BAND NAME: Vårgrike / Vargrike
GENRE: Atmospheric Post-Black Metal with Folk Influences
STATUS: Active
LOCATION: International (Budapest, Hungary / California, USA)
It seems the band variously spells their band name with, and without, the Å.
Formed in 2020 as a solo project of Velsingard. Originally, Bál was only brought on to do guest/session work, but later became a full member. (See this interview.)
Lineup:
Bál - Vocals
Velsingard - Instruments
Links:
Bandcamp
Facebook
Spotify
iHeartRadio
Deezer
Apple Music
Pandora
Amazon
Unofficial links:
Unblack Metal Wallpapers
Discography:
Útkereső (album)
3 August, 2021, Independent, Bandcamp
10 September, 2021, Black Winter Productions, CD
19 November, 2021, Meuse Music Records, Bandcamp
14 February, 2022, Meuse Music, 12'' Vinyl, test pressing (5 copies)
18 November, 2022, Meuse Music, 12'' Vinyl (300 copies)
Guest appearances:
Tim Watson - Vocals (spoken word, track 4)
Papalla - Keyboards, Orchestrations
Andrei Oltean - Bagpipes, Accordion
Most of the lyrics were written by Bál, but part of track 4's lyrics were written by Velsingard.
On both vinyl versions, tracks 1-2 are on Side A, and tracks 3-4 are on Side B.
On Discogs, the vinyl versions are both noted as being remastered. However, there's nothing on Bandcamp about this. Are they remastered?
Also, some info about the test pressing:
- The first copy (1/5) comes with 1x12" black inner sleeves and a full black cardboard 350g/m² outer sleeve. The other four copies come with 1x12" white PL inner sleeve bag.
- Each copy is labelled and numbered with the 'Test Pressing' label sticker on A + a sticker on each side with this written: VARGRIKE - Utkereso - MMR012LP/(sideletter) TEST PRESSING (copy number)/5
1) Sugározz át Rajtam
9:03, lyrics:
So, I arrived to the never seen places
In the boat swam on the endless seas
On the shore like little stars
Beings are stretching to the Sun
Getting closer they're dancing solemn
The semicircle is turning into one column
Colored tones washing away the grey ones
My mind is just opening up
They're climbing into me and back
Threw my wide open navel
Slowly, I'm breaking apart
As they took my beating heart
Shine through me enormous God
Shine through me
2) Őrző Kezek Fölöttem
8:57, lyrics:
Pray for me, one more time
Pray for me, one more time
Whisper again the hallowed rhyme
Three more drops in the huge ocean
But nine more bottles of lifes potion
We won't be thirsty anymore
We won't suffer anymore
You will look after us from now
You will save us anyhow
You'll save us anyhow
Eternal, you'll shine on me
Living my life as it has to be
As you meant to be
Choose my destiny
As you gave me everything
You can take anything
I've learned and I'll know that forever
Your hands will be there, however
Your hands will be there, above me
I've learned and I'll know that forever
Your hands will be there, however
Your hands will be there, above me
3) Útkereső
8:07, lyrics:
Walking inside the poisoned, gloomy fog
Asking for a better way in this killing smoke
I can't see barely anything
Is this only the beginning?
Will I find you?
Will you find me too?
Prowling around here, next to your oak trees
At the end of my way, there are the golden keys
To the doors of the place, what we've never seen
So shiny, so pure, here, we've never been
I am searching for you,
Are you looking for me too?
Asking for a better way in this killing smoke
I am searching for you,
Are you looking for me too?
Asking for a better way in this killing smoke
Is this only the beginning?
I can't see barely anything
Is this only the beginning?
Turning upside down the gloomy hills
Can you hear this? This is how it feels
Flying above the blue skies
Looking down on the greatest heights
Finally, I've found you
And you found me too
4) Remény Újra
9:03, lyrics:
had no idea, what is this made of
The future that I was
always afraid of
I thought it's only a word
that existed
Which made most of your minds
bloody twisted
Is this the only thing that keeping most of us?
