Vetter - Av Sublim Natur

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Black Metal wasn’t born in Norway, but the format that MAYHEM (along with BATHORY) created laid the foundations for anything in the genre from the early years of the 90’s on. It’s the reason for many bands are in love with the past forms of working with the genre, and it’s not a sin to do such thing. The problem is when the bands aren’t trying to make things on their own way, but try to make what was done countless time before. And besides the Norwegian one man band VETTER still has to evolve, “Av Sublin Natur” shows that it is on the right path.

The band’s music is highly influenced by BATHORY during its age between “Bathory” and “Blood Fire Death”, but with something that keeps the harsh and aggressive natural Norwegian Black Metal feeling, with many introspective morbid moments (in some parts MAYHEM’s influence can be detected, as in the beginning of “Skogene Baerer Vaare Arr”). The band has a good work, indeed, but some aspects of their musical identity needs some tiny corrections (not great ones), but it has talent, especially to keep the old musical spirit from those days alive. The problem resides mainly on the sonority. It could be done in many better ways, to make things understandable, because by now it seems extremely fuzzy. The listeners will understand what the band is about, but with efforts that aren’t needed (the drums are loud in a way that covers the guitars and bass guitar sometimes). Use such instrumental tunes in the future, but with a better mixing next time.

But musically, they have a lot of to offer, because “Av Sublim Natur” (good rhythmic changes), “Skogene Baerer Vaare Arr” (these slow tempos and funereal ambiences are excellent, and the guitars are creating fine arrangements, even with such ‘smoky’ sonority), “Tentakler” (a funereal song with some Folk/Pagan elements and clean vocals), “Morgensolens Rikm” (the classic Hardcore/Black Metal blend in a way similar to HELLHAMMER can be heard on the guitar riffs and on the simple rhythmic work of bass guitar and drums), and “Kraken” are permeated by excellent musical ideas, but a better sound quality and a better sharped arrangements would improve the band’s work a lot.

VETTER’s music is really very good, as “Av Sublim Natur” shows. But the band must correct the sonority and sharpen their songs in a better way in the future. Talent for that is clear that Håvard has (and it’s great).

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 6
Memorability: 6
Production: 5