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Vattnet Viskar - Settler review




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Reviewer:
7.5

20 users:
7.65
Band: Vattnet Viskar
Album: Settler
Release date: June 2015


01. Dawnlands
02. Colony
03. Yearn
04. Impact
05. Glory
06. Heirs
07. Settler
08. Coldwar

If there was an award this year for "most ambiguous album cover," it would probably have to go to Vattnet Viskar's Settler. Although the image itself reveals almost nothing about the music within, the image that it recreates has powerful implications of blissful unawareness of a fast approaching doom, somber themes that Vattnet Viskar seem to capture with their heavy and airy sound.

Musically speaking, Settler is not really too far off base from the sound that Vattnet Viskar established on their Sky Swallower debut. Midpaced and bright black metal riffs, almost of a WITTR variety, combine with an underlying sense of melody, along with some doom textures that seem to borrow influence from post metal in terms of the atmosphere that they bring. The music can be pounding ("Yeam"), aggressive ("Impact"), and beautiful as well ("Coldwar") into all the bases that it covers with this blend of various influences. Stylistically, however, Settler overall appears to be tilted much more to the black metal side of things than its predecessor was, and if you want to get really nitpicky about labels, it would probably be better to call this album "doomy black metal" than "blackened doom metal."

The fact that Settler is more BM than doom generated mixed emotions in me, to say the least. With blackened doom, I tend to be the type who prefers bands that go for more of a 50/50 approach between the two, and blend them rather seamlessly. This album isn't really like that, and its tracks have a way of sitting more in one territory than the other (compare "Glory" to "Heirs," for example). It's really only "Dawnlands" and "Coldwar," I would say, that feel like they struck a balance straight down the middle between the black and the doom. However, lack of balance isn't always necessarily a bad thing. While I may have preferred all of Settler to be like those before-mentioned tracks, if it had, there wouldn't have been the sense of variety that there is across it. So a big part of what makes this album great is the variation in the black to doom ratio all across it, because it keeps every track from sounding exactly the same. Like I said, mixed emotions.

Thus, even if Settler left some things to be desired, it was still an interesting listening experience, and one that somewhat changed my perception of the blackened doom style in a way. Because while I do prefer the 50/50 approach, this album has somewhat taught me how just how well bands can make alternatives to that work, and if you prefer that balance too, it could end up changing your perception as well. More "blackened" than before perhaps, but there's definitely no "sophomore slump" here, folks. Just more of a good band doing what they do, albeit slightly differently.

Go and get it.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 04.07.2015 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 10   Visited by: 136 users
04.07.2015 - 17:30
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Album cover huh , could be some soft rock ... its reason to not judge , because music matters, otherwise cover I wont even look at this on stores, so I net is good
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Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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04.07.2015 - 18:50
Karlabos
Meat and Potatos
Written by Bad English on 04.07.2015 at 17:30

Album cover huh , could be some soft rock ... its reason to not judge , because music matters, otherwise cover I wont even look at this on stores, so I net is good

Someone had this exact same reaction some days ago in the SB ^.^
Then he learned about the story behind the cover
----
"Aah! The cat turned into a cat!"
- Reimu Hakurei
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04.07.2015 - 19:13
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Karlabos on 04.07.2015 at 18:50

Written by Bad English on 04.07.2015 at 17:30

Album cover huh , could be some soft rock ... its reason to not judge , because music matters, otherwise cover I wont even look at this on stores, so I net is good

Someone had this exact same reaction some days ago in the SB ^.^
Then he learned about the story behind the cover


it wasn't me
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
04.07.2015 - 20:45
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Karlabos on 04.07.2015 at 18:50

Someone had this exact same reaction some days ago in the SB ^.^
Then he learned about the story behind the cover

Turns out that woman was also from the same area of New Hampshire that the band is from. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they had watched that Challenger Explosion as school kids in the 80s.
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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05.07.2015 - 18:14
Rating: 9
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
Of all the genres I hear in this album, doom was not one of them. Just me?
----
Daily underground metal recommendations at Metal Trenches.
Listen to the Trench Talk podcast.
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05.07.2015 - 18:28
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by flightoficarus on 05.07.2015 at 18:14

Of all the genres I hear in this album, doom was not one of them. Just me?

I would say it's more of a sludgey, almost post metal influence than doom, yes, so that's understandable. But, as sludge is a subset of doom, sometimes the line between the two is pretty blurred. "Glory" is probably the "doomiest" track here to me, but even so, like I said, I think the BM way overshadows that side of the band's music here. And tbh I'm not sure if I'd really feel comfortable calling this "blackened doom" either, it's more... atmospheric BM with some doom and sludge touches(?)
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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06.07.2015 - 00:23
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Last time I checked these guys they weren't doomy at all. Guess I have to revist their discography.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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06.07.2015 - 01:31
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by X-Ray Rod on 06.07.2015 at 00:23

Last time I checked these guys they weren't doomy at all. Guess I have to revist their discography.

Like I said, it's slight, they're more atmospheric BM, and even then it's kinda hard to say whether it's doom or sludge
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
Loading...
06.07.2015 - 03:09
Rating: 9
flightoficarus
Stamp Tramp
Written by Auntie Sahar on 06.07.2015 at 01:31

Written by X-Ray Rod on 06.07.2015 at 00:23

Last time I checked these guys they weren't doomy at all. Guess I have to revist their discography.

Like I said, it's slight, they're more atmospheric BM, and even then it's kinda hard to say whether it's doom or sludge


Gotcha. I just hear more of a mix of atmospheric BM with post-rock and maybe some sludge. Whatever. It's a solid album, just wish the vocals were better.
----
Daily underground metal recommendations at Metal Trenches.
Listen to the Trench Talk podcast.
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06.07.2015 - 07:51
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Auntie Sahar on 06.07.2015 at 01:31
Like I said, it's slight, they're more atmospheric BM, and even then it's kinda hard to say whether it's doom or sludge

If it was that slight then I wouldn't have give it too much emphasis like you did here. It ends up being misleading.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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