Sarvekas – Of Atavistic Fury and Visions [EP]

AA and JL formed Sarvekas in late 2018 and at the dusk of 2020 their first EP release ‘Of Atavistic Fury and Visions’ saw the light through the Dutch Soulseller Records label. The music on that first release has what you could call that typical combination of fury and melody that the Finnish are known for, but the band does take a somewhat different approach. While it has the ferocious overpowering qualities of Behexen and the melancholic sense of melody of Horna, the songs on ‘Of Atavistic Fury and Visions’ have an altogether more epic touch to them. It would be more appropriate to also look over the border towards Norway. The music of Sarvekas certainly has a bit of the heaviness of Perished on for instance their ‘Seid’ album, the combination of pace and melody (but not the folky nature) of Mithotyn’s ‘King of the Distant Forest’ and that mix of heaviness and epic atmosphere of early Kampfar. The balance between the heavy pace of the drums and dark tone of the rhythm guitars riffs with layered lead melodies is delicate yet well-constructed, and tracks such as ‘Hexenpyre’ or ‘Where No Man has Trodden’ stand out for both their intensity and memorability of the riffs. Strong from start to finish, Sarvekas’s debut EP is ferocious and melodic, harsh and epic, and certainly worth the attention of those that hold Scandinavian Black Metal with a grand and melodious close to their hearts.