Vigljos/Tome II - Ignis Sacer/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Vigljos  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Tome  II  -  Ignis  Sacwe"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions.

  Medieval  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  adds  in  a  depressive  touch  while  the  music  is  heavily  influenced  by  the  90's  second  wave  era.  Some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  adds  in  elements  of  black'n'roll  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

 

   Mellotron's  are  also  added  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  recording  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  phenomenon  of  ergotism.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vigljos  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Seed  Of  Aberration"  "Delusions  Of  Grandeur"  and  "Harvest".  8  out  of  10.

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Vigljos Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

We sing about bees and play heavy riffs. 

2.You have a new album coming out in May, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We went to our good friend Marc Obrist of Zeal & Ardor, who has his own little studio called “Hutch Sounds” in Oberwil, Switzerland. We were aiming for a rather organic, oldschool sound that would enable us to balance the warmth and softness of the synths and drums with the rather shrieking vocals and chilling riffs of the guitar. He was wonderful to work with and did an outstanding job with the sound design. Also the recording itself was very pleasurable, out in the nature in his little hut, with a nice garden, bees, birds and a lot of good food.    

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

Most of it is a romanced and stylised narrative about the life and death of bees. We see it more as an analogy towards certain phases, circumstances and structures that are part of our daily lives. The title “To die in a flowerbed” is a little nod towards the song “The Sad Saga of the Boy and the Bee” by a 60’s Prog Rock Band called “Gun”.

In addition, I see the vocals in more of an instrumental role. Therefore I focus on phonetics much more than on writing awe inspiring poems.

4.you refer to your music as being 'Obscure old school beehive black metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

Well it is just a very blatant description of our concept. We felt obliged to separate ourselves from all the “obscure oldschool wasphive black metal” acts out there. 

5.In the promo pics you also wear cloaks how does this fit in with the music you play and the lyrical content?

These are medieval beekeeper outfits. Their simplicity, mystique and uniqueness spoke to us. They embody our music perfectly and enable us to step back as individuals. 

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vígljós'?

Vígljós is Old Norse for the light, which is just bright enough to kill a man.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The Image is a drawing by Pieter Bruegel the Elder from the year 1568, depicting Beekeepers. His work perfectly complements our music, it is full of horror, craze, mystery and beauty. 

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Well we haven’t played that many to be fair. Three in total that is. But receiving the opportunity and trust to play Culthe Fest as an absolute no name band was an outstanding experience. 

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We’ll see where the journey goes. As all of us have very different lives, we need to figure out what’s possible and what we want as artists. 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We are already working on a follow up record that will be a consequential evolution to “Tome I: apidæ”. Generally we do what we like to and don’t really look to our right and left too much. We strongly believe there is still space for more cowbell and maybe some other quirky instrumentation as long as there’s still sick riffs accompanying them.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Musically you’d definitely have to quote 2nd wave Black Metal Acts like Darkthrone, Immortal, Emperor and so on. When it comes to things we listen to nowadays, that is hugely diverse. From Rap Music to all sorts of Metal, to Rock and Blues, Ambient, Pop and more. 

Some standout records we are individually listening to currently are: 

Comus - First Utterance

Exuma - II

Wishbone Ash - Argus

Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle

Wiegedood - There is always blood at the end of the road

Old Nick - Crisp Winter Dawn of my Nightmoon

Stromae - Multitude

Ungfell - Mythen, Mären, Pestilenz

Ali Farka Touré - Savane

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Stop gatekeeping music. We appreciate every effort to diversify the scene. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oauhDCcbS5Y

Vigljos/Tome I: Apidae/Dusktone/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Vigljos  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Tome  I :  Apidae"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Dusktone.

  Folk  instruments  and  beehive  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and r aw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  era.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  screams  also  add  in  some  depressive  and  melancholic  touches.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody,  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vigljos  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  depressive  and  old  school  sounding  mixing  the  90's  and  early  2000's  era  together.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  beehive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vigljos  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sweet  Stings"  and  "Raiding  The  Hive".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oauhDCcbS5Y