Review by Felix on August 26, 2024.

The Teutonic five-piece called Vidargängr originates from Leipzig, the city where the most important demonstrations took place in order to abolish the Communist regime of the GDR. These demonstrators will have my respect eternally because it needs a lot of courage to participate in actions against a totalitarian system. Honecker and his assholes had created “A World That Has to Be Opposed”. This finding brings me back to Vidargängr, especially their eponymous album from 2016. That output is also based on courage, but of course, it’s an act of less courage that was needed for the album’s creation. But the uncompromising restlessness of the band is impressive and one needs a courageous mindset to put the focus almost exclusively on hyper-speed during (only “No Acquiescence” offers party mid-tempo). This approach gives the songs a solid touch of insanity which is underlined by the hoarse screaming of the lead vocalist. He seems to herald Armageddon, his voice combines fear, hatred, despair and anger.

I admit that I did not find immediate access to the album. I had to get used to the noisy, somehow misty storm of emotions that Vidargängr create, especially in “Burning Abyss”. It is still not among my highlights, but I guess I have understood its structure now… and it is definitely not a bad quasi-opener. Anyway, the following tracks allow even simple minds to fall in love with them quickly. “No More Lust” and “Contempt” show a typical form of German black metal, picking up the explosiveness of the most raging parts of bands such as Nagelfar or Cold Earth. Sometimes a dramatic note shimmers through the songs – the legacy of Richard Wagner appears in many forms… Both tracks are great and demonstrate that the band is able to manage the self-created chaos. And, just like the other tracks, they benefit from a quite unorthodox yet suitable production. This is no (static) wall of sound, but a dynamic mix that spits on the conventions of the genre without sounding bloodless or feeble. Of course, the bass guitar can be smelled or felt rather than heard, but we have long since become accustomed to such ridiculous problems.

The more I see through the foggy compositions, the more I like them. “A World That Has to Be Opposed” has the potential to grow on the listener. For instance, it’s a cool experience to become more and more familiar with the fiery guitar lines of “No More Lust”. Amazingly enough, the permanent speed is not at the expense of depth, which unfortunately is often the case. Moreover, it is exciting to inhale the dark atmosphere of the album deeper and deeper, even in its moments which border on dissonance or during the closer that reflects agony in its most exposed form. With that said, it is up to you whether or not you want to dive into an album which is based on one-dimensional stubbornness on the one hand (they even “vidargängrized” the Dødheimsgard cover), but a fine instinct for the creation of a black metal hailstorm on the other hand. I can only recommend to give it a try, because their stubbornness deserves much more applause than the one with which the communists in the GDR ultimately dug their own grave.

Rating: 8.4 out of 10