Evan Zorn Von Berg conjures songs from somewhere deep, jagged, and otherworldly. With ‘Vengeance’, the lead offering from his solo debut ‘Der Geist Kehrte Zurück’, Von Berg strips away the collaborative skin of his band Rubbish Party and leans fully into a sound and identity that feels utterly unique and dangerously current.
There’s something slightly unnerving about the production of this track. It takes a couple of listens to really appreciate the song’s meditation on wrath that never died. Von Berg delivers lines like “I ponder on your end” with the clarity of someone who’s already done the math on your downfall.
The lo-fi texture of the recording, captured in Von Berg’s small-town Colorado bedroom, only sharpens its impact. The imperfections become part of the atmosphere, an intentional chaos echoing the fractured psyche of its creator.
Lyrically, ‘Vengeance’ reads like a page torn from a myth by blending visions of past lives and unsettled debts with modern angst. There’s an eerie poetry to his claims of being a spirit reborn, and whether or not you buy into the lore, you’ll believe the emotion behind it.
Fans of Modest Mouse’s neurotic tangle, The Pixies’ unhinged charm, and Inner Wave’s shadowy grooves will find familiar touchpoints here. But ‘Vengeance’ is its own beast. It thrashes and murmurs, builds and breaks, never staying in one place for too long.
In an era of overproduced indie, Von Berg’s refusal to smooth the edges is refreshing. He’s not here for your algorithms or your playlists, he’s here to speak his truth, however ghost-ridden and jarring it may be.
With ‘Vengeance’, Evan Zorn Von Berg opens a portal. What comes through is wild, and wounded. Step in at your own risk.
