Metalcatto
I’ve seen it all in my short life—from bands trashing venues for fun to false nuclear armageddons. Not much surprises me anymore. And yet, the world still has some strange tricks up its sleeve. This is where Völur & Cares step in. The band claims to be an Experimental Doom act, but to me, Breathless Spirit is pure Avant-Garde Metal. I mean, how else do you describe a Metal album with no guitars—just bass, violin, and drums—centered on an epic Icelandic saga? It’s full-on weirdness, and we’re diving straight in.
Breathless Spirit is an enigmatic listen from the start. It fooled me once—I assumed it was mostly instrumental—but when the vocals hit, they add a whole new layer of texture and emotion, especially when they veer into Opeth territory. You might expect a lack of heaviness, but the soft, carefully arranged passages are counterbalanced by moments of pure chaos and catharsis. It reaches that surreal zone bands like maudlin of the Well occupy—strange, but still enjoyable and resonant. It’s not just weird for the sake of it; there’s purpose and emotion behind it.
The violin steals a great part of the show here, not just because of its novelty, but because of its sheer range. It can whisper mournful melodies or unleash unrelenting fury. That dynamic helps Breathless Spirit glide between moods—modern academic music at times, raw and hostile Metal at others. The pacing helps immensely, never rushing but also never dragging. The album proves that Metal doesn’t rely on just guitars or effects—it’s about structure, intention, and how deep you’re willing to dig into composition. Or maybe I’m just writing overly pretentious lines and this whole record is an angry middle finger to generic Metal. What do I know?
What I do know is that this album won’t be for everyone. It’s freakishly unorthodox. Every sonic choice pushes you into spaces you’d never associate with an ancient Viking saga. I mean, I couldn’t imagine actual Vikings raiding to this, but I did understand the dark emotional weight it aims for. Still, it’s not flawless. The elaborate, long tracks can make it feel inaccessible near the end. Honestly, the album could’ve ended with a bang if it skipped the bonus material. Not that those tracks are bad—but they broke my immersion a bit.
Anyway, if you’ve lost faith in originality within Extreme Metal, Völur & Cares might just restore it. It’ll be a while before you find something this idiosyncratic and committed to making you ask, “Is this even Metal anymore?” That’s the point though. You don’t have to only go harder and louder to be subversive. You just have to go somewhere. And Breathless Spirit definitely does.
Label: Batke Records
Release date: 8 August, 2025
Website: https://volur.bandcamp.com/
Country: Canada
Score: 4.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 
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