Sarke - Vorunah (2009)

Sarke is no newcomer to the black metal industry, having drummed with Tulus, Khold, and Old Man's Child among others. For his debut solo album he has wisely teamed up with Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone) and made excellent use of his grim vocal stylings. Sarke himself performs the rest of the instruments.

As for the material, it's a matter of returning to the roots of extreme metal and then twisting them into a personal vision. Sarke is both familiar and unusual at the same time, a hybrid of black, thrash and doom metal with some fine use of organs and keys for atmosphere. This is the perfect marriage to Culto's distinct, gravel throat, and in its own way, creepy. Also interesting is the very straightforward production on the album, it's got a mix ala some prog rock record you'd hear in the 70s. The album sounds perfectly 'clean' despite the bite of the performance. Some might assume this would sap away some of the duo's energy, yet it doesn't.

"Primitive Killing" is the leadoff track, an entirely simple black/thrash with a dash of death metal feeling to the bridge riff. Drums are kept on a simple leash while the bass is noticeable mainly for the subtle atmosphere it lends the thrash riffs. Sarke's lead work maintains this simplicity. The title track "Vorunah" is slower piece which uses keyboards to create an excellent atmosphere during the chorus. One of the best songs here. "The Drunken Priest" has a cold, slow thrashing feel with some Celtic Frost and Slayer-like tinge to note selection, and once again the keys are implemented nicely admidst the heavy riffing. "Frost Junkie" is a wasteland of doom, black and crisp thrash, while "Old" is another tune similar to the title. "Cult Ritual" is another of the best tracks, the primitive riffs make subtle changes beneath Culto's vocal and it's essentially what black metal might have felt like had it been created in the 70s... "13 Candles" creates a symphonic piano backdrop behind chords and Culto, a nice departure from the rest of the material. Album closer "Dead Universe" is the fastest piece on the album with some blast beats, otherwise it is close to the prior material.

Vorunah is a fairly killer effort but its appeal may be limited to fans of both roots black and thrash metal and 70s metal. In other words, people who are actually cool. Sarke has truly captured his own nostalgic approach to the material, and having Nocturno Culto on vocals is never a bad thing, he fits right in with the vision and his vocals aren't a far cry from his Darkthrone material. This isn't perfect, there are a few dull plodding moments on the album and certainly room for growth, so I hope this isn't a one shot.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

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