Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the duo of Erik Nilsson and Jakob Berglund have been creating unique music under the name A Swarm of the Sun for almost 17 years. Their fourth studio album entitled An Empire caught my attention by the lure of cinematic post-metal with melody to the forefront. Also, because they’re signed to the wonderful Pelagic Records, who seem to be in tune with my musical spectrum right now. (Glassing/ASIWYFA). Joined by collaborators Karl Daniel Lidén (drums), Anders Carlström (bass)and Minna Larsson Heimo (pipe organ) this record has only 6 tracks, but the running time comes in at a lengthy 71 minutes.
Opening with ‘This Will End In Tears’, ghostly synths hum with a funereal atmospheric as Jakob pulls the listener even further into a downward spiral of doom. As an introductory piece you’re set up for the rest of the album, this is going to be an intense listen, despite the minimalist instrumentation. Church-like organs raise the volume and depth joining the droning synths to stunning effect. The ticking of clocks forms the percussion as two piano chords fuse with layers of droning synths on ‘Heathen’. At over 12 minutes long, the track is in no hurry, creating an uneasy tension, which finally gets alleviated with some delicate chimes. Like Swans, the repetition swells in volume as layers are added, before you know it, you’re engulfed in waves of sound. Around the 5 minute mark, the song swerves into something more physical with a powerful deep bass drone as Jakob begins to sing with drawn out lines that add a dream-like atmospheric. But when the seismic distorted drones and thunderous drums drop you realise that this band truly do kick up a mighty sound. We’re talking swinging chandeliers levels of volume as the track ends with a blistering storm of layered distorted guitars.
At the epicentre of this album is the truly spectacular 18 minute ‘The Pyre’. Beginning with some delicate clean guitar plucking and Jakob’s barely there vocals, a piano glides into the mix. Building the tension, the music sounds like it could accompany one of those epic scenes in Game of Thrones where slow motion is used to convey absolute tragic carnage. Eventually submitting to the will of those angry guitars the track twists to a raging post-metallic section. Yet Jakob starts to sing with an oddly uplifting melody, at odds with the doom of the atmospherics. Makes you feel that all is not lost. When Jakob steps away from the mic layers of ghostly synths permeate the mix along with huge swathes of distorted guitars. Something is about to blow. An unexpected turn follows as the waves of noise subside to allow a lone drum to pound out a grinding thud. A swirling guitar buzzes around teasing you as a pre-cursor for what is about to follow. We’re in the realms of Heilung here with an undertow of chanting voices, that are possibly not even there, your mind is playing tricks on you. The music is now getting louder and denser as all manner of instrumentation flows like lava. Drums and guitars erupt with fury and you think you’ve hit the peak of this tempestuous storm. There’s more to come though as a truly immense horde of guitars add an even bigger level of melody to the (Godspeed You! Black Emperor level) cacophony. It’s akin to standing beside a jet about to take off. It is a transcendental blissful moment like I’ve never heard before.
Merciful piano opens the welcoming calm of ‘An Empire’, which feels distinctly soothing after the might of the previous track’s closure. This time synths are used to create the engulfing wave of sound as scorching arcs of melodic noise spray around like fire from a dragon’s wide-open mouth. This is powerful yet deeply mournful, essentially dark doom without guitars. Once this section fades, the piano returns with Jakob’s tender singing to bring the song to a tragic ending. Eventually the track lurches straight into a heightened level of volume as rolling drums and lightly distorted guitars combine for the start of ‘The Burning Wall’. With no such thing as a chorus on the agenda, Jakob croakily sings another melancholic melody. There’s time enough for some flexing though as the guitars swing into life with humongous waves of heavy distortion.
Closing this incredible album is another 18-minute epic, in the form of ‘Anthem’. Despite the slow glacial speed of the music, and the extended running time, these songs don’t feel exhaustive as the dynamics always swarm round you and keep you engaged. ‘Anthem’ is like a slow releasing drug oozing atmospheric drones with cinematic splendour. The track keeps on an even keel up until around the 11minute mark when drums begin to tentatively clatter up from the ether. But unlike some of the other tracks, they keep restraint from heading into the epic volumes, the atmospherics are no less dense though.
This album is my first experience of A Swarm of the Sun. I say experience because the album is just incredibly immersive leaving you with a feeling that what you just listened to was not the norm. Allowing the tracks to flow and feel their way, with no determined time frame in mind, means the layers merge passing you from shade to light. The overall ambience of the album is very much one of melancholy and sadness, yet the crescendos often leave you feeling euphoric. A Swarm of the Sun have created a stunning album of mesmerising music with a deft hand for creating emotive cinematic post-metal that should appeal to anyone who hears it.
