Vaeok – Vaeok – EP Review

A diabolical duo whose members currently bolster the ranks of Sargesit, Kult ov Azazel, Nightbringer, Adaestuo and Demoncy (among others), VAEOK‘s self titled debut EP boldly embodies the sounds of howling bitter winds and the cacophony of ferocious battle in a manner which can only ever be attributable to the blackest of black fuckin’ metal.

These are skilled performers of metal’s most ferocious sub-genre too, capable of unleashing primal rage amidst a sea of grandeur and genuine unease. “Terricula Nox” is as unsettling an opener as you could ever wish for, featuring a slow-build intro filled with high tension and baroque aesthetics – as ornate as it is hostile – before exploding into life with the prerequisite croaks, blasts and tremolo picking associated with the terrain. It’s a hell of a track, emboldened by fury and a genuine desire to send the coldest of chills running down your spine. As is “Atrox”….but in a far more direct manner! Akin to standing in a blizzard with nothing but a pair of soiled Y-fronts to keep you company, the naked freeze and bewildering bluster of its attack is enough to blindside you completely and “Malaesthete” follows a similar, and no less icy, path.

At just 4 tracks, it’s notable that Vaeok is bookended by its braver, more experimental compostitions while the meat of this particular black metal sandwich is represented by more traditional fare. However, as a whole, this is an accomplished and highly effective debut EP which ends on the considerable high of “Souls Void”; a song which combines every facet of Vaeok‘s creepy and cacophonous wall-of-sound flawlessly.

Vaeok should be awarded for conjuring a chillingly efficient archaic atmosphere which adds to an already overwhelming aura of menace. The results are akin to donning your fiercest corpse-paint, wandering into the woods, digging up the rotting corpse of your enemy and embarking on a decaying waltz-like dance of the dead with the decomposing remains.  

Creepy? Unpredictable? You betcha! 8/10

Vaeok – Vaeok
W.T.C.Productions
Release: 7th January, 2020

Tracklist
1. Terricula Nox
2. Atrox
3. Malaesthete
4. Souls Void

Lineup
M.S. – voices, guitar, keys, elegies
VJS – drums, bass, keys, guitar