It’s been two years since the brilliantly self-deprecatingly titled “Anti Christian Douchebags” by Sweden’s Wan. This E.P is more of the same – dirty thrashy punky Black Metal. If you are a fan of the Japanese bands Sabbat and Abigail you will get your leatherette posing pouches in a twist for these chaps.
There are only 6 tracks on offer here but at 23 minutes long this feels like more of a mini album than an E.P. and is definitely enough to give a good taste of the hard baked blackened dirtiness the band have offered since 2009.
Opening with the title track Wan unleash a frosty guitar sound harking back to the second wave of classic BM. The vocals sit a little way back in the mix which I had expected and the production is just the right side of raw. The instruments are clear enough to enjoy but rugged enough to achieve the claw inducing underground groove. The vocals by Tsjud are raspy filth and I love em.
“Flatline Messiah” is a quicker thrashier affair bringing the aforementioned blackened thrash Japanese feel. Blistering pace and snarling anger with some nasty blasts. The end section is pure thrash chaos. Talking of chaos and darkness; is it even a Black Metal album if there is no mention of horned animals? “Fucked by the Goat” is next. I am sure this is not about the sex life of Pele (still the GOAT despite opinions about Ronaldo and Messi) but rather some horny Devil or other. Chuggy old school riffs which blend in Sacred Reich style thrash with early Bathory vibes and a hint of Onslaught. This track segues nicely into the slower, more eerie swagger of “Marevals” which has a guitar line that could sit nicely in a Stone Temple Pilots track if it wasn’t backed by such evilness. Draegg on the drums gets to shine brightly here with his Tupperware snare standing out alongside some crystal clear cymbals. Skoll and Isemgrim lock it all together on bass and guitars respectively, as they do throughout this dirty half a dozen.
“Sa Som I Livet , Sa Ock I Graven” As in life so too in the grave” is another track with swagger as well as orange squeezing crisp and coldness.
“Valr” brings up the rear in a nasty fashion. Spiky riffs and big drum beats lead into some chanted gang vocals to ramp up the atmosphere bringing to close another Wan collection of bullet-belted brutality.
It’s great!
(8.5/10 Matt Mason)
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