Swampborn – Alleged Escape (2014)

Hailing from Russia, today we have two-man battalion Swampborn and their very promising debut EP “Alleged Escape”. Crafting over 25 minutes of very fresh sounding Black Metal with tons of melodic and experimental passages, the band manages to catch the attention of the listener from the first note to the last one. If you like less straightforward and more complex Black Metal, this is one release that you don’t want to miss out on.

Opening with the 10-minute epic “Augoeides”, the band sets a very mellow Post-Rock-ish vibe early on and suddenly transitions into more melodic BM territories. The music is quite well crafted and very engaging, allowing the killer riffs and tight drums to carry the track. We particularly enjoy when they go out of ‘script’ and deliver lush instrumental or melodic passages mid song.

The atmospheric opening of “Muscarum” leads to some heavy and intense BM sections that remind us of bands like Illnath, which tend to be quite melodic and aggressive. As this track progresses, Pathrone’s guitar shine perfectly providing both melodic support and incisive leads. Clocking in at nearly 14 minutes, this track is quite engaging and entertaining. Closing with the very mellow and atmospheric ‘hidden’ track, the album perfectly comes full circle and leaves you wanting more… a lot more.

As a whole, “Alleged Escape” is one hell of a release that showcases the band’s promise and skills. Having good and creative ideas is as equally important as executing them correctly and Swampborn has mastered both. If you are looking for melodic, atmospheric, and somewhat experimental Black Metal, this release will instantly catch you attention. We can only hope the band improves over time and delivers an equally impressive debut full-length in the future.

Label: HAARBN productions

Release: July 2014

Genre: Experimental/Melodic Black Metal

Country: Russia