Bismarck is back from the wintery wolds of coastal Norway after four long years, unleashing upon us Vourukasha, their latest ripper of an album. Packed full of fuzzy stoner-doom riffs that collide with cosmic structures of sound, it is a smorgasbord of sounds, influences, and experiments. Yet despite the brilliant song crafting, I find myself leaving the album wanting more structure and more climax from this awesome band, especially when listening to the album as a complete piece.
I was lucky enough to wrap my ears around Bismarck‘s debut album back in 2020. Oneiromancer has had consistent plays from my side for those four years too, largely due in part to its amazing opening tracks, but also because they presented a very good, modern take on experimental doom. Using Middle Eastern influences they branch out towards the sound of bands like Wyatt E, whilst also having more substance and gusto to their tracks. I was very happy to hear those same influences in Vourukasha, yet I feel it was delivered better this time around.
“Sky Father” is a ripsnorting opener to the album, taking you to one-hundred miles per hour in a matter of seconds. The energy persists through this awesome opening track, which features one of my favourite hook deliveries of recent metal. Sludgy roars of the title combined with beautiful doom that accentuates the call to the stars, it is a great track from start to finish and easily one of my favourites on the album.
From here, the band’s post-metal starts to shine. Every time I listen to the following track, I am reminded of ten or fifteen other bands, yet the sound is unmistakenly Bismarck‘s. The easiest comparison is Somali Yacht Club but I also taste extracts of fellow Norwegians SÂVER, with the bleakness overlapping effortlessly with the crushing heavy stuff. In this track, you can soak up the gorgeous production of the album, with each instrument perfectly balanced and spaced in the soundstage. Whilst I know a lot of bands have great sound nowadays, this album feels a cut above the rest on production quality.
“Kigal” is the big dip back into the world influences for Bismarck and it fits the cosmic journey feels they’ve worked on for the album. The concept of Vourukasha is about the cosmic river that life stems from, with many cultures and mythologies referencing it. The trippy, Tool / Sunnata proggy cult vibe to the song is fun and a nice break from the intense metal that raged beforehand. Yet I feel “Kigal” also unsettles the flow of the album a lot, despite being a brilliant track.
From here, I expected more of an escalation to the final furore, but it never really came. Whilst the title track and the closer are good tracks, there isn’t the feel of an escalating story, just more good tracks before it wraps up with a soft fade out. The end feels shorter and abrupt than Oneironmancer and certainly less grandiose than their peers in the space. As a single piece of music, I’m not as endeared to revisit, but as individual tracks to set a mood – Vourukasha has a great selection.
All that said, this is only their second full-length and lack of overall structure matters not when your album sounds this good, and your team is so adaptable to a myriad of sounds. Hopefully, we’ll see a shorter cycle to the next album this time, but nonetheless, I look forward to seeing what the lads from Bergen have up their sleeve next time.
