(written by Islander)
Shtrigë is a collaboration between two experienced practitioners of the black (metal) arts — Swiss musician Solaris Lupus (the sole mind behind Aspaarn and vocalist of Lord Valtgryftåke) and the Italian musician Sanguis Antiquus (based in Finland), whose many other bands include Clactonian and Thecodontion. In their Shtrigë endeavor the former performs all the instruments and the latter is responsible for vocals, lyrics, and songwriting.
As they have explained, this project “takes its name from the Shtrigë, a vampiric witch of Albanian mythology said to suck the blood of infants during the night and to transform themselves into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly, or bee).” In line with that choice, Shtrigë draws inspiration “from the dark legends and folkloric traditions of the Western Balkans”.
The duo released their debut demo Of Blood and Night in February of this year, and on July 24th Prehistoric Sounds will release their second one, Wounds of Eternal Hunger, and we’re premiering it today.
Shtrigë have provided this statement about the new demo:
Like its predecessor, Wounds of Eternal Hunger draws inspiration from the dark folklore of the Western Balkans. Compared to Of Blood and Night, this demo embraces a rawer and more pagan atmosphere, evoking remote Balkan villages haunted by arcane vampirism and ancient curses.
Musically, the foundations remain rooted in the obscure spirit of Légions Noires and Moonblood, while incorporating a stronger influence from Finnish black metal in the riffing.
The demo includes four songs and begins with its title track, “Wounds of Eternal Hunger“, which quickly reveals Shtrigë’s immersion in raw black metal and moods of nocturnal fiendishness. The high-toned riffing scathes the ears in sounds drenched with acid and barbed with thorns. Those chords writhe, whine, and throb, channeling sensations of dismal disease and ravenous delirium.
As that happens, the drums alternately deliver folkish bounces and furious hammering, the bass pulsates with its own throbs, and the vocals spew scorching screams and horrid roars in ways that make it easy to imagine vampires as devouring beasts rather than tuxedoed counts.
But the song also morphs near the end, delivering sizzling, chilling, and wailing melodies that do seem to portray the agony of endless hunger.
The following songs “Funeral Fangs Dripping Red“, “The Curse of the Silent Monastery“, and “Whispers From the Black Mountain“, similarly create changing moods as the ruinous riffing evolves and as vibrantly trilling lead guitars emerge — moods of desolation and desire, of morbid nightside gloom, of endless unsaturated need and frenzied madness.
Serrated-edge screams and monstrous roars continue to enhance the nightmarish nature of these horrifying musical spectacles, and the drumming (presented in very “organic” recordings) continues to enhance the songs’ dynamism through frequent changes in tempo and style.
Shtrigë also continue to accent the songs with more fluidly flowing (and miserably squirming) melodies that are less maniacal and more steeped in pain and sorrow. It might be possible to interpret certain aspects of the music as manifesting the shattering fear and haunted dreams of the human prey of vampires or other terrors, but equally possible to understand all the sensations as within the tormented minds and undying souls of the creatures themselves.
Wounds of Eternal Hunger will be released on limited hand-dubbed cassettes and as a digital download. It’s available for pre-order now from Prehistoric Sounds, and on the release date it will also be available from Aspaarn’s Bandcamp.
PRE-ORDER:
https://prehistoricsounds.bandcamp.com/album/wounds-of-eternal-hunger
ON THE RELEASE DATE:
https://aspaarn.bandcamp.com/music