Vorkuta / Woods of Desolation

This isn’t the latest recording by Vorkuta or WOD for that matter, but I have not talked about this in Procession yet and it is a little piece of both bands’ history, so here goes.

Vorkuta are up first with a re-release of their first demo from 2002, which came under the name of Fjord. I remember Blizzard saying they do not particularly get into some of the more norse-BM inspired local acts, so it’s logical that they would change their name to something else. (Why it changed to Vorkuta is another matter). Anyway conjecture aside – Vorkuta’s side consists of 3 tracks from the first demo and a bonus cut from a split in 2004. Immediately I can see that the band had their vision even 7 years ago – their peculiar odd phrasing sound and crackling roast guitar distortion with demented vocals blurred slightly with EQ. The drums are electronic and are actually quite interesting – the samples used are distorted and thick, something you’d hear in gabber rather than Black Metal. The production is fairly murky with lots of digital noise over the top, but in the end fairly decent. The bonus track has a markedly different production, with the digital noise pushed back into the mix revealing the guitar unmelodies a little more. There is some creative use of groaned male vocals here reminiscent of old Brazilian shit, maybe…Vorkuta always had this pleasant rock n roll streak about them and they definitely had it way back then too. The music is dark and dynamic with beastly vocals screaming into the digital darkness. This is not the best of the band’s work, but very nice to listen to bearing in mind what they will come up with just a few years onwards. Some of that horror-avant-garde weirdness comes through on here as well which will please Vorkuta fans. Check out the solo at the end of “Raped in the Labs of Soul” for instance.

Woods of Desolation deliver what I believe to be the second or third recording since conception in late 2005. There are 3 tracks and an outro. The style is the familiar melancholy black metal with a warm production accentuating the fuzzy layered guitar sound and very nice clear bass. Whilst I was not particularly a fan of P. Knight’s vocals on the first demo his performance here is much more interesting with some subdued clean chants and perverted groans. The final track “Blood of Honour” is vocalized by Old of Wardaemonic fame, whose ghostly style one will recognize here also. It’s probably the standout track with ringing guitar tones and dynamic drum shuffles reminiscent of mid-era Graveland propelling it forward towards the veiled horizon. This project has that certain sad, misty atmosphere about it that's so well-represented here.

Originally published in Procession of Black Doom zine #4