I had nobody who I could discuss
Alone in the dark, I was
Together with my demons, I was
But I found my desires and my goal
And I believe in you, my soul,
Hope…..Hope.
Solace, a place of no light,
Where the hollow lands giveth no more.
For we are to suffer in this place
of never ending night.
Let us go hence, somewhere far from this place,
And take with us nothing, of what little remains.
The day is overworn and the night is now at hand.
Let us rest our torn souls,
And return to our once forgotten land,
Where not one will know of the suffering,
Not one will care at last when it is done.
For it is true that nothing will come of this,
Not earth, nor land, nor water, nor tree
Will remember what once was,
Or what will never be.
A Vereségben (album, 16 December, 2022, Independent)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
1) Magamhoz
3:01, lyrics:
Elköszönni magamtól, vagy bemutatkozni magamnak?
Ismeretlen vagy, ismeretlen
Ön, azt sem tudom tegezzem e vagy magázzam.
Így hát feltehetem a kérdést, valóban fontos ez?
Fontos e itt egyáltalán bármi? Miért tesszük fel ezt a kérdést minden egyes nap?
A kérdésnek sincs jelentősége, a nappalnak vagy az éjszakának.
A nyárnak, az ősznek, a télnek vagy a tavasznak?
Semmi. Elvesztem, nem tudom hová menjek.
Most induljak vagy már rég el kellett volna?
Gyalog menjek vagy rohanjak?
Menekülnöm kellene, igaz?
Mondd meg kérlek! Ne hallgass! Utállak!
Nem vagy senkim és mégis te vagyok én és én vagyok te.
Az eső sem mossa le a bőrömet,
de a csontjaim közül szeretnélek kiirtani.
A koponyámba férkőztél és nem vagyok halott.
Nem áll be a szád, nyugtot nem hagysz, de most meg nem szólalsz. Beszélj!
2) Éjszakai Séta
12:41, lyrics:
On my path forward, I'm taking it step by step
Looking back for a second, an empty doorstep
Leaving home for tonight, perhaps for days
The rainy smell of the air makes me dazed
Turn around as I wish, as I wish
Leave me as I wish, as I wish
Where am I going, I don't really know
The black bird shows me the way, the crow
My soul fly just as the wings on the skies
But there is no one who looks into my eyes
Turn around as I wish, as I wish
Leave me as I wish, as I wish
I'm running away but I'm not escaping
All what I bloody do is landscaping
Discovered these fields a long time ago
And I'm placing the dead ones below
3) A Meztelen Valóság
7:30, lyrics:
I've been there when the ocean emanated
I was scared and I've been awaited
But the light break through darkness
You still talk about me with starkness
Enlightened by the flames
The burnt knowledge it claims
I found my way for finding the truth
But my time is gone, I lost my youth
Wisdom found a place in me
It grows out of my mind as a tree
Enlightened by the flames
The burnt knowledge it claims
4) Állóvíz
11:37, lyrics:
I'm done with everything, the freezing pain I feel everyday is overweighting me
They throwed me here and slowly in the dark,
I'm choking in this deep lake.
The poisonous water of agony and suffering goes deep down to my lungs
Evil thoughts chained themselves in my mind, they are speaking tongues
I can't find the way to escape this living hell inside of my miserable body
Please, someone help me
I crave this madness to eternally disembody
Let me go and die in peace
I want to find my grace
______________________________________
IncompletePage, UncertainInfo, SimilarTo
1) Anyone have pictures of the test pressing? 2) Are the Meuse Music versions remastered or not?
Miscellaneous stuff:
A bunch of promo material. Please note that even though one of the mockups shows a digipak, "Útkereső" has never been released on digipak, only jewel case.
Left: Color variant of the cover art that I found on Apple
Right: Another promo pic
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