Vörgus, what kind of name is that?! Well, let's say it's funnier than "Natas". Yeah, it is "sug röv" inverted, and that means "suck ass" in Swedish. Vörgus have unleashed four demos in the 21st century and French label Infernö Records, who specialize in real and old school metal, released the band's debut full length album in July 2009.

This is labelled under "dirty thrash metal" style, but that statement is only partly valid. NWOBHM is a big part of Vörgus' sound as well, especially the darker side of it, such as Venom. Sometimes Impaled Nazarene's punkier ways are lucidly shining from Vörgus, too. Basically, it's all heard before, and how many fucking times I may ask, but still Vörgus manage to inject some life in it all. At first, the songs might feel simpler than they actually are, as there's some surprises buried in them, and the trio's performance is good, except for the vocals which are barking growl with only a bit of variety, so they become boring fast. Some riffs are like leeches, some forgettable, but all pretty much familiar. Vörgus' central points are the riffs and the rhythms and slight variations of them. The flow of the music is good.

The Mike Wead (he of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond) production is meaty and also clear, and all-around well balanced. Nothing dirty here for sure. The bass drum sounds of bass drum! The trio's good performance was mentioned earlier, but also their energetic outlet must be stated. The lyrical content can be guessed by reading the song titles. The cover artwork ain't too inviting and hey, ditch that logo guys...

As mentioned, the music is nothing new, but then again it wasn't meant to be so. These guys do what they love, and while this might be around the 666th album from Sweden alone where these same styles meet, give Vörgus a spin if e.g. Bewitched and Devil Lee Rot make your body move some way.

Rating: 6 (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
11/17/2009 22:47