Vargaresa - The Beginning (Vargaresa - Manegarm)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Vargaresa - Manegarm
Date:	31/12/08 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Rare material made readily available.

Disadvantages: Primitive compared to contemporary studio releases.

As Sweden's Månegarm became increasingly successful in the extreme metal field, the amusingly named Displeased Records reissued the band's demo tapes as a collected vinyl and CD, as both a cheap cash-in and present for fans.

Unlike the majority of black metal demos, the sound quality here is actually pretty good, and certainly has nothing of the lo-fi bedroom/garage studio hiss about it. What it does have in common with the majority of demos is that the band's sound is comparatively amateur and primitive in these early stages, though it's interesting to see the change in direction between the first four tracks comprising 1996's 'Vargaresa' and the latter songs from 1997's 'Ur Nattvindar,' the second demo really introducing the folk elements that would later make Månegarm so distinctive.

This is, for the most part, simplistic but incessantly catchy black metal, but fans of the band's later, more melodic works may find the drum and vocal work surprisingly vicious. 'Nattens Jungfru' is the only song in the first half that expands beyond customary black metal to introduce folk elements, and this is expanded in most of the later songs, though without a great deal of ideas to go around, the songs do become repetitive. Not an essential Månegarm release by any means, but still an interesting treat for fans.

Summary: Collects 'Vargaresa' and 'Ur Nattvindar' (2004).