News

ÅSKOG – Swedish black metal act premieres debut album via Toilet Ov Hell

The band name Åskog is pronounced as “oah-skoog”; “oah” rhyming with “oar”.

Album title Varþnaþer is pronounced as
 “Vard-na-der”

Swedish black metal unit Åskog has premiered their debut album via Toilet ov Hell, with Black Metal Promotion unveiling it on YouTube. Their debut full-length, Varþnaþer, will be out on 12th May 2021 via Grind to Death Records (CD) and Leviaphonic Records (digital). A vinyl and cassette release by Corrupted Flesh Records should land on 25th June.

Åskog comments on the track: “Varþnaþer is an ode to the duality of nature—good and evil. The music follows this dichotomy with heavy, chaotic parts or slower, melodic—sometimes ambient—moments. there are twists and turns, which keeps the listener on their toes, never sure what to expect next.”

Stream + read full feature of “Varþnaþer” HERE

Åskog took form during the early summer of 2020 by Adam and Lars after disbanding their previous band, Murdryck.

A demo, titled Varg, was released in October 2020 — quickly selling out its initial limited edition cassette run. The band’s blend of heavy, doom, and death metal under a black metal layer soon attracted listeners, metal media outlets, and even record labels. Amidst interest from several other record labels, the Vänersborg duo sealed the deal with Sweden’s Grind to Death Records for a CD release and Germany’s Corrupted Flesh Records for vinyl and cassettes. This spurred the drive to complete the album, Varþnaþer, by the end of December 2020, with the band keen to ride the sudden wave of interest with the strongest material they have ever written. However, the demo still garners interest and has since been reissued on CD and will be reissued again on cassette later in the year.

The songwriting on the debut album, Varþnaþer, furthers the musical ideas presented on the demo, adding the group’s own fingerprint and identity on the black metal-influenced sound. The 8 songs were carefully crafted to affect the listener’s mood — taking them through a journey from the blistering fast down to a slower, doomy pace, with the more mid-tempo sections allowing room to explore Lars’ vocal styles. The variation in the music is aided by the band’s disciplined uniformity in style, which allows the different elements to blend in seamlessly. The lyrics generally deal with the dichotomy between good and evil in the context of the natural environment. While almost all the lyrics deal with death in some way, Åskog delivers these themes in a more unusual manner, going beyond the notions of good/evil and focusing on human interpretation.

CREDITS:

– Band Lineup –
Lars – Vocals, Bass
Adam – Guitars

– Others –
Drums (Session) by Rod B.
Mixed and Mastered by Adam Chapman at Black Dawn Studios.
Recorded and Produced by Adam Chapman and Lars Hansson.
Cover artwork by Alex/Mayhem Project Design.

(c)2021 Leviaphonic Records.

PRE-ORDER:
https://askog.bandcamp.com (Digital + CD)
https://grindtodeathrecords.bigcartel.com/product/askog-varthnather (CD)

MORE INFO:

– Åskog –
https://www.facebook.com/askog666
https://www.instagram.com/askog666
https://askog.bandcamp.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Y5gITdct42K08GKYMmOGv

Related posts

ÅSKOG – Swedish black metal act drops video for new track “Tid”; debut album arrives next month

KMN

Leave a Comment

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Read More