Svartsot - Peregrinus - review
Svartsot - Peregrinus - review
Tracklist
01. Como Póden Per Sas Culpas02. Tarditas
03. Communitas
04. Simplicitas
05. Libertas
06. Neglentia
07. Spiritualitas
08. Via Dolorosa
09. Silentium
A review by
tominator September 07, 2025
I’m continuing my 2025 journey through the folk metal landscape with Peregrinus, the latest release from Svartsot. It's an experience I can only describe as similar to a McDonald’s meal; like McDonald’s, it’s easy fast food in music form, but it doesn’t really leave you fulfilled in the end.
What I can safely say is that this is the folk record I have listened to most this year, but not necessarily because I like it so much. No, this is more a case of: “What the hell am I going to write about with this one”. It feels rather predictable for the most part, is what I’m trying to say here.
When looking at the folk records I have reviewed this year, this one leans the closest to Trold’s I Skovens Rige. “But Tom, isn’t that the folk record you have given the highest score this year?” You would be right in that assessment, but I think that’s part of the issue here.
You see, Peregrinus might be in a similar style of folk as I Skovens Rige, but it lacks its variety and overall memorability. The songs on I Skovens Rige had (for the most part) their own identity. Sure, they re-used a formula (like the drinking song) maybe twice throughout the album in some cases. However, that was the exception rather than the rule. I feel like it’s the opposite with Peregrinus. The most memorable songs on it are probably “Neglentia” and “Spiritualitas”, because they have a bit of an Aeternam vibe going on. Especially the latter one, which coincidentally also has a passage around the 50-second mark that sounds awfully familiar to me (but I can’t really place my finger on where I have heard it before). Either way, for me, that’s the highlight of the album.
So, this kind of explains as to why I rate this record quite a bit lower than Trold’s release this year. If I compare it to the other folk records I have reviewed this year from Æxylium and Elvenking, it also lacks a bit. The former had an intriguing first half with songs that all felt very different from each other. It slowly unfolded the direction the rest of the album was going to go into. That album was a classic case of an album that at first glance feels a bit disjointed, but starts to make a lot of sense the longer it goes on. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Elvenking’s Reader Of The Runes - Luna, which just felt rather disjointed no matter how many times I listened to it. That being said, though, there was a ton more experimentation going on than here on Peregrinus. Yes, it often felt erratic, and the pacing often suffered because of it. Yet, when everything clicked, it clicked very well. As a result, there are a couple of tracks on that album that I listen to on a very regular basis.
This record though... I don’t think there is a song on here that I will add to my playlist in the near future. It doesn’t have a ton of variety, and also lacks those really standout tracks. I now realise I have mostly been talking about other bands and records in this review. And that’s kind of an indication as to how little there really is to talk about here. It’s a railway that could have used some additional railway switches to change up the directions from time to time.
I want to reiterate, though, that the strength of this record is its easy-to-listen-to nature. It flows well, and really doesn’t outstay its welcome. I wouldn’t have given it the 8 or so spins these past couple of months if it was an unpleasant experience. But, I would also be lying if I said it was the most gripping and inspiring experience I have had this year. So, that leaves us with a tentative recommendation for diehard fans of the genre that want more folk metal, as it does that job competently. However, for most other people, there are more interesting and compelling options to choose from.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 5 |
| Production: | 8 |
Comments
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Very good review, great read, and you sum this album up in your opening paragraph, it's definitely paint by numbers material. It's an ok listen though, and every so often there's some decent melodies, but by the end nothing really sticks out as memorable.
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