Origin: Salo/Sauvo, Varsinais-Suomi, Finland 🇫🇮
Genre: Black Metal
It’s in the wisdom and in the sound philosophy of their forlorn ways where the spirit of Nordic black metal can be found; its energy pulsating like life’s blood through timeless currents and echoing into eternity through the whispers of the ancients. Only felt by, and only audible to the old soul – the one who has no place here among these torch-bearers for humanity’s decline, and who longs for a place of integrity he can call home. On May 26, Sarvekas will release their debut LP, “Woven Dark Paths”, via Soulseller Records.
Sarvekas are a duo of Finnish black metal warriors whose blades – contemporary Damascus obsidian – are proving early on in this rite of passage to be as true and lethal as the olde Suomi steel. But with “Woven Dark Paths”, for one to anticipate an experience akin to Impaled Nazarene, or even something along the lines of early 90’s nostalgia, would be foolish. There’s a bit more to digest here than goat-worship and diabolism. A universe within itself; complex and mechanical in some places yet chaotic and violent in others, but steadfastly brutal throughout. Blast-beats and quake-inducing kick-drum currents – the rumbling of earthen mantle to awaken great spirits once more. Skies ablaze with every incinerating guitar riff and senses asunder with every complex melodic sequence. And the atmosphere alive with equal parts evil/enchantment.
“Woven Dark Paths” plays out fast and with urgency. A Tsjuder or Nordjevel level of power, but also the kind of perpetual momentum that can usually only be felt on albums like Horna’s “Kuoleman Kirjo” or Carpathian Forest’s “Fuck You All”. The same ageless adversarial energy powering every stringed progression forward through each track’s perilous percussive gauntlet. “The Scryer of Bones” and “Embers of Pagan Fire” – much like the legendary Dissection’s “Storm of the Light’s Bane”cuts, “Night’s Blood” and “Soulreaper” – alternate seamlessly between thrashy scores and mid-tempo’d MBM-saturated melodic parts. Despite its heavy evil vibes, “WDP” is a journey through the realm of philosophy and a passage into where inherited wisdom and tradition stand paramount.
Of the heartiest pedigree, yet on its own unique musical wavelength altogether is the epic, “The Great Winter”. Before any record of this caliber can reach its climax, a statement as to what the band who’ve created it are capable of must be, and usually is made. In this instance, it’s the closing track that best represents what I feel is the cream of this outfit’s collective talents. Epic compositions set to an equal yet weighty balance of darkness and yore revelry. True Finnish black metal done the Heathen way.
“Woven Dark Paths – an olde Pagan spell cast in rue of today’s modern scene and an indicator of Sarvekas’ ever-so-in touch with what’s being more and more understood by listeners every day as true black metal way of doing things. A powerful debut and a gem… May the wisdom and austerity of the The Great Olde Ones guide you down your every woven path! And may your journey down this one be what I call a religious black metal experience… Hail!
9/10
Experience “The Scryer of Bones” from “Woven Dark Paths” right here as presented by Soulseller:
~Jeger
