Karg - Dornenvögel (2018)

Two years have passed since their crushing release “Weltenasche”, and now Karg returns with a more refined and poignant release with “Dornenvögel”. As a one-man project from V. Wahntraum of Harakiri for the Sly fame, the band’s sound is quite melancholic with plenty of Post-Black Metal elements thrown into the mix. Clocking in at 76 minutes, this album has a lot of intricacies to be discovered before it fully unravels to the listener, making it a very rich listening experience.

Exploring the darker sides of Atmospheric Black Metal/Post-Black Metal, “Drangsal” starts off the release with melancholic weeping guitars and a very desolate vibe. This track nicely weaves back and forth between bleak soundscape and heavier sections filled with aggression and desperation. The dreamy and Post-Rock-ish passage in “La tristesse durera toujours” is definitely one of the best and most emotionally charged sections we have heard in a while.

The musical onslaught continues with the brilliantly dreamy “Petrichor” and “L`apelle Du Vide”, two songs that are expertly crafted to delivers waves of melancholy thanks to their intricate tempo changes and atmospheric passages. Further consolidating their sound with dramatic atmospheric elements and contrasting bursts of aggression, Karg continues to evolve between releases and tracks like “F 19.5”
and “Heimat bist du tiefster Winter” are perfect examples of their contrasting and yet highly complementary nature.

Closing with a good headbanging dose in “Advent”, we are left with a very pleasing impression of the band’s musical evolution. Karg continues to expand the confines of the genre’s it is influenced by and carves its own path in the scene. With “Dornenvögel” the lines between melancholy and aggression are further blurred while achieving one hell of an emotional rollercoaster of an album. Totally recommended for fans of bands like Ellende, Harakiri for the Sky, Lantlos and Heretoir.

Label: Art of Propaganda

Release: November 16th, 2018

Genre: Atmospheric/Ambient Black Metal /Post-Black Metal

Country: Austria