламя", while still fast, have more emphasis on melody, riffs and sometimes a distinct groove. The most interesting tracks though are later ones starting with "In the Cold Light of Solitude" where atmospheric BM, hard rock or melancholy doom elements join the raw BM to create fairly complex music pieces. Bass guitar sometimes takes a lead role on "Death Fetish" and staccato guitar riffs and clappy percussion beats appear on the title track. It's details like these that make "Exile" and other Vrag recordings worth repeated visits.
The album does sound like a collection of songs more than it does a whole work of tracks that have some relation to one another and which might share a common lyrical or musical narrative. The fact that most of "Exile" (the album) was recorded way back in 2009 and 2010 may partly explain the anthology nature in which half the album sounds like the work of young hungry musicians with nothing to lose and the other half is more considered and conserves the aggression of quite long songs. While I still think Vrag need a thicker, boomier sound that suits the tough music, there's plenty of raw savagery and a ragged desperate edge to the self-contained songs.
These guys could be leading comfortable lives writing pop pabulum for reality TV shows claiming to find the next big singer but no, they follow their inner muse wherever it leads - isn't this a path more worthy of pursuit?
Official promo video:
Sample:
