“Maximum speed. Minimum fuss”. And a lot of blackened death if I remember their previous work rightly. Vahrzaw is a band with a 30-year pedigree so has had plenty of time to fine-tune its soundscapes.

The title of this album makes me think of something by Emperor or Dimmu Borgir, and the all-out black metal fury reinforces that view. “The Amber Glow of the Gaslight” hits the spot with its heavy and stifling utterance. Barring a dark symphonic break, it’s an all-embracing assault of darkness, authority and representations of chaos and violence. The turbulent storm continues with the title song. In the ferocious winds that it whips up, we are taken to the underworld. Stylistically it has an old school black metal resonance and structure about it, recalling in my mind such bands as Gehenna and Gorgoroth. It’s all relentless and ugly but as I recall from listening to this band previously, progress is controlled and structured by skilful musicians, who know how to twist us and turn us and eke out every ounce of filthy atmosphere.

“Pale Lechery” is pompous and contemptuous in its cascading riff. After being hissed at for three minutes, a delicate Middle Eastern guitar rhythm strikes up – a nice touch to throw us off our guard – before we are subjected to further aural assault and extremity. “At the Mercy of the Shrike” is like a whirlwind of everything black with stripped down guitar work. This is like going back to the good old days of early, in-your-face black metal hostility. “Six Verses” meanwhile takes down a spooky alley of great danger and threat. Furious is the assault. A little Hispanic guitar outro perversely takes us the conclusion. “To Breathe in Leviathan” doesn’t come breathing down our neck, well not for 20 seconds when the enveloping wall of sound, the roars and unabated fire and menace are once more upon us. It’s not a smooth ride but the murderous intent is never in doubt.

“In the Shallows of a Starlit Lake” is cleverly constructed and succeeds in conjuring up evil and darkness in equal measure. Old school and always direct in its approach, its mix of sounds and overlap of passages add to the rancid and discomforting atmosphere. Yet Varhzaw have created something which sweeps us along its path, changes the scene and keeps us engaged with unremitting blasts of dirty air.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://www.facebook.com/VAHRZAW

https://bitterlossrecords-au.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-shallows-of-a-starlit-lake