Varoshan: Interesting blend of different genres and styles of slow and depressive music!

International progressive doom/post-metal band Varoshan (FI/DE/UK) released their debut album And Then The Rains Came in early 2022. Their interesting blend of different genres and styles of slow and depressive music has been welcomed with critical acclaim to the doom and sludge communities. The release was recorded and mixed by Anders Bomberg (beside the drums which were recorded by Anders Törnqvist), and mastered by Teemu Aalto known from his work with Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum and Marianas Rest.

Varoshan was formed in 2019 to create slow-burning doom metal, but gradually shifted into its current shape as the musicians involved brought their flavor to the mix. The musicians are geographically divided to Helsinki (Finland), Berlin (Germany) and Leeds (UK) and have been parts of their respective scenes for a long time, with a wide variety of bands and projects on their CV’s such as Hundred Year Old Man, Lost in Tears, Bob Malmström and Final Assault.

The track The Crow

The track The Message

The track The Snake

Varoshan is a slow burning hardcore metal band building musical monoliths and shamanistic rituals. The music builds on progressive paths and is at the same time as far as you can be from curb stomping hardcore and close to the heart of the non-compromising attitude of it. Musically the riffs hail to many worlds and each listener will find their comparable from their own listening history. Just to set the tone, you can expect to find vibes reminiscent of Neurosis, slow burning Converge, sludge-era Tombs And Soilent Green covering Black Sabbath. It’s slow, it’s dark and it’s gritty.

The project started as something closer to doom metal, but found its way into its current shape as the musicians involved brought their flavor to the mix. The musicians are geographically divided to Helsinki (Finland), Berlin (Germany) and Leeds (UK) and have been parts of their respective scenes for a long time, with a wide variety of bands and projects on their CV:s.

Elitbolaget will release the debut album digitally and on cassette. If there’s interest for a CD or vinyl release, we’ll gladly talk details. Similarly for interviews, reviews, requests for review copies of the cassette, requests for shows, etc. contact [email protected] or Matias Löfman / +358 40 5709066.

Varoshan is going to play shows, but bear in mind that the geographical division of the musicians means a little less flexibility in show arrangements than with your average band.

Varoshan is:

Vocals: Mark Howes

Guitars: Anders Bomberg

Drums: Anders Törnqvist

Bass: Matias Löfman

Guest vocals on The Message by: Riina Rinkinen

Cover photo by: Pete Voutilainen

Varoshan’s philosophy:

Varoshan is stagnation and standstill, a repetitive pulse that drives a shamanistic ritual forward. It is about trance and about magnetic waves taking you into the depths. Varoshan is born from sickness, it’s depressive roots pushes out of the soil to get a ray of the dying sun’s lifegiving light. It’s about fragility, about death and rebirth, about addiction, about fighting the self for ownership of the ego, about the darkness that can not be described. Varoshan is turmoil, corrosion and collapse.

The story this far:

Varoshan is not its members past, but the past defines parts of the future. We are all veterans in the metal and hardcore scenes and Varoshan could easily be labeled a project, but it is not; it is an entity that belongs to feed electricity to the live music realm.

Since dawn of the ape Matias Löfman (bass) has been writing simple riffs and playing with a multitude of outfits including Bob Malmström, Trident, Bonesaw, Superflesh, S.A.A.B., Necroslurg and Haust; anything from punk rock to death metal to dark ambient all over the globe. Varoshan’s seed has been growing since echoes of black & death metal projects collided with the dark ambient waves of Haust between 2004-2008. It has taken merely a decade and a half to get the gears in motion.

Anders Bomberg (guitars) has a thorough history in the European music scenes ranging from his days in goth metal outfit Lost in Tears in the 90’s and 00’s to his studio days in Dublin to his current residence in Berlin and industrial rock outfit Intrasonic. Andy is the soundforge of Varoshan and was the first person to join what grew to be this group.

Anderst Törnqvist (drums) has played drums since the monolith was erected to guide mankind and joined Varoshan to give a solid foundation to build the sonic themes upon. Anders’ has a long history with hardcore and metal outfits Final Assault, Kolt, Painstripe among others. Heavy are the hands that flay the skins of doom.

Mark Howes from Leeds, UK (vocals & live guitar) was the final piece of the puzzle to establish Varoshan as a band and not a project. Mark has sung and played guitars, keys and bass in probably all the bands in the world including Even Flowers Kill, Bludger, Hieroglyph, When The Wolf Comes Home and Hundred Year Old Man. Mark has a distinctive take on vocals which sets Varoshan not only in the world of doom metal and post-metal, but in alternative metal and hardcore as well.

The history is rich and the future is dark, but one thing remains certain; this is a group of people who live to create. Now the creative forces have been combined to bring forth a new wave of doom.

For Fans Off:

Neurosis, Converge, Wear Your Wounds, My Dying Bride, Tombs, Eyehategod… We have tracks that go on forever, so don’t be in a rush.

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