siLLy puPPy
VERKRAG is the one-man project of Anton von Niekirk who is from Bloemfontein, South Africa and was created after he disbanded from Sanguinarius. VERKRAG is the Afrikaans word for “rape” and so it goes that the subject matter of this guy revolves around evil sex, perversion and hedonistic behavior. Self-described as psychotic black metal, VERKRAG is really a mix of atmospheric black metal with industrial elements with some tracks sounding a bit like Burzum and other more like Godflesh.
13 VICTIMS was VERKRAG’s only album that was released in 2009. This run of nine tracks really is obsessed with everything sexual, everything nasty and everything just plain fucked up. Think of this as the black metal version of the 2 Live Crew with horny bitches in heat moaning, sluts talking shit and wanting to suck cock and all that nice potty porno talk. The vocals are the typical black metal raspiness but VERKRAG narrates his tales in a partial rap which sounds a bit ludicrous but different enough to stand out.
The music is melodic and crafts a climactic buildup as tension grows to a crescendo. The compositions are actually pretty good with nice jangly black metal guitars, decent diverse drumming patterns and a bass line that is actually audible. There is a lot of attention paid to atmospheric backdrops and lots of special effects with samples and dramatic intros. Dude often sounds like some pervert from a nursing home who got lost on the street and is mumbling among the crowds!
I dunno. I can understand why many would absolutely hate this. It’s kinda silly and in so many ways is so very very wrong but i have an interesting eclectic appetite for weird shit and this definitely is no throwaway waste of time. I actually like this one a bit however it is a little off the cuff and the so-called crazy man conversation lyrics get a little old after a while. Still though the black metal parts are done quite well even when considering how the keys are mixed in. The production is crystal clear and yet the whole thing sounds really creepy as if VERKRAG had been listening to a lot of Devil Doll before unleashing his perversions to the world!