Tag Archives: skåne

Album Review – An Abstract Illusion / The Sleeping City (2025)

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This incredible Swedish Progressive Death and Black Metal entity returns with their heaviest and most atmospheric work to date, exploring the depths of the human psyche and suffering.

Once again utilizing the band’s unique blend of Progressive Death and Black Metal with arpeggiating synths, wistful drones and vast soundscapes, harkening back to the era of 80’s sci-fi soundtracks, the magnificent The Sleeping City is the third full-length opus by Swedish Progressive/Atmospheric Death/Black Metal beast An Abstract Illusion, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2022 sophomore album Woe. Produced by Karl Westerlund alongside An Abstract Illusion themselves, recorded at Blackharbour Studios, with drums produced and recorded by Jakob Herrmann at Top Floor Studios and pre-production and additional recording by Emil P. Lundh at Urberg Studios, mixed and mastered by Robin Leijon, and displaying a classy artwork by Alex Eckman-Lawn, the new album by Christian Berglönn on lead vocals, Karl Westerlund on the guitars and bass, Robert Stenvall on keyboards and vocals, and Isak Nilsson on drums and backing vocals, not to mention an array of very special guest musicians, is undoubtedly their most atmospheric and heavy work to date, exploring the depths of the human psyche and suffering.

Featuring vocals by Lukas Backeström, Blackmurmur is absolutely atmospheric, enfolding, futuristic and luxurious from the very first second, uniting the complexity of Progressive Death Metal with the mystery of Melodic Black Metal, and with the guitars by Karl and the keys by Robert sounding absolutely fantastic. They keep delivering sheer awesomeness in No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons, with the complex yet visceral drumming by Isak adding an extra touch of heaviness to their music, followed by Like a Geyser Ever Erupting, featuring the cello by Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa and the violin by Dawn Ye, carrying a stunning song title for a lecture in modern-day extreme music where once again Isak sounds inhumane behind his drums.

Frost Flower once again features vocals by Lukas Backeström, cello by Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa, and violin by Flavia Fontana, all clashing with the visceral riffs by Karl and the whimsical keys by Robert; whereas Emmett is another long, complex and extremely detailed song, starting in a serene, enfolding manner, almost melancholic, before we face an avalanche of Progressive Death Metal led by Christian’s enraged roars, also showcasing ethereal passages intertwined with absolute violence. Then we face Silverfields, with narration by Elsa Svensson, working almost like an atmospheric interlude, therefore soothing our souls for the monumental title-track The Sleeping City, bringing forward endless breaks and variations without forgetting their core heaviness, as if Dream Theater went Death Metal, with Karl once again doing a superb job with both his guitar and bass boosted by the cello by Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa and the violin by Dawn Ye, before all fades into a climatic, Stygian finale.

“When we compose an album we don’t want it to just be a collection of random songs, we want a holistic theme coursing through the album’s veins. When writing The Sleeping City we wanted to explore what the soundtrack to a dystopian sci-fi film, such as Blade Runner or Terminator, would sound like if it were written by a death metal band. For The Sleeping City, we took inspiration from acts such as Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine, Kite, Ólafur Arnalds and Boards of Canada, pushing us to expand and refine our sound palette. Going from the long-song format of Woe, it was a fun challenge to once again write self-contained songs with a clear beginning and end,” commented the band about their newborn masterpiece. You can find those extremely talented guys on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their breathtaking creations on Spotify, and of course purchase their new album from BandCamp or from the Willowtip Records webstore (as a CD or an LP), or simply click HERE for all things An Abstract Illusion. A decrepit yet monumental landmark, the sleeping city awaits ahead. Will you enter?

Best moments of the album: Blackmurmur, Like a Geyser Ever Erupting, Emmett and The Sleeping City.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Willowtip Records

Track listing
1. Blackmurmur 11:00
2. No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons 6:56
3. Like a Geyser Ever Erupting 7:58
4. Frost Flower 8:14
5. Emmett 11:19
6. Silverfields 3:46
7. The Sleeping City 10:07

Band members
Christian Berglönn – lead vocals
Karl Westerlund – guitars, bass
Robert Stenvall – keyboards, vocals
Isak Nilsson – drums, backing vocals

Guest musicians
Lukas Backeström – lead vocals on “Blackmurmur” and “Frost Flower”, choir vocals on “No Dreams Beyond Empty Horizons” and “Like a Geyser Ever Erupting”
Jonathan Miranda-Figueroa – cello on “Like a Geyser Ever Erupting”, “Frost Flower” and “The Sleeping City”
Dawn Ye – violin on “Like a Geyser Ever Erupting” and “The Sleeping City”
Flavia Fontana – violin on “Frost Flower”
Elsa Svensson – narration on “Silverfields”

Album Review – Völva / Desires Profane (2024)

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Behold the new album by these three ruthless Swedish Black Metal ladies, a howling, hate-filled voice of rage, fueled by the fire and the fists that have subjugated womankind.

