Album Review – Vorga / Radiant Gloom EP (2019)

Combining modern Melodic Black Metal aesthetics with atmospheric and cosmic influences, this up-and-coming multinational horde is ready to bring us all chaos and devastation with their debut EP.

Formed by multi-instrumentalist Atlas back in 2016 in Scotland but currently located in the city of Karlsruhe, Germany, the multinational Black Metal unity known as Vorga aims at creating emotionally resonant music that could capture the spirit of dissonance, frustration and harm in the modern world, which is exactly what you’re going to feel while listening to their debut EP, entitled Radiant Gloom. With members from the UK, Bulgaria and Germany, Vorga’s intention has always been to create music that combined modern Melodic Black Metal aesthetics with atmospheric and cosmic influences, with a lyrical focus on looking at the world from an anti-anthropocentric stance.

Mixed and Mastered by Simon Jameson at Black Art Audio Studios, and featuring a dark and cryptic artwork by Bulgarian artist Georgi Georgiev (Moon Ring Design), Radiant Gloom is a powerful welcome card by this talented quartet comprised of Пешо Спейса on vocals, Volker on lead guitar, the band’s founder Atlas on rhythm guitar and bass, and Jervas on drums, leaving us eager for more of their music in the form of another EP or, even better, a full-length opus in a not-so-distant future. Hence, you better be prepared before hitting play and listening to Radiant Gloom, because although we’re talking about only four songs in the span of 22 minutes, it’s already more than enough to bring chaos and destruction to your twisted mind.

Jervas and his unstoppable beats ignite a feast of darkened sounds named The Black Age, before Пешо begins roaring like a demonic entity while Volker and Atlas sound infernal with their axes. Put differently, it’s fast, furious and heavy just the way we like it, blending the most powerful elements from old school Black Metal and contemporary Melodic Black Metal. Argil is another rhythmic and obscure creation by the quartet, showcasing rumbling bass lines, razor-edged guitars and a demonic aura, with Пешо’s growls getting more piercing and devilish as the music progresses, not to mention how bestial but at the same time precise Jervas is once again on drums, resulting in a top-notch Melodic Black Metal extravaganza for your metallic heart.

Divine brings forward a tornado of obscurity led by the crushing riffs by Atlas and Volker, sounding absolutely perfect for going mental inside the circle pit or banging your head nonstop. Furthermore, get ready to be consumed by the flames of hell in almost seven minutes of classic Black Metal, courtesy of this sulfurous entity that goes by the name of Vorga. Then sounding utterly menacing and mesmerizing from the very first second, Hunger showcases a neck-breaking rhythm boosted by Jervas’ pounding beats, while Пешо uses his hellish gnarls to vociferate the song’s austere words manically before the music fades into darkness, putting a beyond somber ending to the EP.

Enter the realm of Melodic Black Metal ruled by Vorga by listening to Radiant Gloom in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following this promising new name of the underground scene on Facebook, and by purchasing a copy of the EP from their own BandCamp page, as well as from iTunes or Amazon. In a music genre that several people consider as already saturated, it’s always a pleasure seeing the birth of excellent bands like Vorga, shutting those unbelievers up with huge dosages of talent, hard work and loyalty to the foundations of Black Metal, with Radiant Gloom representing just their first of many steps in the right direction, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: The Black Age and Divine.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Independent

Track listing
1. The Black Age 5:01
2. Argil 5:02
3. Divine 6:48
4. Hunger 5:17

Band members
Пешо Спейса – vocals
Volker – lead guitar
Atlas – rhythm guitars, bass
Jervas – drums