Review by SzejkElRopa on February 10, 2026.

With a fantastic album called "Void", Varnheim from Poland seems to have found its place in the Polish scene. Their third album received good critical acclaim and became quite popular in the underground scene. While without doubt the latest album by these guys is a masterpiece, can the same be said about their self-titled debut? I had to delve quite deep to find out.

The first link I found had fewer than a thousand views. Later, I discovered that Varnheim themselves released the album on YouTube - a video that was seen an astonishing number of about 2,500 times. It seems like Varnheim was quite underground back in 2019, when this album was released. However, the number of views doesn't necessarily reflect the quality of the material. First of all, echoes of Mgła can be heard now and then, especially echoes of the "With Hearts Towards None" era, as well as their earlier works. Raw, though easily listenable, quality, slow opening riffs such as the one in "III", and of course the titling style, all conjure up the album as mentioned earlier. The songs are usually built over a couple of quite simple riffs and executed most of the time slowly or mid-tempo. There are some moments when the album speeds up, but these are too rare and too short to make this album a headbanger. This happens in "III" and at the end of "VI". Instead, Varnheim decides to focus on the atmosphere with haunting riffs and possessed, deep vocals. I am not entirely sure where this album tries to put me, but it certainly isn't a pleasant place. As on "Void", lots of darkness can be felt. Contrary to that album, this full-length is very simplistic. One can forget about the guitar solos and saxophone, which appeared on "Void". This, obviously, makes the album worse than its successor.

A.'s deep growls are well executed, though not as well as on their later work. This, I believe, can be said about every instrument here. The bass guitar can be heard at times (and that's a huge plus, especially when it comes to such an obscure album); however, later on, it could be heard throughout the whole album. Although not catchy, the riffing and drums were enjoyable. There is nothing more to be said - the execution of both these instruments was quite standard, yet made the album enjoyable.

Every band has to start with something, and a process of evolution is natural. Here we've got a prime example of how the sound of a band that was once very obscure can develop and eventually make them significantly popular in the underground. I give this album 75%, because it was an enjoyable 41 minutes of black metal that didn’t lack darkness. Recommended if you, like me, are curious how Varnheim sounded back in 2019. If you are new to the band, I recommend checking out "Void".

Rating: 7.5 out of 10