SVARTESKERM- Illojala Till Slutet
This crust punk/anarcho-punk release came out late last year, and while not exactly heavy metal, it seems more than fitting to cover it here. For those who don’t know, the genre takes old school hardcore punk (fast riffs, no breakdowns) but infuses it with metallic overtones. There’s not a lot of this genre in Christian circles (World Against World is the only other Christian band with a label release, to my knowledge), and Svarteskerm do it well. Lyrics are all in Swedish, but man this EP shreds. I had to use Google translate to understand some of the song titles.
Track 1, “Diognetus” is heavy and fast, yet has a slight rock and roll vibe in the guitar tones. The vocals are rough and snarly, and the choruses feature gang-style shouts. Track 2 is “Inte alla män” (or “Not All Men) features female vocals and has an anarcho-punk feel (the genre, not necessarily the lyrical worldview). Track 3, “Psykbryt” (“Psychic Break”) has an indie-punk/post-hardcore vibe and features more of those gang-shouted vocals. Track 4, “Du din djävul behöver Jesus” (or provocatively “You, Your Devil Need Jesus”) finishes out the EP fast and heavy punk anthem (reminding me somewhat of Cross-Check).
I’m struggling to find bands to compare them to, because even though they fit within the crust/anarcho-punk movement overall, they bring something unique to those genres. Nonetheless, their sound might appeal to fans of Amebix, His Hero is Gone, Crass, Herida Profunda, and other bands in the genre(s). Check it out for free on their Bandcamp, but if you like it, make sure to throw a few quid their way. (Zap Records) 3 out of 5 Stars
