Vorvaň album review – Once Love Was Lost

Rough-edged Russians Vorvaň set out their scintillating stall. Read our album review here...

Vorvaň album cover

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After an EP, a split and one quite brilliant Machine Head cover, Russian four-piece Vorvaň have a highly promising career ahead of them if this debut album is anything to go by.

The band meld the kind of Kurt Ballou-approved crust‘n’roll that Trap Them and Black Breath specialise in, but with a uniquely European twist.

Third Case Scenario blasts away for three and a half minutes before a huge, melodic hard rock riff steams in and turns the song into something radically different. Celestine, the jaw-dropping 10-minute-long centrepiece, changes rhythm ceaselessly while drawing you in slowly like Neurosis at their very best. Once Love Was Lost is also full of brilliantly catchy, straightforward rock pleasures. Much like Kvelertak on their debut, Vorvaň have shaken up what extreme music can be. They have the potential to be very special.

Stephen joined the Louder team as a co-host of the Metal Hammer Podcast in late 2011, eventually becoming a regular contributor to the magazine. He has since written hundreds of articles for Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Louder, specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal. He also presents the Trve. Cvlt. Pop! podcast with Gaz Jones and makes regular appearances on the Bangers And Most podcast.