LUDGAR
Violent Visions LP BLACK

Let’s get it out of the way: LUDGAR is originally an abbreviated word for Loup de guerre (“war wolf”), describing what was one of the largest trebuchet – or catapult, if you will – used in medieval times. We’re basically talking about one giant destructive force used to crush opponents and villages alike, and it’s quite a fitting analogy for what the band LUDGAR stand for.

Formed in 2024 in a dungeon in Linz, Austria by DEATH RACER guitarist S. Bruckner (here on bass) and VENATOR drummer J. Steidl alongside L. Höller on vocals and S. Bolda (also in Zepter) on guitar, this new outfit is deeply entrenched in the ‘80s yet refuses to label their music with the cliché “everyone brought to the table their own influences.” One thing was made clear, though: the result had to be rough and brutal. And their first demo, 2024’s Molochian Rites, was indeed rough-as-fuck.

So, what do the Austrians do? Make a debut album that’s rougher-than-fuck! Enter Violent Visions, a record as fittingly titled as their moniker itself. Right from the beginning, you know you’re treading on pure METAL: unfiltered, raw, and explosive (and, of course, deeply entrenched in the ‘80s). Dungeonic in atmosphere and breathless in urgency, these Violent Visions will draw parallels to Hellfire’s Dominion-era Desaster, now-labelmates WITCHING HOUR, or a more blackened version of Hellish Crossfire, but the truth is that LUDGAR roar from a deeper and more malevolent pit – nay, DUNGEON – where all light is shun. To liken the album to “blackthrash” would be grossly missing the point, however; the usual tropes are NOT invoked, and the atmosphere and attendant sensations – unclean and unhallowed, lawless and lusting, a delirium that’s devilish and addicting – elevate LUDGAR into such esteemed company as much as the songs themselves. More than anything, there’s a true sense of danger that’s been sorely missing for, well, forever. Open your eyes to Violent Visions!