Sarvekas – Woven Dark Paths

On the debut of Sarvekas, melodies with an epic undertone combined with a crushing rhythm guitar sound and overall pace made up the majority of the material. Comparisons with both Finnish bands like Horna and Behexen, as well as more epic Norwegian acts like Perished, Kampfar and Mithotyn seemed in order. On ‘Woven Dark Paths’ I can still stand behind those references, but at times comparison with the ferocious nature of Behexen is a little bit more appropriate than before. Perhaps it lies in an overall slightly heavier production of the full-length, but in ‘The Scryer of Bones’ the melodies appear more subcutaneous than on the previous EP at the favour of a more crushing pace and sound. That the music takes a slightly more typical Finnish take is also clear from a song like ‘Embers of Pagan Fire’, where the central melodies aren’t nearly as leading as on the ‘Of Atavistic Fury and Visions’ EP and instead mostly contrast the thundering faster sections. While an altogether more sorrowful tone can be heard throughout the material on ‘Woven Dark Paths’, the epic character is not entirely gone. a song like ‘Of Bloodlust & Nightside Sorceries’ is much more carried by melodies and features a gloriously epic mid-paced section before increased tempo and sinister strumming enhance the darkness of the song. This applies to a similar extent for most of the second half of the album, such as for instance the title track and the final song ‘The Great Winter’. In the latter case this is certainly enhanced by the beautiful acoustic passage that closes the album in style. Having said that, all these aforementioned elements best come together in the splendid ‘The Austerity of the Northern Lands’ whose wonderfully melancholic opening riff is highly memorable and a certified album highlight.

In many ways ‘Woven Dark Paths’ is a logical continuation of the debut EP. You can argue that the overall tone is a little bit harsher, more melancholic and at times melodically more restrained as opposed to the more melodic and epic nature of ‘Of Atavistic Fury and Visions’. In doing so it adds a little bit more versatility and dynamics to the sound of the band. With a playing time of nearly double that of the EP, I personally find that a positive development as it adds a sense of longevity and diversity to the music that makes Sarvekas’ first full-length a worthy successor and step up from the first recording.