Two bands with seasoned musicians steeped in the fierce heavy side of metal music scenes in Sweden and Switzerland join forces and release a juggernaut of a split album.
Each band provides three heavy, riff-based songs with profound rhythm sections for the split. Both bands contrast each other in a way as they approach their version of metal-based music from different backgrounds. Legbiter is first out on the album. This band might be new to someone, but it has existed since 2015, with musicians playing together in different formations since the 90s. They have several releases under their belt, and now they are signed to Pelagic Records. With the music on this split, they show some promising trends for the years to come with their uncompromising Post-Hardcore-influenced music. It is heavy and sweeping with the crushing power of Sludge Metal integrated in their musical output. (For the quiz masters and nerds, Legbiter is the English name of the sword Leggbitr used by the aggressive conquering Norwegian Viking king, Magnús Berfǿttr …)
Letgbiter sweeps into the first song, “Worms”, melting into hard riffing with relentless drumming and throbbing bass seemingly playing with loose strings, making a profound depth. It is fast and weighty when the vocals appear. Unlike many bands in the genre, Legbiter uses clean, strong, melodious vocals immersed in the massive foundation. The guitars swirl in all directions as the rhythm section hammers on. The riffage is wide and, in some ways, translucent. The music tightens, and the strong sonics are driven forward by the relentless rhythm section, while the intense, clear vocal is pushed onwards. Hard parts, screeching guitars, and melodic singing are immersed in the textured riffage. The music is driven forward by abrupt halts until a kind of release comes about, and massive sonics thunder away. “Speedball” continues with whirling guitars and diverse drumming that push the strong vocals ahead before it all surges into a heavy riffing soundscape pushed by drums and with the sense of massive, loose bass strings. It is utterly effective when it tightens, and the contrasting vocals begin to sing. The sonics spread out heavy and hard, while the vocals contradict the distorted music, singing melodous immeresed in it. The distorted music races forward, sprinkled by extensive use of cymbals until an abrupt end. On their third track, “Major Motion”, Legbiter goes even heavier than before. It is like they are preparing for the crushing avalanches of Norna that will come tumbling down after Legbiter´s last outbursts. The track is immense in its distorted glory, with wide-ranging guitar parts spreading out until leaving the stage to drums and a loose bass supporting insisting vocals. It comes back together with mighty distorted heaviness and clean vocals. The music surges into a fast paced part with soaring fuzzy guitars embracing a chanting vocal. In the end, it whirls and crumbles into itself.
Up next is the trio known as Norna who are fairly well-known to us on these pages since we premiered their debut single with an interview in 2021. Since then, Norna has released two full-length albums with their pummelling and cathartic take on Atmospheric Sludge. The band´s stylistic heaviness is an amalgamation of the previous bands the members have been involved in, most notably the Swiss band Ølten and influential Swedish outfit Breach.
Norna opens their part of the split with “Lithany” that has a melodic opening with the guitars revolving around each other before the barrage of sludgey Post-Metal comes as an avalanche with heavy drumming on the floor drums. The riffage is extreamly heavy, it is as if the guitarists take the cue from a line in the classic song “Iron Man”: “Heavy boots of lead” and pursue that cue further into their own distortion pushed by diverse and powerful drumming with extensive use of the cymbals. Immersed in these vast sonics, the anguished howling vocals fight to be heard, thus inserting a new dimension into this chunky music. The heavy soundscapes spread out, purveying a bit of reprieve before melting back into the lead-heavy riff and introducing another mighty part to end the song. The trio continues with “Eyes Of God” and rapid, dense distorted guitars and intense drumming on top. It is on the verge of imploding in on itself, but with some swirling riffs. The guitars play the lowest chords surging downwards into heaviness. The impressive drumming pushes the pace onward. But even in this cascading sonics, there is a sense of a melodic theme coming from it. The screaming vocals appear with intense force. The crumbling music races forward with tumultuous energy that keeps the listeners on their toes. The drums hammer on as the music begins to swirl around the diverse drumming that now takes the lead before a new onslaught almost overpowers the screaming vocals, plummeting towards the end of the song. I paused a bit at the title of Norna´s last song, “Serpents Of Gold”. Maybe it’s a nod to powerhouse Doom Metal institution Cathedral and their “best of” album from 2004. Or maybe not. Anyways: Sturdy drumming sets the song in motion, and the guitars embrace it, beginning to spin and soar with so much heaviness. The vocals emerge strong and yet desparingly reflect the tumultuous state of the world these days. While one guitar spews out heavy riffs, another begins to play slightly discordant lines before falling back into the flow. The drumming is steadfast and adds a profound thunderous might to the sonics. After an abrupt reprieve, the music surges back into shivering, forceful sonics, with the guitar´s powerful harmony stomping to the end.
And you should surely check back tomorrow on these pages for…
