This Swedish unit is yet another in a long line of projects from Nordvargr, but don't be fooled by the calm, ambient soundscapes that start off the disc in "Spoonfed Entrails", because no sooner do some sizzling distortion tones cut in than blasts of crunching, distorted loops and textures take over along with heavily treated vocal shouts... proving quickly that this is no dark ambient CD. "Ingen Skaal Skonas" pulls the same trick, but more drastically, starting out with almost ethereal sounds, and quickly decaying into a flat out harsh noise assault with far less atmosphere than was exhibited in the opening track. The vocals in "Din Mor" are even more twisted and indecipherable, and the composition is more open, using throbbing layers of low-end and sweeping treble that cuts into the foreground. The metallic thrashing and banging sounds in "F?r Syftet ?mnad" make things more interesting than just a mass of harsh noise, but at nearly eight minutes the piece is still on the dull side to be honest. "Svett och Blod" isn't as harsh as some of the other songs, but I love the manipulated sample, because it just adds a darker vibe to the flow, and those subtle textures can make a big difference. At almost 17 minutes, "Scars" certainly takes up a huge portion of the record, again blending very harsh tones (towards the latter half) with not too calm, not too over the top death ambient soundscapes (the first half). Not bad, but definitely dull in length, as there's not enough true movement to hold my interest for such a long period of time. The sparse melodies that fight their way forth towards the end are an excellent touch, however. By contrast, the final piece, "Ensam", is a mere 1.5 minutes, ending no sooner than it seems to begin, but working perfectly to close the disc. The sound quality is very nice. Everything is loud and clear, but there's a nice, warm density at all times, so nothing feels thin or crispy, but it's not muddy either. I like that. The CD comes in a sleek digipack with a great color scheme and interesting layers of imagery ranging from medical instruments and harsh landscapes, to strange images of human figures. I'm not sure what exactly is being represented, but the visual appeal is certainly there, as everything looks quite good. Based on what I've heard from Nordvargr's various other projects, I tend to go one way or the other. Some work I like, some work I don't. I can't say that "Seven Days of Pain" is something I would listen to on a regular basis by any means, as there are some weak inclusions, but it's certainly stronger than it is weak, so...
[Black Plagve]
Running time - 47:30, Tracks: 7
[Notable tracks: Spoonfed Entrails, Svett och Blod, Ensam]
Black Plagve - http://www.malignantrecords.com/blackplagve/