“Like the screams from a thousand vengeful souls from the witch’s bonfire.” – Vittra describes the sound of Völva

Forged in 2018 in in the simmering underground cauldrons of Punk and Black Metal of Malmö, Sweden, Black Metal/Crust outfit Völva will crush your damned soul to pieces in their new album, titled Desires Profane, a howling, hate-filled voice of rage, fueled by the fire and the fists that have subjugated womankind since the old ways were undone by the insidious Christian contamination of the world. Recorded by Oliver Dah in Studio Quaalude, mixed and mastered by Ulf Blomberg at Hoborec, and with a cryptic artwork by The Black Bird Sings, the first full-length album by vocalist and bassist Hedonosticia, guitarist Vittra and drummer Skuld seeks to explore Satanic Feminism, breaking away from conformity and exploring a higher purpose through free will, body and lust, all while being recommended for admirers of the caustic creations by Darkthrone, Urgehal, Wolfbastard and Taake, among many others.

Their evil, dirty and cryptic feast of Black Metal kicks off in full force with The Tower (check their performance playing this amazing song at Quaalude Sessions #15), with Hedonosticia already crushing our minds with her she-wolf gnarls, and it’s time to walk through the fires of hell together with those talented Sweds in Walk With Me, with Vittra showing no mercy for our souls, blasting infernal riffs nonstop. They then go full Black Metal in Expulsion of the Flesh, delivering endless animosity and darkness, with Hedonosticia’s harsh vocals sounding utterly piercing; followed by Inverted Cross, displaying a beautiful name for another explosion of Black Metal magic by the trio, again melting our faces with their unrelenting savagery, blast beats and hellish growls, before we face five minutes of sluggish, grim and visceral passages in Never Forgive, showcasing elements of Doom Metal added to their devilish core essence.

And they keep hammering our putrid souls with their blend of Black Metal and Crust in The Serpent, also delivering elements of Death Metal and Blackened Death Metal, led by the infernal roars by Hedonosticia and the massive beats by Skuld, whereas Perpetual Putrefaction sounds a bit generic compared to the rest of the album, albeit still presenting the band’s characteristic blasphemous, demonic sounds. Asmodeus is one of the most infuriated of all songs in Desires Profane where Vittra’s riffs are the epitome of evil, sounding devilishly metallic, while Hedonosticia continues to summon the creatures of the underworld with her she-demon gnarls; followed by Salvation, another evil onrush of Black Metal masterfully brought into being by the band, living up to the legacy of Swedish Black Metal, with Skuld once again kicking ass on drums. And last but not least, they offer us all a ruthless Black Metal extravaganza titled Vagabond, reminding me of some of the most wicked creations by the mighty Skeletonwitch.

In summary, those three Swedish ladies sound absolutely insane and on fire throughout their entire newborn beast, proving once again that women not only have their place in heavy music, but that they can also sound heavier, darker and more caustic than any man. Hence, you can check what they’re up to on Instagram, including their tour dates, stream their creations on any streaming service like Spotify, and grab a copy of their scathing new album from their own BandCamp, from the Grind To Death Records’ BandCamp, or from the Fiadh Productions’ BandCamp, helping them spread their infernal howl in the name of feminism and Black Metal to all four corners of our sexist and decaying world.

Best moments of the album: Expulsion of the Flesh, The Serpent and Asmodeus.

Worst moments of the album: Perpetual Putrefaction.

Released in 2024 Grind To Death Records/Fiadh Productions

Track listing
1. The Tower 4:10
2. Walk With Me 2:59
3. Expulsion of the Flesh 3:45
4. Inverted Cross 3:12
5. Never Forgive 5:19
6. The Serpent 3:42
7. Perpetual Putrefaction 2:30
8. Asmodeus 2:31
9. Salvation 4:38
10. Vagabond 2:28

Band members
Hedonosticia – vocals, bass
Vittra – guitars, backing vocals
Skuld – drums, backing vocals

Album Review – Jordfäst / Av Stoft (2022)

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A ruthless Swedish Black Metal duo returns with their sophomore opus, telling sobering tales of human struggles against societal norms and religious oppression, and the fight for the right to determine one’s own fate.

