Snogg is a band from Slovenia, which oscillates between a solitary proprietor, Ulv, handling a fair share of instruments and vocals, being periodically joined in his endeavors by drummer Morke and bass player Kozhl. The eponymous EP is the first release by the band and they espouse to play “freeride” black metal, a code speak for something loosely affiliated with black metal with a good deal of experimental nature in it.

26 min EP, consisting of a single composition, is indeed a free ride, swinging from one fence to another. The buildup is long and rather intriguing. The chapel door closes, children voices fade away, heart starts beating fast, and the whole new world opens up. Are we inside or outside of reality? It is all open to interpretation and Snogg lets you make your own conclusions where another 3 minutes of static can take you. After that atmospheric black metal with a prominent dissonant guitar takes center stage in what is probably the most conventional moment of the album, playing something with a subtle folk motif.

Soon thereafter, however, Snogg began testing my aural limits. First my speakers and subwoofer came under a low frequency noise attack. That gut punch must have awoken a small evil being in Ulv, as his voice takes on distinctly angry troll character, the blasting, low in the mix, drums and rushed riffs reminding me of Burzum on Filosofem. This portion gets a lot of repeat, and got better upon repeated listens. Tibetan meditation follows, but Snogg is not about to mellow out, instead growing more rugged and less atmospheric towards the end, which brings an unexpected piano close.

Definitely experimental and almost too ambitious, trying to encompass a lot of pieces Snogg was a bit unconvincing and mottled for me on this EP. Sharing the stage with Cvinger, pretty much straight up punchers, and traveling across Eastern Europe may be a catalyst Snogg need to streamline their art just a bit to become more focused.