Hailing from Barcelona, Vrademargk have not had an easy ride. Despite forming in 2003, the band have hardly been prolific, releasing just three full-length works between 2006 and 2013, before disappearing off the grid for eight long years. Yet, despite the line-up changes and setbacks that are a part of every independent band’s existence, Vrademargk have returned, their flame undimmed, with an impressive effort in Arrelats. Offering just seven tracks, and spread across thirty-five minutes, the band have focused on quality over quantity and that sense of clarity has paid off. Indeed, with a strong mixing job from Eloi Boucherie, and a typically pristine master at the hands of Jaime Gomez Allerano (Paradise Lost, Ulver, Mayhem), Arrelats is a powerful piece of work and a credit to the band’s determination.
The album opens in slow-burning style with Lividesa, the band drawing the listener into their sonic web as they weave each new element into the mix. It segues directly into the livid title track, all hyper-speed riffing and skull-crushing percussion. Sung entirely in the band’s native Catalan (as is the whole album) Arrelats is old school death metal with a melodic twist and, although the bass is a touch muddy in places, the overall result is an impressive introduction to the band’s oeuvre. The guitar work, too, is first rate, with Rafael Ruiz showing himself equally adept at fluid leads and serrated riffing, but the star of the show is Manuel Rodriguez, whose percussive assault is deeply impressive throughout. Estigmes Sobre Cendres follows with little fanfare, the band adopting a grandiose tone despite the absence of keyboards, and there are some seriously heavy riffs to be found here, drivig the listener deeper into the band’s windswept world.
With crunchy riffs and dizzying percussion, L’ale Dels Indomits is a relentless blast of old school death metal, and the Catalan vocals of Jordi Urbano sound more forbidding than ever as the band thrash and burn around him. It’s a fair summation of the band’s unyielding approach, recalling a rawer, darker Cradle of Filth in places. Eerie backward tones lead into L’art De Morir, a journey into a heart of darkness that suddenly explodes into martial beats and deathly horror. An intelligent epic, L’art De Morir is arguably the album highlight and it showcases an ambitious band exploring the various facets of their genre. Even the ferocious Egocidi, a breathless assault that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been pummelled in a mosh pit for the duration, offers up subtle flourishes, and while these hardly detract from the violence of the band’s performance, they do serve to make the track a good deal more memorable. It leaves the imperious finale of Eudaimonia to see the album out on a high. Slow-paced, and all the weightier for it, it also provides a showcase for German Padierna’s sublime bass work, which adds depth to the composition, even as Jordi Urbano unleashes a vocal of tremendous power. It all serves to bring the album to an immensely satisfying conclusion.
Vrademargk may not have had an easy time, but there is strength to be found in adversity and Arrelats is a resounding success that will surely see the band find their way to a label (at least if there is any justice). With a powerful production that only occasionally dips in quality, the band’s real strength is their song writing, which shows real depth and imagination. Highly recommended, Arrelats shows the quality that can be found in the underground. 8.5