An old Swedish word for being buried, loosely translated to ”attached to soil”, Jordfäst is also the name of a Skåne, Sweden-based Black Metal duo who unearth the grim past of the Scandinavian peninsula in their songs, channeling the long-forgotten cries of people that once lived. Now in 2022 it’s time for vocalist Olof Bengtsson and multi-instrumentalist Elis Edin Markskog, supported by session drummer Joakim Unger, to unleash upon humanity their sophomore opus entitled Av Stoft, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 debut full-length album Hädanfärd. Epic and dreaming, conjuring up soundscapes comparable to genre greats such as Ulver, Saiva, and Primordial, Av Stoft, which is Swedish for “of dust”, continues where Hädanefter left off, with folky melodies and theatrical narratives woven into a solid backbone of Black Metal. Recorded at Studio Wheelmust, mixed and mastered by William Blackmon at The Overlook, and featuring guest vocals by Joakim Svensson of Skogen, the album is comprised of two songs which have a combined playing time of 33 minutes, telling sobering tales of human struggles against societal norms and religious oppression, and the fight for the right to determine one’s own fate, with its gloomy layers interspersed with searing melodies reflecting a reality as unforgiving as the northern winter.

Eerie voices are suddenly joined by the massive beats by Joakim in Abortologen (“the abortologist”, from Swedish), bringing to our damned ears over 16 minutes of Scandinavian Black Metal infused with Folk and Doom Metal nuances where Olof roars manically in the name of pure evil, while Elis crafts a beyond caustic and visceral sound with his riffs, bass and keys, not to mention his guitar solos are a thing of beauty, enhancing the song’s epicness and electricity considerably. Put differently, it’s imposing and violent from start to finish, being therefore tailored for admirers of the genre while also ending in a serene way to the sound of a piano. The second song of the album, Kom Eld, Kom Regn (“come fire, come rain”), offers our ears pure Scandinavian Black Metal flowing from the very first second, with its vocalizations adding an extra touch of darkness to the overall result. Furthermore, the song brings forward a headbanging pace led by the strident riffage by Elis while Joakim hammers his drums in great fashion, and the music alternates between sheer aggressiveness and more melodic, Stygian moments. Not only that, Olof sounds absolutely bestial with his enraged roars, without a single second left empty throughout its 17 minutes of Scandinavian awesomeness that builds up to a sinister, epic and chilling ending.

“With Av Stoft we took a more timeless approach by implementing themes which have always been part of humanity’s history and shaped our society. Concepts pertaining to life and death; the right of the lone individual to either end or start one or the other as he sees fit, as well as the consequences that might follow. As on Hädanefter, the stories are told from several perspectives and depict everything from personal suffering to the relentless forces of nature – all of which are indifferent to our suffering and just biding their time to sweep us away, once and for all,” commented the duo about their newborn spawn, which will soon be available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page and from Nordvis Produktion, as well as for streaming on Spotify. Hence, don’t forget to start following Olof and Elis on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with all things Jordfäst, letting the obscure tales told by the duo in Av Stoft crawl dep inside your mind while they keep carrying the flag of Scandinavian Black Metal armed with their austere music for many decades to come.

Best moments of the album: Kom Eld, Kom Regn.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Nordvis Produktion

Track listing
1. Abortologen 16:08
2. Kom Eld, Kom Regn 16:59

Band members
Olof Bengtsson – vocals
Elis Edin Markskog – guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals

Guest musicians
Joakim Unger – drums (session)
Joakim Svensson – additional vocals

Album Review – Soilwork / Övergivenheten (2022)

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Musically and lyrically evolved, Swedish Melodic Death Metal masters are back with a fantastic new opus dealing with darker thoughts that have shaped the band itself.

Musically and lyrically evolved, Swedish Melodic Death Metal masters Soilwork are back with their twelfth studio album, entitled Övergivenheten, the follow-up to the amazing Verkligheten and one of their most complex and elaborate albums to date, strengthening their legacy even more in the world of heavy music. Recorded and produced by Thomas “Plec” Johansson and Soilwork at Nordic Sound Lab, and mixed and mastered by the same Thomas “Plec” Johansson at The Panic Room (assisted by Simon Eliasson and Viktor Brunö), Övergivenheten, which means “abandonment” in Swedish, deals with darker thoughts that have shaped the band itself and affected the development process of the album. The personal struggles align with social difficulties outside of the band, all embraced by the first-class, sharp music beautifully crafted by frontman Björn “Speed” Strid, guitarists Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson, bassist Rasmus Ehrnborn, keyboardist Sven Karlsson, and drummer Bastian Thusgaard.

