Arv have announced their debut album.
After an EP, the Norwegian band led by Frederik Hillestad (vocals), Jens Hovden Storaker (bass), Marius Bowitz (guitar), Christian Nordheim (guitar) and Bjarne Burger Olafsen (drums) finally unveils Curse & Courage on Vinter Records.
The first track, Judgement, blends the band’s diverse influences to create a vindictive yet impressive sound that doesn’t hesitate to slow down and let the harmonics envelop us in their calm haze. The band’s aggressive Hardcore roots perfectly fit their tone which becomes more chaotic with the start of Forsaken and its highly dissonant, sometimes explosive approach to rhythm and visceral vocals. The tornado eventually becomes quite melancholy, as on Neglect, which follows with heavy riffs and heady leads that never hesitate to ignite and offer more scathing touches, before ironically returning to a heavier sound on Wrath. The suffocating rhythm cuts in, leaving the vocalist alone with a few minimalist elements, then it’s off again, continuing its merry-go-round to keep our minds on edge before stopping abruptly, allowing Victim to create its jerky riffs on demand, weaving its own cocoon of visceral fury as it leads us into the next composition. Perish then takes over fuelling the progression in heaviness with a rather dark touch, but Failure is going to capture my attention thanks to its soaring notes that metamorphose in an instant into aggressive passages as abrasive as they are gripping. The track will surprise you with its ability to restart relentlessly before arriving at Curse & Courage, the eponymous composition that comes to soothe our minds with a fairly calm instrumental, again creating this contrast with the much rawer vocal parts right up to the last moment.
Virulence and airy sounds blend perfectly in Arv‘s hands. The quintet’s Curse & Courage is a veritable sonic weapon, as abrasive as it is captivating, and they don’t hesitate to make use of it at the right moment.
85/100