Back in May (which already feels like a lifetime ago), Gothenburg Sweden’s SLAN dropped their debut LP Ägd on Not Enough Records. Foolishly, I added it to my “to listen to” pile and let it slip through the cracks, letting four long months pass before sitting down and giving it my undivided attention. Before the opening track finished I knew I’d fucked up: I instantly felt regret for not blasting this thing when it first dropped. After that first listen, I returned for seconds and then thirds, and after digesting the 16 brutal tracks of frantic raw punk featured on Ägd, I feel confident saying this is without a doubt one of the wildest records I’ve heard this year.
First and foremost, I’ve got to give credit to vocalist Vevberg’s unhinged, borderline maniacal delivery. After hearing their 7” earlier this year I had an idea of what I was in for but I can’t stress this enough, the vocals are truly unique and make SLAN stand out. On opening track “Stanken av döda kroppar,” things start off with a cool, almost rock’n’roll stomp before all hell breaks loose, with Vevberg at the forefront sounding absolutely rabid.
Beyond the vocals, everything on Ägd sounds DENSE, with the drums mixed way up front and the guitars and bass meshing together, creating a heavy wall of noise. Cutting through that wall of noise are more than a few catchy bits that caught me off guard, like the opening of “In Absentia” and the closing of “Fulkultur.” Both songs see SLAN showcase a bit of swagger, similar to the stomp of the aforementioned opening track.
One of the best moments of the album comes during the song “Ignorerad, förlöjligad och hånad.” After about a minute of relentlessly intense mangel, everything drops out except a lone guitar now drenched in a phaser effect before the rest of the band comes blasting back, including a ripping guitar solo that could melt your face clean off of your skull. In other words, this shit rocks.
After repeated listens, I can’t recommend this one enough, and I’m kicking myself for not checking it out sooner. If you’re into TOTALITÄR, MOB 47, and KRIGSHOT, pick this up immediately. Don’t be like me and sleep on it for four more months, you will regret it!
