“Anti-fascism, environmentalism, queer rights and Palestinian liberation are among the political struggles addressed throughout the album,” says the press release for Rosa Faenskap’s sophomore LP. Many will roll their eyes at the idea of “woke” metal, but that would be narrow-minded. The three Norwegians that make up this post-black metal trio are more than just sloganeers for left-wing causes. They recognise that the rise of right-wing populism in Europe puts the hard-fought social justice emancipations of the last sixty years in doubt. The future is bleak, but pessimism should not be an excuse for inaction.
Laddering guitars search for atonality rather than melody in the build up to the inevitable distortion and guttural vocals of ‘Den svake mannen’, but this music is quick to suck you in to its dystopia. You could imagine Black Crown Initiate writing something as anxious if they returned as a black metal act. Listen how the bass slapping technique works underneath the paranoia-inducing guitars like a crew of underground engineers blasting through rock. There’s no denying the visceral fury of this art.
The world is a dangerous place, full of egomaniac politicians, unethical businessmen, and besotted religious fundamentalists. If you want entertainment, subscribe to Disney’s streaming service. ‘Faenskap for alltid’ mixes the rugged hardcore vocals with thrashing black metal movements that sometimes seek shelter in melody. The guitar tone bites like Immortal at their heaviest. One can only imagine how this would annihilate your ear drums in a live venue. Chaos is the first word that comes to mind, but the chunky breakdown riff at 02:30 will get your head moving like a Knocked Loose concert.
The absence of metal’s pentatonic foundations is evident in the unmelodious noise blast of ‘La barna leve’. Let’s be honest, this approach is unlikely to inspire any youngster to pick up a guitar (we still need Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Dimebag Darrell for that). But the mood it creates is not in doubt, which means it serves its purpose. There’s more here than noise and righteous anger. The technical footwork from Anders Jansvik on the drum stool could be inserted into any death metal band from the last twenty years. Likewise, how thrilling is the start-stop thrash intro to ‘Klarhet i kaos’ as it goes in search of Drive Like Jehu? Here, morbid death metal vocals collide with hardcore shouting. Working out the parts that repeat is more difficult than reading Hegel on a sleepless night.
Clearly, Rosa Faenskap are a band of many colours (not just rainbow colours). The rhythmic prowess of all three members is impressive, and it’s probably the one thing that distinguishes them from the noiseniks in their scene. ‘Bygg til himmelen’ is just as impenetrable yet delightful in its menacing nature. Emil Vestre and Håvard Solli sound like two men dodging artillery shells and fighting their way out of no man’s land. You won’t even care if the chords are as tuneless as a sandblaster when the action is as heated as this. Fortunately, they remember to use their guitars like Gojira in the key transition points.
It’s impossible to discern the lyrics among the shouting and wailing, but one imagines they’re vitriolic for the right reasons rather than for misanthropic reasons. Musically, there is much to deconstruct. The fuzz bass leanings of closing track, ‘Jeg våkner snart’, are an unusual setting for ostentatious melody, but Emil Vestre adds sorrowful minor chords to this paradox before the trio hit the ejector seat button. Even here, he lets his chords be guided by the light rather than the abyss. Anyone with a prog inclination can enjoy it if they overlook the deadpan scream vocals. Black metal and hardcore fans will appreciate the raw hostility of the word delivery and the punch of the blast beats. You could even call Rosa Faenskap the Gang of Four of post-black metal in that they have many interesting ideas and a clear aesthetic for their sound, yet they’re hard to enjoy. But music is about more than just enjoyment, right?
Kirk Houghton
Verdict
Release Date: 06/03/2026
Record Label: Fysisk Format
Standout tracks: Faenskap for alltid; Klarhet i kaos; Jeg våkner snart
Suggested Further Listening: Pyrecult – Voluntary Serfdom EP (2024), Nag – Boys of Europe (2024), Sibiir – Undergang (2024)