Label: Vánagandr/Mystískaos
Artist: Vonlaus
Origin: Iceland

The map of Iceland is blotted with little groups of black metal artists, but the biggest is right over Reykjavik. The vast empty land does here and there spark some fires, but the capital is where it happens and Vonlaus is no exception. Their debut has come out this year and that’s all I can tell you about this group.

As the demo is out on Vánagandr. It’s likely that this project is connected to that lot and Mystískaos limits it even further to a very limited group. Though this speculation may be fun, nothing comes from it. Yet, I will just mention Wormlust and Skaphé as label mates and leave it at that. Vonlaus did contribute a track to the compilation ofMYRKFÆLNI magazine before and that’s all I can tell you at this point.

Opener ‘Vistaránauð’is a grimy, dirty doom track, with a slow progression that just glues you to the floor. The howling, raspy vocals are almost mocking, challenging the listeners in an uncanny way, while a clean guitar melody breaks through the murky haze. Slow and heavy, this hits quite hard and effectively. The shimmering guitars and thudding rhythm, the chuggy bass line, all works wonderfully.

On ‘Mein’ the band truly arrives though. A rocking vibe unleashes itself from the start. The repetitive melody feels as if it works your nerves like tiny little hammers for the 5-minute duration of the track with that nagging sound. It similarly holds that low pace, with a punky beat to it, a remarkable simplicity that just works for Vonlaus. The exit is the tune ‘Í blindbyl ótta og haturs’, which has that same raw and melancholic vibe, sticking to the base principles of the band. A welcome entry into the black metal realms, but hard to say if this is going to be one that sticks around.