Country: Belgium
Genre: Black metal
Full length: Drowning in the Distorted Light
Format: Digital, jewel case CD, vinyl (see Bandcamp link for more information)
Label: Immortal Frost Productions
Release date: April 25, 2025
Sven Houfflijn, aka SvN, has been an active vocalist since 1991, fronting Ascend-ency, Anesthesy, Wounds of Old, Fleshmould, Dodengod, and others. His bands have performed with obscure and well-known acts, and he has recently begun exploring composition on keyboards with his project This Scorching SvN. With his extensive experience, he seems comfortable delving into dark sound and unleashing hell from his gut, experimenting with the vocal textures emerging from his throat. His vocal work on Thronium Vrondor’s latest album “Drowning in the Distorted Light” highlights his passion for live performance and what he calls the creative process.
In an interview with Daniel Ryan a few years ago, SvN added Danzig, Dead Can Dance, and Neurosis to his list of influences. While “Drowning in the Distorted Light” presents Thronium Vrondor as stripped down to their abrasive, dissonant core, elements of doom, ambient, atmospheric, and post-metal styles are slowly becoming integral to their sound. This is evident not only in SvN’s experimentation but in the unsettling hubbub that permeates much of the material, especially in the guitar and bass.
From the opening section of “A Solemn Vigil,” an ominous mood sets in, like fog drifting into a darkened environment. Hypnotic rhythms and sharp guitar harmonics give way to controlled fury, threatening to descend into chaos at any moment. Inventive tremolo picking propels the chord-heavy composition forward. The menacing atmosphere introduced at the start reappears throughout the album, enveloping the listener in blackness. Moments like the brief intro of “Gruwlijke Leegte” lend a chilling realism; the relentless triplet rhythm resonates with gloomy harmonics and an underlying dank atmosphere, giving much meaning to the album’s title.
For an album with tendencies of calling back Mayhem’s “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” and Marduk’s “Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered,” “Drowning in the Distorted Light” fuses avant garde climate with profanatory severity so closely you can tell Thronium Vrondor have had a lot of practice channeling both into their songwriting. The way they deliver rawness with atmosphere is an ideal backdrop for the way SvN makes his nuanced vocals flow and overlap, almost as if multiple vocalists were hired for the recording sessions. The echo added to the vocal tracks match the contrast between the guitar and bass lines.
“Drowning in the Distorted Light” sometimes evokes the raw intensity of Mayhem’s “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” and Marduk’s “Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered,” blending avant-garde climates with profane severity. Thronium Vrondor’s experience in how seamlessly they combine these elements into their songwriting is evident, as rawness is fused closely with atmospheric layers. This creates a fitting backdrop for SvN’s nuanced flowing, overlapping vocals as if multiple vocalists were hired for the recording sessions. The echo added to the vocals enhances the contrast between the haunting contrasts between many of the guitar and bass lines.
In my opinion, the most promising track illustrating the band’s direction is near its end: “To Burn the Absolute,” featuring a guest appearance by Ars Veneficium bassist/vocalist S. This is the coldest, most dissonant track, with sharper tremolo picking, more menacing effects and relentless blast beats, and dual vocals making it the most immersive song here. "Skulptur Aus Fleisch" serves as a kind of epilogue to the carnage you've experienced, reserved for when your mind has been completely eroded. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
SvN: Vocals
Vrondor: Guitars, bass
Crygh: Drums
Track list:
1. A Solemn Vigil
2. Drowning in the Distorted Light
3. Gruwlijke Leegte
4. Cursed Salvation
5. All Spears Point Towards the Hunter's Moon
6. Zalvende Haat
7. To Burn the Absolute (ft. S. / Ars Veneficium)
8. Skulptur Aus Fleisch
No comments:
Post a Comment