Rongeur – Glacier Tongue

Band: Rongeur
Title: Glacier Tongue
Label: Fysisk Format
Release date: 05 November 2021
Country: Norway
Format Reviewed: High-quality digital format

If there’s one aspect of metal I love, it’s the imagination and sound producing inspiration that comes from exploration of music that you wouldn’t think would go together well. I can say that I was surprised with all that I heard on this album, a happy surprise. Rongeur brings you sludge, doom, stoner, post-rock, extreme (to name some of what I heard), mixed with some amazing sounds that are atmospheric and compelling. I guess what I’m trying to say the most about this album is the mix of music styles, and how it all combines and together and just WORKS!

Glacier Tongue is the band’s newest offering, and as I searched up and read more about the band, I discover one thing: Dag ole Huseby, Jon Dahl Tveter and Audun Gjelstad Jakobsen all sing as main vocals and play instruments. Gives the album more of the variation of voices and what that does for the recording. To me, it changes the flavor of the song with the vocals being different as well.

This is Rongeur’s second full-length album from “An Asphyxiating Embrace” in 2018 and I for one just can’t wait to jump in and tell you about them and their awesome album.

There are Nine tracks with the nineth being a bonus track.

First one, “Nixonian Echoes”, already jumping with the mix of varied speed drums, roared vocals, and guitars that seem haphazard in the expression. That to me just gives the track more differences. Second, “Winning Days”, gets started in a mix of sludge/stoner sound. Heart echoing drums that punctuate the vocals and push them forward. Very catchy melody in this, and I’m very pleased with the variance of sounds. Some blasting guitar beats come in and continue selling the track. No need to sell it, I’m already on the diving board about to jump into more of this album. This song is strong, melodies and instruments.

Third track ”Years of Withering”, atmospheric , key board wall of sound effect to begin, to meet up with simple acoustic guitar. Here I get a sense of the post-rock influence, with the smoothness of quality in guitar, drum and back ground sounds. Excellent combination of all that is going on in this track, vocals, instruments and the many tempo changes. Fourth track “Gutter Marathon”, wuh.. the guitars take over and drums are challenging to race to the speed. Short and powerful tune.

Fifth track, “Kurt’s Last Will”, more of the stoner sound, mixed with up tempo guitar. Vocals are getting a scratchy scream tone to them and I like very much. Sixth track, “Brace”, very enjoyable variations in this, then some clean, clear singing to add another element to this already solid song. This track is picking up more of epic fullness.

Seventh, ”Naileater”, damn, this one literally vibrates in guitars and the guttural scratch of a vocal. Heavier heard sludge, and this guitar in this, makes me think of bricks stacking up, in the sound of hard heavy weight being added and added. Layers of more immense powerful ear candy. One of my favorites of this album. Eighth track, “Underachiever” beginning in an intense stretched out guttural scream. Very much gets your attention right away, and the sludge influence of guitar and drums, literally oozing in slow motion epicness. Now towards the end, the tempo speeds up, to eventually slide back into the sludge.

Nineth track (bonus track ), “Harrower”. Beginning in a melancholic keyboard meeting up with heavier doom inspired guitar. Addicting guitar riffs and the lyrics are filled with a haunting bitterness (to me) “I will break this spell..” is a sample of the lyrics.

Personally, I don’t want to break this spell, that has been created in this album. You want explorations of styles, heavy guitars and vocals that keep you on the edge of what is coming next. You want excellent lyricism, and epic sound that completely enthralls you from first listening. Sludge and stoner are friends in this, along with other styles as I’ve mentioned above and all of it works together to addict you to Rongeur. I give an 8.5 out of 10 Metal Marie

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8.5/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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