Vesen 

Desperate Mindless Aggression

Art Music 2009

One of the less heralded of Norway's stellar modern thrash purveyors is Vesen.  And they are definitely underrated in my ears.  After far too many delays their latest album if thrashing mayhem has reached my ears.  S.A.D.O. opens proceedings with a morbid note and regressing towards more primitive and decidedly uglier roots.  With nods towards fellow countrymen Aura Noir but with a more dissonant sound and a creepier main riff S.A.D.O.  hacks its way through the soft flesh of untainted virgins.  Revving up the aggression and speed, Funeral Stench reeks of rotting South American style thrash.  Salvation/Death is a violent episode with gang vocals and some Kreator-ish riffing and throbbing bass lines.  As its complete opposite, Commander slowly creeps in on wings of acoustic guitar and a martial drum beat like a deathly fog before it explodes into sawing guitars and blasting drums.  The pace continues to ratchet up before collapsing into a chilled melody.  The respite is only temporary as the relentless double-bass drums surge once again.  On Death Darkness Lies, savage and raw blackened thrash tackles the listener with urban street-violence as riffs shatter bones while drums mercilessly slam skulls into unforgiving concrete.  As was the case with Ugly, Vesen display their skill at psychedelic pagan black metal, a la Enslaved.  The track in question is Doppleganger.  Dream-like melodies and tripped-out sonic landscapes arise as if from mythological spheres which brings to mind such haunting Enslaved tracks like As Fire Swept Clean the Earth, proving that Vesen can branch out into realms deeper and in some ways darker than with their normal style.  The production is thinner and sparser than on their previous efforts.  Thomas' vocals have a dehydrated quality about them with their dry rasp.  Desperate Mindless Aggression steps into subterranean lairs of decay and metallic intensity.  By becoming harsher and more primitive, Vesen have delivered an album that shreds flesh like a rusty saw.