This post was originally published on this site
Swedish progressive metal powerhouse VILDHJARTA have been revered as one of the essential bands responsible for tech metal’s surge to prominence with the release of their debut album Måsstaden back in 2011. Having experienced prolonged periods of dormancy throughout their tenure their adoring fans were delighted to be informed that their latest effort + där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + is now available for consumption via Century Media. What will the visionaries have in store for us on this occasion?
+ byta ut alla stjärnor på himlen mot plustecken + commences in an unnerving fashion, utilising haunting atmopsherics to set the tone. It isn’t long before a jarring heaviness makes its presence felt, launching into maniacal blast beats at a moment’s notice.+ två vackra svanar + continues the unpredictable nature with an ebbing and flowing momentum littered with powerful vocal blasts and eccentric synth work. + sargasso + offers up a discordant, menacing demeanour. Frantic drum sequences attack from all angles alongside twisted riff barrages.
+ ylva + displays an intriguing soundscape, providing a wealth of contrasting light and dark elements. + där mossan möter havet + is packed with rounds of dissonant bludgeoning. The dense structuring can be challenging to navigate but somehow it manages not to entangle itself in its own complexity. + röda läppar, söta äpplen + is equally as unrelenting, bombarding you with caustic screams and destructive drum beats.
+ kristallfågel + brings buoyant grooves to the table whilst still maintaining the frenzied aggression. + regnet, the + instills an ominous mood, battering you with furiously bleak instrumentation. + hösten som togs ifrån mig + attacks with unhinged harmonics and an erratic, chopping and changing tempo to keep you unaware of its next move.
+ viktlös & evig + is best described as multiple personalities violently battling inside a confined space where it’s not a foregone conclusion that anyone actually claimed victory. + stjärnblödning + persists in crushing whatever oxygen remains out of your already pummelled lungs. The tenacious brutality refuses to desist. + den spanska känslan + gives you what feels like a second to catch your breath before diving headfirst into another anger-ridden volley of venomous chaos.
VILDHJARTA have forged a career on being wildly inventive and fearlessly innovative but + där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + resembles more a war of attrition than a musical journey. The vast wealth of experimentation on display becomes particularly overwhelming, not allowing you to digest its components as it is more preoccupied in beating you senseless. To some, it may be exactly what the demented doctor ordered but it is unlikely to form a tangible impression in your memory other than relief that you survived the gauntlet.
Rating: 6/10
+ där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + is out now via Century Media Records.
Like VILDHJARTA on Facebook.
The post ALBUM REVIEW: + där skogen sjunger under evighetens granar + – Vildhjarta appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
