Spectrum of War

Saagar and Helvete are two new bands from Argentina who combined their power in this split album called “Spectrum of War”. Saagar were formed in 2011, they consist of one member and they have released one EP. Helvete consist of four members while they were formed the same year as Saagar and they have released one EP. The split album contains four tracks, two of each band, of twenty two minutes total duration. In the small sample we have in this album, although during the first listen it seems that the two bands are alike musically, it’s not quite so.

Saagar show us two tracks, one of which is an ambient atmospheric track with no interest. Their riffs have much variety, we come across a lot of Thrash influences, melancholic, Greek and Norwegian Black Metal combined all together in a very natural and interesting way. The guitars are harsh, quite distorted but played very well. The drums just do their job well whereas the bass is absent. What make the compositions more special are the awesome keyboards that their use is minimal and they appear in the appropriate parts. The vocals are heavy Black/Death vocals that reminded me much of the vocals of the old Greek scene. The production is dirty but it’s not annoying during the listen but it is quite flat so the sound sounds empty. The mix is moderate because the bass is absent and that affects the music.

On the other hand Helvete in the two compositions that they show, they play more straightforward Black Metal. The riffs are melancholic, atmospheric and rhythmic while in many parts there also are the fast chaotic riffs. Both here, the guitars are quite harsh and distorted but played well. The drums and the bass fill the sound nicely but nothing more. The vocals are harsh, Norwegian Black Metal vocals, while in other parts they become heavy Black/Death. The production is dirty and bassy, almost like the sound hasn’t been touched at all in the studio or like it is a recorded rehearsal. The lyrics of both bands are written in English but they are not contained in the promo so I don’t know what they are about.

Generally, although the album has a lot of good elements by both bands (especially by Saagar), the sample is very small in order to draw conclusions. This split is just an acquaintance with each band, one – two promo tracks by each band, until the full length is out. All those of you who are interested in this sound or searching the underground scene of Argentina listen to this album. The rest of you wait for the full length album in order to get a complete opinion.