Sarpedon
Anomic Nation Label : Inverse Records
Released December 5th
What can I say about Sarpedon , they are from Norway and they are brilliant!!! mixing it all up with influences as wide and diverse as Savatage, Emperor, and Queen, to name but a few "Anomic Nation" is the bands debut, this is a project thats taken seven years , it is guitarist Torgeir P. Krokfjord’s project which has finally come to fruition, all the members have been pursuing other projects, I can report you are going to be pleasantly surprised as this album weaves its magic into your consciousness.
Now for me personally , am a huge fan of anything Scandinavian be it Sister Sin, Satyricon, Susperia, Finntroll the list goes on and on !! "Anomic Nation" to me is theatrical,heavy and grows on you, but it took me a while to fully appreciate it if am honest, but once it gets a hold of you it stays in your life and sticks in your head !!
The title track opens the album ,and kind of makes you want to beat your chest and stand proud , I love the way the vocalist Eirik P. Krokfjord (Torgeirs Brother)tells the story while the guitars shred in the background, its heroic and needs to listened to in a room set full of candles, a roaring fire, and a bottle of mead, the lyrics are simply excellent! This band have been heralded as one of Norway's most exciting exports , and from this opener you can see why!
I love the Viking esque choruses it makes you shiver and smile as you listen to the lyrical content! What you notice is the fact every song is over five minutes long (bar one)all wrap around you like an Iron Maiden (not the band ..google it kids!) Ferocious drumming emanates as Carl Engstrøm pounds and batters his kit, the arrangements are expansive and neck breaking hard, as "The Lusk Letter" drives rusted coffin nails into your body with some skin shredding guitar solos.
"Dead Birds" reminds me of a flock of buzzards flying down, pecking and eating your soul, it swirls and cuts into the room a melodic and vast soundscapes wash into you. "A Seed of Evil" is a slower tune with Andreas Wærholm on keyboards giving the song a ethereal doom laden effect.
"The Carnival" takes you on a joyride of emotions with chugging guitars and Metal majesty you are taken into a cavalcade of deep grooves.
The Mysteries part one and two end an album of superb quality,both tracks are haunting, poignant, and evocative and reach out into the dark and cold night, the essence and memory of this album will stick with you its to be played and played and I wonder what these guys will be like live !
Review: Seb Di Gatto Score 8/10 Sarpedon Interview
Tracklisting
1.Anomic Nation
2.The Lusk Letter
3.The Claustrophober
4.Dead Birds
5.A Seed of Evil
6.The Carnival
7.The Mysteries Unwind Part One
8.The Mysteries Unwind Part Two
