ALBUM REVIEW: Vanhelga – Fredagsmys

Below is my review of the new album from Swedish DSBM band VANHELGA, one of the limited DSBM bands that manage to stay original and earn the respect of followers!

1. Sömnparalys opens with bleak guitars and really sets the sombre and melancholic mood. The ambience works very nicely with the violin sounds used and simplistic cymbal crashes. The fast paced but atmospheric Black Metal kicks in very nicely, it is upbeat and ironically cheerful sounding. The vocals are ear piercings and chaotic. Over time the band have progressed in their use of melody despite the raw and hectic style of the music. A good start.
2. Psykotisk självinsikt continues in the depressive vein, with slower tempo, more doomy riffs. The vocals are incredibly haunting and despite the simplicity the instrumentation works amazingly. Clean vocals add so much atmosphere to this song used in a similar style to Alcest. The whistling just make me think of Psychonaut 4, but it works in a creepy way. If you understand Swedish the lyrics make for an interesting listen too especially how he whispers “ingenting” which means “nothing”. The resemblance to Lifelover (of whom Vanhelga’s ex vocalist was in for a short time) is quite strong but not as much so as older albums of theirs. The song is really well written and much better than the first in my opinion.
3. Varde mörker continues with a barrage of distorted Black Metal but with acoustic guitars over it, something Vanhelga have definitely used a lot but very well. The merciless attack of the song is awesome, and the vocals sound so genuinely cathartic and down-to-earth even with layers of reverb. The wall of noise created is very like Xasthur, which sounds killer. The acoustic section of the song is gorgeous and really emotional to listen to, beautiful stuff.
4. Ensam mot alla opens things with very depressing acoustic guitar and bass, it sounds really nice. The drums do not overdo anything to ruin the atmosphere and the mix is well done. The clean vocals are beautiful on this, some of their best I have heard. It reminds me of Shining a lot, with very Kvarforth like vocals. Absolutely astounding music. The piano is played very simply, but well and sounds fantastic. In parts, I genuinely thought I was listening to Shining, but if you know me, you will know that is not a complaint. The last part of the song feels more like something from Woods Of Desolation, it is really atmospheric and just stunning to hear.
5. Förpassad till misär opens with sirens, techno-like synths in the background, and a really uplifting feel. It sounds like it could be from the “Happiness” EP based on the style of the band here. The song is completely opposite to the last, but equally enjoyable. The weird and experimental of Vanhelga is something I really respect. The various soundscapes used on this track is a perfect example. The second half of the song however, is more traditional 90s sound Black Metal which is awesome, tons of great but simple lead guitar works and a remaining upbeat rhythm to it. The piano adds punch to it as with a lot of the bands material.
6. Två blir ett has a similar strange vibe to that used by Peste Noire. This song is really awesome and once again takes the album into new, unexpected and great territories musically. This song, unlike a lot of DSBM, is one you can really headbang to and feel real energy from (that isn’t something depressing or misanthropic). The guitar solo on this track is super catchy as well which is a good touch.
7. Keep the window closed goes more into ambient indie territory or at least does to begin. The song feels like something by Band Of Horses (an indie band I really enjoy) this time around, but the screeched vocals and bleak instrumentals soon put that back on track. The vocals are the main attraction on this track, they are haunting and remind me a lot of Graf (P4) and Nattramn (Silencer) to an extent, absolutely amazing work and very clearly tormented. The spoken word of awesome guitars sounds great, with crashing, cascading drums in the background, the mix comes together beautifully on this piece. The way the guitars fall into almost silent with screams over them is very characteristic of the things I like when done well in DSBM, and here they sure as hell are done well.
8. RIP (Relationship in pieces) was released quite a while before the album and it offers a bleak and atmospheric track. The spoken vocals of walls of guitar and bass with simplistic drums gives such a depressing atmosphere. The singing and piano is stunning to listen to and shows the band have clearly progressed a lot as songwriters over the years.
9. Feels like breathing in sulfur I believe is a Slipknot lyrics, but that in no way relates to this music, just a fun fact I wanted to add. The song opens with beautiful acoustic guitars, joined by atmospheric keys and electric guitars. The drums played by Daniel Franzen (I believe) who is a good friend of mine are perfect in that they neither become boring nor overshadow the other instruments, a balance many drummers seemingly struggle to find. The song is very mellow and easy to listen to even with the harsh vocals used. We feel the laid-back melancholy very strongly in this song which is very nicely done. The very last section features similar ambience used by bands like Ulver, a class ending.
10. You are temporary starts things off softly once more, with great use of samples and punchy bass over clean guitars and cymbals. It kicks into more upbeat, atmospheric as hell, Black Metal with spine chilling vocals used once more. The sheerly lost feeling of this song is beautiful but also depraved in feeling, and the piano really adds to that. This is probably the most “likeable” song on the album if you are new to this kind of music, not my favourite, but definitely I would recommend to a newcomer. The vocals very much remind me of Neige (Alcest) in songs like “Percées de Lumière” which to me is one of the best vocal pieces ever. The unnerving feeling of the song is very strong and something I find really unique and new in Vanhelga music.
11. Fredagsmys is the closing piece for the album, it does so by beginning with ambience and beautiful guitar work. The heavier parts are very slow and bleak, they sound awesome and really bring the album to a gradual and non-abrasive finish. The piano adds once last round of extremely sombre emotion to it. A wonderful closing track.

If you enjoy bands like Lifelover, Psychonaut 4, Ofdrykkja, etc then this album is worth checking out. Although I preferred “Längtan” for its originality and over the top upbeat style, this album has certainly progressed in terms of production and musicianship. Great job to Vanhelga. -8/10