Artist......: Vemod
Album.......: The Deepening
Year........: 2024

Genre.......: Black Metal
Label.......: Prophecy Productions

Source......: WEB (24bit)
Encoder.....: libFLAC
Bitrate.....: 1483kbps avg.
F.Rate......: 44.1kHz

Playtime....: 00:48:23 / 567.87MB
R.Date......: 2024-01-18
S.Date......: 2024-01-19
Website.....: http://open.qobuz.com/album/lsot95ngig3ac

01. Mot oss, en ild                                                   1:01
02. Der guder dor                                                    13:01
03. True North Beckons                                                9:44
04. Fra drommenes bok I                                               1:39
05. Inn i lysande natt                                                6:45
06. The Deepening                                                    16:13

When it drops on January 19, Vemod’s long-awaited The Deepening is bound to
earn critical acclaim. Formed in Namsos and currently based in Trondheim,
Vemod is known as one of black metal’s more stylistically adventurous
outfits. This innovative band has only released one other album, Venter på
stormene (2012). Nevertheless, they have garnered a solid fanbase. On The
Deepening, Vemod delivers something much different from their debut, but no
less excellent.

The Deepening features ex-One Tail, One Head’s Jan Even Åsli, the group’s
founder, on lead and rhythm guitars, clean vocals, and synths. It is
nothing short of mind-boggling to think that Åsli composed all of the music
himself. The record reflects a real clarity of vision. The Deepening is
majestic yet formidable, lofty yet brutal, traditional yet pioneering,
powerful yet delicate in the right places. As those familiar with Åsli’s
work expect, this veteran artist has crafted an experience that is both
transcendent and transfiguring.

Åsli is a scholar, and The Deepening seems geared toward an elite type of
listener. Granted, this complicated and varied offering should be able to
charm just about anyone. The lyrics, also penned by Even, are both cerebral
and poetic. They stimulate the mind and imagination.

On The Deepening, Spellemann / “Norwegian Grammy”-winner Eskil Blix
delivers sublime performances on drums and harsh vocals. Revered as an
exemplary frontman for his output with the likes of Djevel and Mare, Blix
brings total authenticity and top-notch artistry to this release. His low
voice, overflowing with aggression and strength, provides an ideal contrast
to Åsli’s vocals, which often radiate a spectral and almost heavenly
quality. Meanwhile, bassist Espen Kalstad also delivers flawless
performances.

The Deepening is utterly spellbinding from start to finish. The miraculous
atmospheres are reminiscent of the wonderous landscapes of Namsos in all of
their rugged and divine glory. The Deepening begins with a minimalistic yet
lovely instrumental piece, “Mot oss, en ild,” before giving way to the
album’s first single, “Der guder dør.” This epic, roughly 13-minute song
perfectly combines beauty with savage backbone. The philosophical text here
is simply breathtaking, painting stunning pictures with metaphors. “Der
guder dør” contains a word that Even has stated could have become the album
title, “virvelhimmelen.” Thus, it is not surprising that this is the pick
that will most closely align with listeners’ expectations.

We are immediately swept away as icy riffs and percussion entwine with
Blix’s authoritative vocals. Yet, this song glistens with plenty of warmth.
It features pleasing shifts and soaring guitar work that lifts us to
vertiginous heights. Military-like drums kick in before the eight-minute
mark and continue for what proves to be the right duration. “Der guder dør”
is accented by Åsli’s otherworldly chanting, which takes on a diaphanous
quality. Ultimately, this opus ends as something quite different from how
it began, transporting us to a new realm.

The third track, “True North Beckons,” is an English-language gem. Although
it is delightfully fierce, it is not without a very special type of
splendor in places. Again, this song treats us to surprising transitions.
For roughly three minutes of this opus, we lose Blix’s vocals. Yet, the
charisma and allure remain regardless. With its exotic chanting and ambient
atmosphere, the fourth number, “Fra drømmenes bok I,” gives us the feeling
of ascending into soft sunlight. This fairly brief selection gives way to
the unexpectedly vibrant “Inn i lysande natt,” the penultimate track. “Inn
i lysande natt” is playful, seductive, smoldering, and groovy. It
successfully conjures intoxicating retro vibes and has a bluesy feel. “Inn
i lysande natt“ definitely seems more “American” than the rest of the
album. Although this is a mostly instrumental song, some chanting kicks in
shortly after the 5-minute mark.

“The Deepening,” a sixteen-plus-minute victory, fuses progressive rock with
extreme metal in yet a new way. It begins with strong clean vocals by Åsli,
but, of course, the song also includes Blix’s voice. There is much
juxtaposition between Blix’s menacing delivery and the content of his
words, which were, again, written by Jan Even.

“The Deepening” fades out very slowly over a matter of minutes with a long
stream of gentle ambient ear candy. As soon as it ends, you will most
certainly be compelled to repeat this profound experience.

In the past, Vemod has been described as “Ethereal Dark Metal.” However, as
Vemod continues to explore new musical horizons, it becomes increasingly
apparent that no linguistic term can do this individualistic band justice,
as we noted in the intro. Just as Åsli’s very different project One Tail,
One Head was described differently by each spectator, so too does Vemod
provide a journey that listeners will just have to embark upon without
preconceptions. Nevertheless, we should all be able to agree that The
Deepening is an intensely magical and meaningful masterpiece that will
stand the test of time.