Album Review: Mannveira – Vesöld (Dark Descent Records)

Icelandic black metal band Mannveira will release their new album, Vesöld, on the 16th October via Dark Descent Records.

Five years on from their debut album, Vítahringur, Mannveira return with seven new tracks of raw, dissonant black metal. Hailing from Reykjavík’s black metal underground, the band combine abrasive riffs and a cold, melodic undercurrent with a bleak atmosphere, creating a sound that is both haunting and hostile. Recorded by the band and Jonni Norn, with mixing and mastering by D.J., Vesöld promises a dark and uncompromising return for Mannveira and their fans.

It also comes packing some absolutely stunning artwork courtesy of Joseph Deegan.

Mannveira is Illugi Kristinsson on vocals, Oddur Blöndal and Örlygur Sigurðarson on guitars, Óskar Guðjónsson on bass and Hilmar Guðjónsson on drums.

Lygar himinsins gets the album underway and Mannveira take no time at all to reannounce themselves, jumping straight into a dark and bleak intro with rolling drums and heavy riffs. The deep, blackened vocals join in, adding another layer of heaviness as the band hit us with a harsh and heavy song that will get heads banging. Layers of lead guitar melody add another dimension to the track, bringing a touch of atmosphere and coldness to the heavy sounds. Some nice variations in pace and rhythm keep things fresh too as the song progresses.

It’s a strong start that continues into Þrot, where the sound and atmosphere are even thicker. Drawn-out vocals and slower riffs bring a touch of catchiness to the heaviness. The melody drives this song forwards, adding plenty of depth and occasional post-metal vibes alongside the dissonant tones.

Af bergi brotin has a different start, leaving the bass and drums isolated for a raw-sounding intro that pays off when the vocals and other instruments join in. It creates a nice contrast in another dark and dissonant track packed full of menace, bringing images of cold landscapes and dangerous waters to mind. The vocals are pretty one-dimensional, but I do really like them. They have a lot of power and have been cleverly mixed into the track so they become part of the instrumentation rather than sitting over the music. This is one of my favourite tracks. I really love the driving melody in the instrumental section and, while I don’t understand it, I like the intermission at the end.

Stormur is a banger too, bringing plenty more of what we’ve heard already, but with some extra emphasis on the vocals that is welcome, and lead guitars that are awesome. It’s a heavy song, as they all are, thick with atmosphere and bringing flurries of riffs and blasting drums. It flows really well too, with the lead guitars bridging different tempos and adding atmosphere, creativity and a just a touch of beauty shining out of the darkness.

Aumingi keeps the darkness flowing on Vesöld with another strong song. It’s heavy and dissonant, with a repeating melody that becomes almost hypnotic as you listen to it. Despite the obviously similar tones and style across all the songs, Mannveira keep giving each one their own identity by intertwining different melodies through the harsh and heavy music and vocals. Bölvunin is similar again, hitting hard from the off with relentless drums and riffs creating a wall of harshness. The vocals join in and add to that suffocating sound and, just as you reach the point of needing a change, a tweak to the melody and pace pulls you back from the cliff edge.

The atmosphere is still strong, still conjuring up bleak feelings and visions of icy landscapes. It’s another strong song, really just Mannveira doing their thing and doing it well. It does also have another folk/traditional outro section that I like, while not fully understanding why it’s there.

Vesöld comes to a close with Rottur, which is a banger. It’s the shortest track on the album at just three and a half minutes long, but it has real impact. I love the energy and pace injected by the catchy-as-hell riffs and drums. The vocals work nicely, bedded into the heavy music, and the instrumental bit is a feast of bass, riffs and drum beats. It’s a strong ending to a strong album.

Mannveira have delivered a really strong album here in Vesöld. Bleak, dissonant, heavy black metal with well-written songs and a really good flow from start to finish. I can see the similar tones and style maybe becoming a little repetitive over repeated plays, but there is enough variation in the melodies, pace and atmosphere to keep it interesting for a while. Mannveira are definitely a band to keep an eye on – lets hope for a shorter wait for their next release.

Track List:

1. Lygar himinsins
2. Þrot
3. Af bergi brotin
4. Stormur
5. Aumingi
6. Bölvunin
7. Rottur

Mannveira Links

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