Sweden’s Cult Of Luna have been creating their engaging take on post-metal for 25 years and show no sign of slowing down or stagnating. This was a concern of main man Johannes Persson when they set about making their tenth studio album In The Shadow Of Your Shadow. Co-produced by Daniel Berglund and mixed by Magnus Lindberg, this sprawling collection is another collection of crushingly heavy music imbued with the emotion of personal experiences of loss.
Opener ‘In The Shadow Of Your Shadow’ swings like a giant pendulum, weighty and destructive. The effect of being emerged in waves of heavy guitars is all consuming. A passage of clean guitars brings some post-rock calm, a little respite from the crushing heaviness. It reminds me of Red Sparowes and that’s a very good thing. ‘Sadness Will Reign’ features Gojira’s Joe Duplantier on backing vocals. The incisive droning riff bores right into your cranium as a host of tangential guitar lines spider around the main motif to stunning effect.
Instrumental ‘Landby’ feels so fragile as clean guitars weave beautiful melodies, and the atmospheric becomes distinctly lighter albeit the ghostly whistle brings on the chills. The hypnotic lurch of ‘Breach’ lessens the sonic assault mercifully, as piano adds some gracefulness to the mood. The swooping guitar solo that majestically drops from the sky is truly spectacular. As the track moves through the various movements it becomes a giant lumbering metal behemoth as waves of guitars erupt and merge together. ‘The Rift’ grinds itself into life with a slow-moving dirge of languid guitars and freeform percussion before jolting into an abrupt speeding groove. Recalling their hardcore roots the track swerves between calm and storm with consummate ease. Guitars glide and ache bringing a deep-seated unease as tension builds, before another final release of chaotic riffs. ‘A Way Back’ is a tender ballad albeit infused with ghosts and a mournful melancholic atmospheric. Sounding like a different band entirely the track is an album highlight and showcases the diversity these musicians can call on, from their 25 years together.
The jarring electronic stabs that open ‘One More Day’ bring another contrasting element. There’s an undertow of melodic guitars flowing around the main river of riffs. Listen carefully and I swear there is a ghostly voice warbling in the distance. As the track subsides to calmness American folk icon David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower/Wovenhand) takes control. The guitars literally fizz around him, and the song becomes haunting and gothic. Charging back into the post-metallic wasteland tumbling drums and searing guitars destroy all in their path. The epic finale to the song feels like some doom masterpiece as tempos rise and fall and the instrumentation becomes more expansive. ‘From Grey to Black’ just goes for the throat with jarring riffs and pummelling percussion. The melodic sections add a gorgeous dynamic and colourful hue, despite the inclination of the track’s title.
With a seriously uncompromising 71-minute length, faced with a 12-minute closing track called ‘Burial’ may make the listener recoil. The power of the song pulls you in though, as it charges hard with chiselling riffs and frenetic solo work. Like the mighty fine Neurosis album, the music here takes the listener on a journey. You have to be prepared for what lies ahead and just allow yourself to be immersed in these challenging compositions. Cult Of Luna are masters at song writing and their control of their instruments is a pure marvel. Once again, they’ve created expansive heavy music that gracefully carries an emotional weight.
