STRIBORG – SOUTHWEST PASSAGE ( Review by Varg The Mighty )

Today’s review is of Australian former Black Metal band Striborg’s album “Southwest Passage”, celebrating its recent rerelease.

This release follows the same drowning and atmospheric approach as the other releases of this era of the band, and while it may not incorporate as many ambient elements that hinted at Striborg’s future as other full-lengths like “Ghostwoodlands”, the aura of this one is just as oppressive.

The songs have a certain sense of melody imbued with a certain elegance that scorn the listener from beyond a mist of raw distortion, granting feelings of wretchedness to whoever notices them. The approach of this album also gives it an otherworldly and ghostly feeling that is well implemented into Raw Black Metal while also differencing mid-era Striborg from other acts. Although these songs have more common lengths, they are similarly cathartic to the rest of the era’s tracks. My personal highlights are the title track and “Human Extinction”.

I recommend this album to fans of Raw Black Metal and Atmospheric Black Metal. My rating is of 8,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY