Band:	Slagmaur
Album:	Von Rov Shelter
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	September 28, 2009
A review by:	Lucas

01. _
02. Drako Gigant
03. Fantom Eks Speriment
04. Lange Knivers Natt
05. Nattens Sorte Ord
06. Klokker Tramp
07. Ramaskrik

The name 'Slagmaur' has crossed my path before, but I must admit I never got to the point of checking out any music. The release of their new album Von Rov Shelter on Osmose Productions brought change to this, though, and I'm glad it did. They're pretty good, actually...

Von Rov Shelter's riffs have a gloomy, mechanic and manic sound. These riffs form a wall, a moving wall, slowly yet steadily, exactly in your direction. Fuelled by plodding drums and demonic croaks, it trudges on and on and on. A black mass, darkening the sky, trudging on and on and on and on. Sounds scary? No? But it never rests. And while you can easily stay out of it's reach now, you will tire some day. Perhaps not today, not tomorrow, but perhaps next week... And then. Then. It will crush you. And it will keep trudging on and on and on and on. While the riffs are not exactly riveting nor intricate nor emotional, it is their consistent mechanic blind madness that gives them their charm.

Another thing they like to do is to add weird small intermezzo's in their music, however they're a bit hit and miss. Sometimes they're just weird vocal sounds and 'incantations' (end of 'Lange Knivers Natt'), sometimes they're gloomy and spooky parts that give you a break from fleeing from the black mass of death ('Nattens Sorte Ord' in its entirety). But not for long, as 'Klokker Tramp' quickly resumes the albums heinousity with fresh menace. Add a healthy dose of theatrics to this track and the closer and you've got yourself a moderately spectacular second half.

Slagmaur is a cool band. I like what they stand for, which is at times pretty weird, but always focused Black metal with an evil vibe. They are not, however, completely convincing in their execution. You will need a bit of an imagination, otherwise the black mass of death simply becomes noise pollution from worn out earplugs. But they deserve credit for doing what they do as it is far from bad and it seems to be exactly what they wanted to do. Every Black metaller with a dark imagination ought to give this a try.