The acoustic guitars and banjo by guest Johan Randén kick off the multi-layered title-track Övergivenheten before Björn and his henchmen begin a fantastic sonic attack showcasing melodious riffs, rhythmic beats and endless adrenaline; followed by Nous Sommes La Guerre, or “we are the war” from French, where the ladies’ choir brings an extra kick to the music while Björn beautifully declaims the song’s lyrics (“I can feel the shadows enter, risin’ from the earth / Now that everyone is giving me the widest berth / I have nightly visits, sentient absence watchin’ me / Nurturin’ the itch where other worlds are scratchin’ me”). There’s no time to breathe as the band keeps slamming their instruments in Electric Again, with Sylvain and David doing an amazing job armed with their stringed axes; and in Valleys Of Gloam the skillful Bastian adds tons of groove to the overall result is a first-class Melodic Death Metal feast for the masses. Let’s then slam into the circle pit together with the Soilwork boys in the striking, high-octane Is It In Your Darkness, with Bastian hammering his drums mercilessly supported by the rumbling bass by Rasmus, whereas the band keeps invading our senses with their dense, groovy Melodic Death Metal in Vultures, where Rasmus is on fire with his metallic bass lines, being therefore perfect for headbanging like a true metalmaniac. After the short, atmospheric instrumental interlude Morgongåva / Stormfågel, or “morning gift / stormbird” from Swedish, it’s time for us all to bang our heads to Death, I Hear You Calling, a solid composition where Björn’s angry vocals match perfectly with the song’s lyrics, pace and heaviness, meaning it should work amazingly if played live.

The gentle keys by Sven are suddenly joined by a wall of sounds spearheaded by Bastian’s crushing beats in This Godless Universe, presenting elements form Death and even Black Metal which bring a touch of eccentricity to it. More modern than its predecessors, Dreams Of Nowhere offers another round of their caustic lyrics (“Bleeding through the blanching skin you’re / Offering the Gods your name / Bound to see the sunrise fading / The everlasting flame”), flowing into the whimsical interlude The Everlasting Flame, where Sven will captivate your senses once again before we’re treated to tons of progressiveness in the form of Golgata, with Sylvain and David extracting sheer electricity form their guitars, providing Björn with exactly what he needs to fire both his guttural roars and his classic clean vocals. Those Swedish metallers still have a lot of fuel to burn in the album, with Harvest Spine being the perfect depiction of how heavy and melodic they can sound at the same time and with Björn stealing the spotlight once again with his flammable vocals; and lastly we have On The Wings Of A Goddess Through Flaming Sheets Of Rain, a stunning name for an incendiary song that begins in a sinister manner before evolving into one last Melodic Death Metal attack by Soilwork, offering our avid ears piercing, strident riffs and solos, massive blast beats and stylish keys, putting an outstanding ending to Övergivenheten.

Needless to say, Soilwork did it again, kicking some serious ass with their undisputed Melodic Death Metal throughout the entire Övergivenheten while always loyal to their core essence (even when experimenting with new elements and sounds). Hence, don’t forget to check what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their official YouTube channel for their official videos, to stream more of their top-of-the-line creations on Spotify, and above all that, to grab your favorite version of Övergivenheten by clicking HERE or HERE. Övergivenheten is one of those albums that not only represents what Soilwork are all about, but it also emanates a sharp and strong energy that’s the result of all of the aforementioned personal struggles from the band members, proving once again heavy music is always the best remedy for any type of adverse situation.

Best moments of the album: Is It In Your Darkness, Death, I Hear You Calling, Harvest Spine and On The Wings Of A Goddess Through Flaming Sheets Of Rain.

Worst moments of the album: Dreams Of Nowhere.

Released in 2022 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Övergivenheten 5:45
2. Nous Sommes La Guerre 6:53
3. Electric Again 4:22
4. Valleys Of Gloam 4:11
5. Is It In Your Darkness 4:04
6. Vultures 5:47
7. Morgongåva / Stormfågel 1:33
8. Death, I Hear You Calling 4:41
9. This Godless Universe 4:41
10. Dreams Of Nowhere 4:29
11. The Everlasting Flame 1:06
12. Golgata 4:59
13. Harvest Spine 5:10
14. On The Wings Of A Goddess Through Flaming Sheets Of Rain 7:31

Band members
Björn “Speed” Strid – vocals
Sylvain Coudret – guitar
David Andersson – guitar
Rasmus Ehrnborn – bass
Sven Karlsson – keyboards
Bastian Thusgaard – drums

Guest musicians
Johan Randén – acoustic guitars and banjo on “Övergivenheten”
Laila Prigorowsky, Helene Alexandersson, Catrine Ellwen, Gonca Yazan, Jenny Ericsson & Cia von Heijne – ladies’ choir on “Nous Sommes La Guerre”