Vintersorg writes his saga.
Created in 1994 under the name Vargatron by Swedish musician Andreas “Vintersorg” Hedlund (all instruments/vocals, Otyg, Harmdaud, ex-Borknagar…), now accompanied by Mattias Marklund (guitar/backing vocals, Otyg, Wytch) and Simon Lundström (bass/backing vocals, Wytch), the project has announced the release of its eleventh album, Vattenkrafternas Spel, on Hammerheart Records in 2025.
We are immediately swept away by Efter Dis Kommer Dimma, a true wave of rhythmic aggression contrasted by the backing vocals, which then welcomes the much rawer lead vocals, relayed by his comrades or accompanying him. While the riffs sometimes seem to slow down, they don’t hesitate to pick up again to fuel the torrent joined by Johanna Lundberg (vocals, Wytch) for the most majestic passages, then the band follows up with Störtsjö, which borrows from Black Metal’s most ethereal roots. The sound is much calmer than on the previous track, despite some solid drumming, but the approach remains consistent, as on Malströmsbrus, which follows with a more virulent base, but riffs that are still as soaring and sometimes dissonant, as well as a handful of roars. The epic sounds easily capture our attention before picking up speed again on Från djupet dunstar tiden, a track that returns to more soothing keyboards to temper the furious riffs, creating a melodious and intoxicating torrent that is quite tumultuous and doesn’t hesitate to strike with powerful blasts while the voices intertwine. The adventure continues on the haunting Ur älv och å with its traditional touches that embellish a solid rhythm with fairly regular eruptions of rage, but which offers us a welcome break before returning to its usual speed to lead us to Kraftkällan, which in turn starts off very gently. The sound soon becomes bolder and offers saturation to accompany the vocals, even becoming oppressive in the middle of the song with a very dark and theatrical passage, before a moment of calm and then a return to normal with Regnskuggans Rike, where the mix of influences is once again very present. It should be noted that the song increasingly gives way to speed, offering a long, intense final before Skyrök takes over and carries us away in its frenzied charge, which slows down from time to time to allow us to enjoy the landscape, sometimes bucolic, sometimes violent. The album ends with Ödsliga Salar, the final track, which invokes martial influences to punctuate an already fast-paced march, but which is also quite unifying at times and doesn’t hesitate to let us catch our breath before attacking again.
In addition to its longevity, Vintersorg is a project that has always remained true to its roots, drawing on the wide range of Viking Metal to forge its riffs. You shouldn’t hesitate to listen to Vattenkrafternas Spel.
90/100
