The Stephen King of Dutch black metal is back, Walg released their fourth album, and we opened that ‘book’ and dove right in.
Band: Walg
Album: IV
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: The Netherlands
Released: 24th of April 2024
Introduction
Walg, the Dutch black metal duo, is back with a new album. These guys are the Stephen King of Dutch Black Metal. And why that’s the case? Because they have released an album every year since 2021 and all of them have been good, some better than others, but overall all good. And that’s the same (for me at least) as with Stephen King; many books, some better than others, but not a single bad one ever released.
So it’s the year 2024 and as a Swiss clock work the gents are back with a new album. The first three albums are titled I, II, III, so it’s not difficult to guess the name of the new album. It’s of course IV. The duo it hasn’t changed and also for this album Robert K, and Yorick K have worked their magic, so let’s see what this new album brings us.
IV
So, a new album, and what does it bring us this time? Well, it’s a continuation of the previous albums, it bares the same sound (profile) as their previous albums, so when you put this album on, and you sit down for a listen, you know what you are getting. Is that a bad thing? No, of course not because what they do, they do very well and the album is made with dedication and love.
For those that know the band and have listened to the previous albums, this section won’t be for you since you know what you will be getting. But for the readers that don’t know Walg and this is their first introduction to them, what can you expect? The album from start to finish oozes atmosphere, the use of clean vocals mix very well with the harsher vocals. But the use of effects also helps to elevate the album.
Tracklist:
- Radeloos
- Vuurdoop
- Wanneer het glas breekt
- Als een korrel zand
- Kringloop van zelfhaat
- Geen einde in zicht
- Ongezien
- Foltering
- Speel met mij
- Schijnsel van de ziel
Take the fourth song, Als een korrel zand (which translates to as a grain of sand). The intro of the song starts off with some folk(ish) tunes and then the harsh vocals kick in, which binds it together. Then the speed picks up, but you can still hear a hint of that folk undertone. The same goes also for the sixth track Geen einde in zicht (no end in sight) which is one of my favorite tracks on the album, it just has everything, great atmosphere, awesome vocals and pummeling drums. It’s just a great song all around.
Conclusion
As said as in the intro, Walg haven’t produced a bad album so far, some are better than the others. In the review of III, I said; It’s impressive nonetheless that Walg produced 3 of these albums in a short amount of time and still made it so that the new album is better than the last one. Is that line still going up? For me, it hasn’t since it’s more of a continuation of the third album. But overall, it’s a great album and I enjoyed it!
So for fans of atmospheric / melodic black metal, go give this album a try when it’s out. I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.
BMZ Rating: 8 out of 10
Support Walg here: https://walg.bandcamp.com/album/iv
Thoughts on IV by Walg?
Do you like it or hate it? You can share your opinion on our social media channels, or join us on discord, where we discuss all things black metal! Make sure to follow our Facebook page, Black Metal Zine, to receive notifications when we publish articles. Also check out our Instagram at @blackmetal.zine for concert pictures and more!
