The German Varg is back again. The band who, with the ‘Rotkäppchen’ EP, released an appetizer for a new full length album. From the entertaining and funny 2015 single, to ‘Das Ende Alle Lügen’ is quite a big step. From the jolly folk metal that these “Wolves”, as they call themselves, have released, we dive deep into a heavier and more aggressive kind of music with which Varg attempts to end all the lying in the world.

With a kick ass spoken word intro like ‘Die Groβe Diktator’ any fan of good music would get a tingling feeling down his spine, into his gut. A German version of Charlie Chaplin’s at the end of his film The Great Dictator. A speech about humanity, about freeing yourself from mechanical slavery and becoming human again. It fits the theme of ‘Das Ende Alle Lügen’ perfectly.

Charlie Chaplin’s speech is seen as one of the best in film history and, almost certainly, I could say this is one of the best intro’s I’ve ever come across. What follows is a nine track album, filled with bombast, with heavy riffs and fierce growls. Title track ‘Das Ende Alle Lügen’ immediately gets you on your toes with intense, head banging riffs and an impressive vocal delivery of vocalist Freki.

“Wolf Metal”, that’s what Varg makes. A combination of the classical Pagan metal and a more modern sound. That’s exactly what you find on this new album. The two most Pagan tracks are found later on the album and are oppressed by a couple of amazing tracks. ‘Revolution’, for example, which is one to scream along with everything you’ve got. But also the possible live anthem ‘Achtung’, a song that’s absolutely going to destroy complete concert halls when played live.

The first clean vocals are found on ‘Streyfzug’ and make a great break from the aggressive, somewhat uneasy, growls that were offered before. Classical guitars really complete the track in an unusual, but entertaining manner. A collaboration with female vocals on ‘Totentanz’ is another of these strange, but oh so brilliantly executed efforts. It really balances the growling sounds we otherwise hear.

Varg decided to record ‘Das Ende Alle Lügen’ in two different languages. The first is German, their native language, but they also recorded it a second time, in English. Every bit of lyric has been translated into English and it’s feels as if it were done with great care and precision. However, the album just sounds better with the band’s native speech. It’s clearly the way they wrote and recorded it at first, and that makes this second album slightly less interesting.

In the end, Varg has set the bar very high. There will have to be some great new albums to top it off, but with their Wolf Metal these Germans have done a great job this early in 2016. ‘Das Ende Alle Lügen’, or ‘The End Of All Lies’, as it’s called in English, is one of Varg’s best albums so far. There’s enough new material that will kick some sweet ass, live, as well as in your living room and on the road. ‘Achtung’, this is the wolfpack!

8,6

Released: The 15th of January, 2016
Record-label: Napalm Records
Website: www.varg.de
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VargOfficial

Tracklist:

Disc 1 (German):

1. Der Große Diktator
2. Das Ende Alle Lügen
3. Revolution
4. Streyfzug
5. Achtung
6. Dunkelheit
7. Totentanz
8. Einherjer
9. Wintersturm
10. Ascheregen

Disc 2 (English):

1. The Great Dictator
2. The End Of All Lies
3. Revolution
4. Streyfzug
5. Achtung
6. Darkness
7. Dance Of Death
8. Einherjer
9. Winterstorm
10. Rain Of Ash