Svarti Loghin

Although Svarti Loghin may not be the first ensemble to try blending black metal and indie rock, with some country, it isn't exactly a populated area of music. The texture is very black metal: faded, wailing, tortured screams, under-produced drums and raw guitars. The latter of which is the focus ― with well-arranged layers and an apparent shoegazing influence, one can be more forgiving about the wishy-washy elements. The vocals are rarely a strong point, and although ostensibly harsh vocals dominate, there is also clean singing, which feels out of place ― there's too much of a mainstream leaning to fit in comfortably. Musically, they also venture into more uplifting, major territory. It may not be a bad idea in theory, but in practice it often sinks into the realm of accessible cheese. Their darker scores are great, however. Although an odd, somewhat inconsistent record, it must have an audience out there somewhere.