apanthropy

Varmia
Lauks
M-Theory Audio
To Be Released: March 27th, 2026

Rating: 8.5/10

“Taking what was established on 2021’s ‘Bal Lada’ and 2023’s ‘Nie nas widzę’ and boiling it down to the bones, Varmia have essentially forged a new sound, one less reliant on the somewhat atmospheric folk elements of earlier releases in their career and one more dominant in terms of pure murderous delivery. Hitting depths and impacts in a manner similar to current-era Marduk or Dark Funeral, with muted tones of Drudkh and Nokturnal Mortum, Varmia deliver ‘Lauks’ with the conqueror’s mindset; a pulverizing, devastating direct strike that batters the listener.”

–
1 – Czarne drogi Xsiężyca
2 – Zwykli zmarli
3 – Niekrwi
4 – Stēisan azzaran waks
5 – Dzień, pół nocy
6 – Der Tot Adalbert
7 – Korona
8 – …po widok za
–

The Polish scene has always been one of might and dominance, stretching as far back as the mid-to-late 1980s, creating its own lane and its own crushing tonality in the burgeoning European scene of that era. Several Polish acts have risen to great prominence in the global extreme metal scene across the decades, all under the banner of a country with one of the richest histories in European culture, one extensively drawn from by its native bands and musicians.

Varmia formed in 2016, issuing their first record, Z mar twych, the following year in 2017. Largely masterminded by founding member Lasota, the band have released a total of four full-lengths across their decade of existence with the fifth and newest record, Lauks, due out March 27th, 2026, through M-Theory Audio. Their previous releases were expansive, dense, and organic, playing out with significant lengths, no shorter than 50 minutes per record. Lauks, however, is different.

It is a centralized, concentrated, and acute burst of blasting black metal with some folk tonality adding texture to the otherwise constant storm of fury and aggression. Significantly shorter than all their other works, clocking in at around 36 minutes total, across 8 songs, this is a much more deliberate approach to composing. Taking what was established on 2021’s Bal Lada and 2023’s Nie nas widzę and boiling it down to the bones, Varmia have essentially forged a new sound, one less reliant on the somewhat atmospheric folk elements of earlier releases in their career and one more dominant in terms of pure murderous delivery. Hitting depths and impacts in a manner similar to current-era Marduk or Dark Funeral, with muted tones of Drudkh and Nokturnal Mortum, Varmia deliver Lauks with the conqueror’s mindset; a pulverizing, devastating direct strike that batters the listener.

‘Czarne drogi Xsiezycz’ opens the album with a chaotic intro phrase made of various folk tones and blasting percussion hell. Steadying itself, it centralizes, focuses into something direct and menacing. The bulldozing power of Jakub Wieczerzycki carries barbaric tremolo chord movements from Lasota, with strange riff interactions reminiscent of current-era Abigor. Transitions break with violent recoil, from one phrase into the next with efficiency and calculated rage, never relenting on execution. This is battle rage in audio form.

Tracks such as ‘Niekrwi’ tear into the listener early on with drumming that reaches startling levels of stamina, with monstrous riff constructs and patterns animating the track into raw malice. The center section of the song explores some slower measures but, in essence, speed is the mechanism of destruction for this track. Folk accents creep around the track like spirits around a campfire. Riffing feels Swedish in its overall feel during lightning-fast segments.

‘Dzień, pół nocy’ storms at the listener with aggressive rhythmic violence providing the foundation for the verses of the track with ghostly reverb-drenched tones and drawn-out haunting tremolo melodies filling the gulfs between. ‘Der Tot Adalbert’ approaches the listener in an atmospheric manner, exploring slower percussion tempos, discordant sustained single-note segments, and ghastly puked vocals spewing their narrative. Despite the increases in tempo, the song feels atmospheric and mystic throughout with its supplemental folk instrumentation playing a more forward role in comparison to other tracks.

Deep in the album, amongst the closing tracks, such as ‘Korona’ and ‘…po widok za,’ never do they relent from the violent high tempos that have driven the entire album before, completing the record and fulfilling the sensation of spite and aggression. Much like a great battle, there is no shelter, nowhere to hide, and no choice but to press forward and advance with great violence, which is why Lauks is so beguiling, as it embodies this concept at an intensely deep level. It is a commanding listen and one that demands maximum attention.

The production on Lauks is dark and, to an extent, primal and visceral sounding. Lacking the crispness and sharpness of modern-day production on the guitars, opting instead for a full, saturated middle-range tone comparable to the late 1990s black metal scene, allowing the band to fill up great swathes of negative space in the sound with the guitar presence. Percussion features a prominent bass drum presence and a more neutral, softer snare tone. The spread of toms and cymbal hisses are mixed well, adding immersion to the playback. Vocals, scowling aggressive shouts of sorts, are actually toned down quite a bit in terms of volume. Still prominent, and still one of the main factors of forward movement in the song structures, just never overbearing or detracting towards the music as a whole.

Varmia provides a piece of black metal that brings yet more reverence to the already powerful Polish scene. While many will flock to more common, more mainstream Polish names, deep under the surface lay records such as Lauks, full of animus, full of power, full of real rage. There is no grasp for attention here, this isn’t built to please the common metal fan, Lauks is built for forward-moving destruction, sweeping up everything in its reach, and pulverizing it, never stopping and never losing momentum. Lauks is far more direct when put in comparison to previous work, sure to please fans of any grade of blasting black metal, be it from the Polish scene, or far beyond.

Label: M-Theory Audio
Band: Varmia

AJK