Skogen from Sweden are a completely new band to me and have only been around a few years releasing debut album ‘Vittra’ in 2009. It appears that the trio behind it have various other bands under their (bullet) belts including Birdflesh, Devilry, Deformed and Entrails; the latter band who Jocke Svensson is currently vocalist for have only recently had new album ‘The Tomb Awaits’ reviewed on these very pages. Skogen are far removed from the classic Swedish death metal sound of some of their other bands however and were formed as the members wanted to play “dark, slow paced black metal.” This album has lots of ideas about it too and runs at over an hour in length. I have to admit it has taken a lot of listens for me to chip away beneath the veneer and get to grips with it but the more I have listened the more it has grown and been enjoyed.
It’s fairly chilled but with an air of gravity about the gnarly heathen sounding vocals as we enter the album at ‘Dighra Dödh.’ The Vikinkesque clean croon that suddenly wafts in is unexpected and as the music ponderously and progressively unravels around it thoughts are cast toward the likes of Enslaved and Helheim, which is no bad thing at all. A gloomy and doomy atmosphere follows as bells toll on the next track, the band may not be going hell for leather at all but they are certainly more than adapt at producing what they intended and there is a lot of dark melody about things. Vocals and titles are in their native spoken tongue but one just has to look at the album cover as a gorgeous acoustic guitar frond ebbs from the speakers to guess we are in the grip of deepest darkest nature. Despite the pace there is plenty of heaviness about things in fact there is a texture like solid granite behind the production and everything swaggers and bristles along nicely.
It’s the midpoint of the album which really sees this coming into its own. Soaring guitar melodies glide like an eagle over mountains on ‘Vinnteriket’ and there are nuances reminiscent of early depressive tones of fellow Swedes Katatonia. As the weeping melody really gets beneath the skin and clean vocal harmonies are also utilised the track becomes really memorable and after a few listens you are greeting it like an old friend; impressive especially due to its 11 minute plus running time. After delivering a brace of good songs and a damn vigorous fist pounding melody in Blodörnshämnd I am not quite sure of the effectiveness of the penultimate track, which is essentially a well played but incredibly listless 7 minute piano sonata. Considering the already long running time of the album I could frankly have done without it but at least due to the fact the group have a grand finale left to finish things off with, the off button is not pressed.
I am glad I spent quite a long time with this as it has paid off and Svitjod is an album I will happily be playing again in the future and I will be keeping an ear out for Skogen as I doubt this is the last we will hear of them.
http://www.myspace.com/skogensweden
Pete Woods
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