LLVME Fogeira de Sueños
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
As the popularity of pagan metal continues to grow, the overabundance of generic, copy-cat bands in the genre will inevitably grow as well. As with any en vogue style, it won’t be long before things become so watered down that fans will begin to forget why they liked the style in the first place. Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, someone will breathe new life into the scene and all will begin again. Now, whether or not pagan metal has yet hit this point of oversaturation could be debated, but one thing is for sure: Spain’s LLVME has managed to create a very cool pagan variation that may give us a glimpse into the future of the scene.
Though they do retain some of the key pagan metal elements—folk melodies, nontraditional instrumentation (for metal, at least), and epic songwriting—LLVME’s members have laced their album with copious amounts of doom, as well as a fair bit of symphonic orchestration. The result is sludgy, heavy, multilayered album (Fogeira de Sueños, as it is known) that will hopefully make its way throughout pagan channels and build a nice fan base.
Opening track “Llvme” is definitely folk influenced, but what is strange is the use of a march and bagpipes—not what most would consider very reminiscent of Spain. Nevertheless, it works to set the mood for the record before things kick off fully with “Llumeiru de Fueu.” This track showcases all of the band’s unique qualities—slow, doom-filled riffs wrapped with ethereal keys, low-end death grunts, black metal screams, and excellent use of pianos and strings. The song goes through many changes, a trend that continues throughout the album and serves to keep the listener’s attention.
“Vaqueirada” is perhaps the most unique track, opening with what is best described as a Native American-inspired chant, then becoming a slow symphonic piece. The band is not tied to any one style, yet do well in each that they do dabble. This song serves as a shining example of this declaration.
Overall, things tend to remain mid-paced to slow, though blasts beats do creep in on occasion, and closing track “Llume d’Augua” keeps the tempos fast. This song is by far the most black metal-influenced track, and closes the album powerfully. It ends with another batch of bagpipes, reminding the listener that LLVME is far from your every day pagan band.
Now, it should be pointed out that this isn’t a perfect album. The production is a tad thin at times, and there are a few instances when the drumming felt a bit inconsistent. But for a newer band attempting to break boundaries, these shortcomings feel nearly inconsequential. It seems unlikely that a follow-up album will be anything short of spectacular.
Genre: Doom/Pagan Metal
Band:
Oskark-Os (g)
Eric (g)
Nacho (b)
Lord Valius (d)
Track Listing:
1. Llvme
2. Llumeiru De Fueu
3. L’Allumamientu Del Fueu I
4. L’Allumamientu Del Fueu II
5. L’Allumamientu Del Fueu III
6. Vaqueirada
7. Orbayu De Llume
8. Llume D’Augua
Label: My Kingdom Music
Website: www.myspace.com/llvmedoom
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.3/10