Svolk  
                                                                                        Nights Under The Round Table  Napalm Records    

Self-proclaimed Norwegian “Bear Metal“ band Svolk have come up with a gem if you are into Doom laden riffs, with a hint of the metallic South, and lashings of stoner, sludge metal, heavily influenced by Danzig, Black Sabbath, Down, and Black Stone Cherry you will love this album!. 

 

'Nights under the Round Table' opens with 'Living by the Sword' a slow, groove laden opener to a stunning album.  'Feed Your Soul' pounds and batters your world it is instantly memorable and catchy as is the next song 'Painbringer', with chuggy guitars and down and dirty grooviness that will have you instantly hooked. 

 

'Twenty Four Twenty' weaves its magic and will have you singing along, this has crowd pleaser written all over it.  'Fallen', could easily come from Black Sabbaths 'Masters of Reality', it is excellent, the doomy, dark and sinister riffs permeate around the room as Knut Erik on vocals takes you on a roller coaster ride through the deepest recesses of darkness and hell. 

 

'Break My Bones' drags you through sludge ridden riffs, it is dark and dastardly, and has some kind of special hold over you.  'Bearserk' is an unusual track on here, it is Heavy Metal dragged kicking and screaming from the early Eighties, the tempo is upped and shakes your tree like an angry bear!   'To Conquer Death You Only Have To Die' is an excellent title for a song, it has amazing drums, doom laden, sludge riffic riffage and it penetrates your soul.

 

The vocals, the musicianship are out of this world and follows closely behind 'Fallen', as the albums most exceptional track without a doubt!

'This is where it Ends' like 'Bearserk' ups the pace and smacks of pure Heavy Metal with a leaning towards Sludge and doom thrown together, and is a kind of unique sound.  So if this is what Bear Metal sounds like long may it continue!  It’s hard to believe Svolk are Scandinavian as the sound is Southern tinged American metal written on the bayou.

 

I would grab hold of a copy of this album you won’t be disappointed! And definitely check out their previous albums 'Svolk Em All' and 'Svolk', I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.

 

Review by: Seb Di Gatto                                                                    

 

Tracklisting:

1. Living By The Sword
2. Feed Your Soul
3. Painbringer
4. Twenty Four Twenty
5. Fallen
6. Break My Bones
7. Bearserk
8. To Conquer Death You Only Have To Die
9. This Is Where It Ends