Review: Frogskin ‘III – Into Disgust’
A space entirely devoid of matter. In other words, a vacuum. Sound waves have nothing to travel through in a vacuum making the universe deafeningly silent. If sound was possible in space, I believe Frogskin have captured what it would be like. More on that later.
Finland’s Frogskin have been active since 2004. It’s hard to believe that’s almost 20 years ago… The band have released quite a few EPs and split albums over the years, but a long-awaited full-length has finally arrived. Appropriately titled III – Into Disgust, it was released on January 19th by Violence In The Veins and the five-song forty-plus minute album is crushingly heavy.
We have the first real picture of a black hole and today I believe I heard the first sounds. Mistress Divine starts off with a distortion so heavy, it sounds as if all matter is being destroyed. The song carries on at a snail’s pace that somehow becomes more intense as thundering drums, booming bass and harsh vocals are layered in.
a distortion so heavy, it sounds as if all matter is being destroyed…
Of Vermin And Man continue the pace with riffs at crawling speed. A monstrous tone fills every particle of air. A shockwave blasts out as the drums and bass join in unison to accompany the trance inducing riffs reminiscent of Sunn O))). The song fades to feedback which is picked up in Serpent Path. The wall of sound is broken up with echoing spoken word. Occasionally, intense vocals split the air with a howl of rage.
B.B.N.T.B.N. is the next track and I assume shortened this way because by the time you finish saying the full title, the song would be over. This short interlude is two and a half minutes long but it’s epic the entire time. Its unique tone has a wavering vibe, which I’m assuming is a tremolo effect, and it gives the feel of being in a cavern. Loud and forceful from the start but ends abruptly in silence and the true sounds of space is heard.
The silence before The Pyre reminds me of a heart between beats. Closing the album out with eleven-plus minutes of sludge and doom, or ultra doom as the band calls it, perfectly encompasses what this album holds. Slow, heavy and engaging keeping the listener entertained throughout. Tempos change from slow to slower while piercing screams rip through the mix. A beautiful guitar lead is played under a high register drone and almost sounds like a piano in the distance. There are many nuances to pay attention to throughout the track and as the song closes, I’m getting ready to immediately start the album over again.
My friend Jon from Gangrened introduced me to Frogskin and I’m grateful he did. III – Into Disgust is fantastic from start to finish and, as I write this, it’s only January but I need to start noting down my Top Ten albums for 2023 and this is first on my list.
Label: Violence In The Veins
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Josh Schneider
