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Blog Categories Review Sargassus – The Albatross - Reviewed by Zware Metalen!

Sargassus – The Albatross - Reviewed by Zware Metalen! Monday March 14 2022, 5:51 PM

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Sargassus – The Albatross - Reviewed by Zware Metalen ! Check it out here at this link: https://zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/sargassus-the-albatross

Sargassus is a Finnish post-black and prog band that recently sent his new EP to our editors. I decided to give it the chance it undoubtedly deserves. However, Black metal and I have quite a complicated relationship. You can safely call it a flashing light relationship. Postblack and atmospheric black, however, are more pleasant to deal with. This Sargassus fits perfectly in that street. At least, that's what I thought.

It is an extremely short EP that was sent our way from the far north. Barely three songs for fifteen minutes of music. After that, you just have to find something else to listen to. Well, let's move on. Opening track Stepping Out Of Time makes up for a lot. There is indeed a splash of black metal to this music, but it is not very thick now. Especially if you compare this with what is played at the bakery in Finland. Special people though, those Finns. Canine Passage, by the way, goes the exact same way as its predecessor. Evil Finnish music. Strangely enough, it is the progressive part of the song that does not bother me. For some reason, a somewhat higher chorus suddenly resounds. This one fits as well with the rest of the song as a guinea pig between a single bunch of bananas. It can happen, but no one is waiting for it.

We close with title track The Albatross, a bird they never get to see in Finland. Postblack they dare to call this. I hear exactly a gang of irish people singing at a café. I feel a bit fooled here. Very little postblack, very little real prog. It is a kind of melodic cross between all kinds of genres, but the band itself does not seem to be able to make any decisions about which direction one would definitely drive in. The result now is that nothing is really excelled at it.
Unfortunately, this EP did not convince me of its charms. We therefore decided to just remain friends. This EP wasn't the best record I heard today. It wasn't even the best record I listened to in the last half hour. I feel like a recruiter who has to reject an applicant. Apart from the good qualities I noticed on this album, we decided to choose a different album. Too bad, but we wish you every success further in life. Hey, this was just an EP. Maybe this band's full-fledged album will be more memorable. Because – and I really mean this – the applicant... uh I mean EP really does have certain good qualities though. It can certainly become something. Maybe this tip: a little more variety in terms of guitar riffs and just leave that drunken background vocal for what it is. - Zware Metalen

Release Date: January 18, 2022

FFO: Gojira, Mastodon, Enslaved

Location: Finland

Sargassus was formed in 2012 by guitarist Teemu Leskinen and drummer Matias Rokio. Much of their time playing and practising together culminated in the band's debut EP "The Giant", which was finalized when Matias Stenman joined the band on vocals in late 2020. Soon after that, Mohammad "Aelian" Hallaji joined the band as their new bass player. Hallaji had moved to Finland from Iran to pursue his musical passion, and with the now completed lineup the band set out to compose and record new material. The single "Tiamat" was released in 2021, followed by a lyric video. Later in 2021, the band got to finally play their debut gig, at which they teased a new EP consisting of 3 songs. The EP, titled "The Albatross", was released in early 2022, featuring better production quality than ever before, as well as more ambitious compositions and a darker and gloomier atmosphere. Interestingly, most of the songs are composed intuitively in live jamming sessions by Rokio and Leskinen. Stenman is the crazy mastermind responsible for the poetic aspect of the songs and Hallaji brings his years of experience to wake up the low frequencies like no one else!

Check out this video!