Prygla is a Swedish trio which has released their self titled debut album on the 1st of August AB through the Swedish label Cryptorium Records. There is no info available on the band members or on their musical background but for me that doesn’t pose an issue. The most important aspect here is their music and “Prygla” is definitely an album worth checking out right away.
The Swedish word “prygla” means flogging. According to the dictionary, the definition of “flogging” is “a punishment in which the victim is hit repeatedly with a whip or a stick”.
In our case, this choice for a band / album name couldn’t be more adequate, since what we are given on the debut album is exactly this: an impending feeling that your senses are repeatedly assaulted, beaten and possessed by Prygla‘s music. And that goes on and on, every time you listen to this record, just like a flogging.
I find this album unsettling from start to finish, as it challenges your state of mind while reeking of a dense and obscure feeling of mystery. Firstly because of the complete lack of info about the band and secondly because of the atmosphere contained in the 28 minutes of the record.
From the mysterious intro “Praefica” to the last track, “Absurd“, we are treated with a disturbing concoction of an almost religious experience, which can very easily be the perfect soundtrack for a book like “In the Name of the Rose“. The album cover is also very suggestive and it captured my attention the very first moment I saw it, with the faceless figure (perhaps a monk?) menacingly staring at you from under its hood.
The entire, albeit short experience of Prygla‘s debut album is basically a descent into the obscure corridors of life (or death), where multiple layers of darkness and dense atmosphere intertwine and grasp at your sanity. The songs are violent, fast and short (the longest one, “Ögat“, has a bit over 5 minutes), while the musicianship is absolutely top class.
The guttural vocals are menacing and far from the regular black metal registry, the guitars are sharp, piercing and in a way even melodic (the riffs on “Ögat” are fantastic), while the drumming is absolutely insane. Its weird rhythm changes quite often and the furious blast beats alternate with what seems to be chaotic patterns which I absolutely love (check out the 2nd track, “Serafernas Sorg“, and you’ll see what I mean).
Towards the end of the album the band has thrown in the intermezzo “Gevaudan“, perhaps as a reference to the legendary man-eating medieval beast. Acoustic guitars and seraphic female vocals enhance the obscure atmosphere of the song, in total contrast with the rest of the album which ends gloriously with the majestic “Absurd“.
Like few other Swedish bands I have reviewed here recently, Prygla brings a ray of cursed hope and a breath of fresh air into a scene suffocating in its own “splendor”. I have no idea when the music on this album was written, but it feels somehow ancient and rotten, far from being corrupted by the modern gimmicks. This debut album is the exact type of black metal release I want to hear, memorable and definitely worth coming back to.
Prygla – Prygla track list:
1. Intro (Praefica)
2. Serafernas Sorg
3. Rit
4. Utanmärle
5. Vider
6. Ögat
7. Gevaudan
8. Absurd
Band links:
scrollsofdarmoth.com 
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