Valborg are a band that's hard to classify. While they are doom in the sense that the songs are quite slow and melacholic, they aren't like a sledgehammer hitting you in the face like many doom bands. Much of what makes Valborg tick is their use of keyboards. They are always there, either filling the spaces between the slow guitar riffs, providing a perfect back drop or leading the way with a beautiful yet sad lead.
At times, Valborg remind me of Godflesh like on the song "Blitz aus Sodom." And yet they almost sound exactly like post rockers Mogwai, at least instrumentally, on the song "Sulphur Vitriol Angel." Go to the mid-point of that track and compare it to "Death Rays" by Mogwai. While the notes are quite different, the mood and pattern are incredibly similar. I suppose that's why that is my favorite track on this album.
The issue I have with "Romantik" is there is a bit of a sameness from track to track. The tempo is always the same, either slow or slower. The sounds are all basically the same, the vocals are also either howls, growls or just somber. I suppose the reason the one track jumped out as being slightly different was because I had a unique point of reference for it. Overall, "Romantik" is a solid but not spectacular album.
