Band:	Sorgsvart
Album:	Vikingtid Og Anarki
Style:	Black metal, Folk metal
Release date:	March 20, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. VikingTid Og AnArki
02. VikingTid Og AnArki Instrumental
03. Hedersmann
04. Trøst
05. Bleikvikmaen Ein Haglandsfaen
06. Opp Kamerat!
07. KråkAviso
08. UnderligtVidunderligt

Sorgsvart is the band of Sorg, a really engaged Norwegian dude who uses to write music to say something. His music is some kind of Folk mixed with Black Metal, the sound of the album is a bit special but if you like Folk, I'm quite sure that you'll enjoy this release. In my opinion, Sorgsvart is an underground band which deserves to be known a bit more.

The music of Sorgsvart is dark even if it's Folk Metal and even if we have "dancing" and catchy melodies if you see what I mean. Sorg is a really engaged guy and the big "A" symbol of the anarchists on the CD is a proof of his convictions. Though the lyrics (too bad that we don't have any translation somewhere) are in Norwegian and I cannot confirm that its talks about political stuff even if I suppose that it must be the case for some songs on the album. But the music itself is varied and can be heavy and aggressive with some true Black Metal sides like peaceful with cool acoustic Folk moments, the songs are long with a lot of different breaks and passages; "Vikingtid Og Anarki" is in the category of the complex and deep releases.

The problem of Sorgsvart is that it's a one man project which means that Sorg plays all the instruments of the release and it's hard to be perfect with everything. He is not a bad musician but the different interpretations here are not so wonderful, without being bad too that's right. Sure he is a good compositor really but the production of his last album is not that good and the "electronic" instruments especially the keyboards have a really average and even a bit ridiculous sound. The drums doesn't sound so natural too, I really would like to listen to this album with some better means of production and a better choice of sound for the keyboards.

Despite some little problems with the production, "Vikingtid Og Anarki" is a good album of Viking Black Metal which features wonderful epic passages, especially the acoustic ones with Jew's harp. I'm quite sure too that the lyrics are more than interesting but you'll have to know Norwegian to understand it. All in all "Vikingtid Og Anarki" is a really nice intimist album that I recommend to all the fans of Folk Black Metal, you shouldn't be disappointed for sure.