Review: Vitskär Süden ‘Vitskär Süden’ [Reissue]
Vitskär Süden’s name makes me think this is another great Nordic band, but it’s actually the name of a band from Los Angeles, California. Their self-titled debut, which has been reissued by Ripple Music, is an immersive dive into their esoteric and heavy metal world, surrounded by atmospheric soundscapes that fuse progressive rock, doom metal, and psychedelia.
From the crushing opener War Machine Crimson to the eerie, slow-burning Dawn Of The Monolith, the band delivers a huge variety of influences with a unique mastery. It’s built on thick, stoner-metal riffs and pounding rhythms, yet there’s a melodic, cosmic quality running throughout that gives it a dreamlike, almost otherworldly feel.
The band strikes a strong balance between weight and atmosphere, creating sonic landscapes with tightly coiled intensity. The influence of bands like Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and King Crimson is clear, but Vitskär Süden blends those elements into something really original. There’s a bit of early Floyd’s cosmic sprawl, Sabbath’s brooding heaviness, and Crimson’s subtle dissonance, along with the hypnotic repetition of Swans and the slow-building drama of Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Songs like Painted Faces and Blue Alley Filth lean into doom metal and spacey riffing with a twist reminiscent of Sleep or Hawkwind, while Trickle Of The Snail takes on a more cinematic, storytelling approach with complex textures. The album’s heavier moments, especially in Heathens, have a strong rhythmic force reminiscent of Helmet, while Dark Passages and Ice & Haze bring out its more atmospheric, shadowy side.
The way Vitskär Süden lets these moments breathe adds a deeper immersion into its hazy, melancholic world…
There is also something of Neil Young’s Zuma era in those long solos and hypnotic two-chord fades that linger, creating something very original for a doom band. The way Vitskär Süden lets these moments breathe adds a deeper immersion into its hazy, melancholic world.
Though the album doesn’t explicitly reference Native American culture, its themes of isolation, ancient landscapes, and spiritual reverence create a mystical, almost mythic feel. It conjures images of a forgotten world lost to time – one filled with cosmic horror, decay and the overwhelming force of nature. The amazing album cover, featuring a kind of Cyclops Sioux spirit by Samuel Araya, provides the perfect initiation experience before listening to the record.
Now, for the first time, Vitskär Süden is getting a proper physical release, which feels long overdue. Originally released in 2020, the album benefits from a new mix and cleaner production that bring out its full potential. A record like this deserves a format that ensures it won’t just fade into digital obscurity – it’s meant to last, to be experienced in full, with the depth and weight it commands.
Vitskär Süden’s debut is a great record – very well done as an opera prima of a band that made a really interesting effort with lots of great influences that contribute to creating something new.
Label: Ripple Music
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Renzo
