The Pitch: One of the finest new black metal bands to hit the scene in the classic sound returns with the anticipated sophomore follow-up to Varg and Björn.
What I Like: In terms of presence and production, these guys hit the nail on the head. The vocals, guitar tone, reverb levels, and general presentation are all from a band that was born in the wrong era. Had this come out in 1992, Murg might be one of the most envied BM bands of all time.
What I Don't Like: Something about the choice of riffs this time around doesn't quite capture my fancy as much as they did on the previous album. There was a certain catchiness and folksy charm that kept me engaged. It still shows up on tracks like "Djupt ner, där frosten inte biter" (which sounds like a successor to my favorite Murg track, "Massvandring & blodbad"). but I dare say a few of these are actually a little dull. It's dissapointing, but not so much that I am ready to jump ship from my personal fandom.
The Verdict: Gudatall feels like a slight step backwards from Varg and Björn. While the band still shows mastery over their recording style, the compositions fall short. In the future I'd like to hear more developments like on latter "Mästarens resa i mörkret." Even bands with a retro sound need to progress on some level. So give it a listen, grab the debut, and be sure to hit that "follow" button; this isn't the last we'll see of Murg.
Flight's Fav's: "Vargens ständiga vakan," "Mästarens resa i mörkret," "Djupt ner, där frosten inte biter"
