Review by Fernando on November 16, 2023.

The whole “post-black metal” or “blackgaze” trend of the 2010’s certainly had some interesting results, some good bands others not so good, however, one good undeniable thing it brought for black metal was the opening of its barriers and many bands that had dabbled in the peripheries of extreme music started incorporating black metal into their music or incorporated much more varied influences into their own brand of “post-black metal”. Enter Svalbard from the UK, led by firebrand multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Serena Cherry. This band has had a steady and consistent trajectory, putting out some punishing music that combines post-hardcore and black metal to create something truly of their own, and in 2023, now with the backing of metal bastion Nuclear Blast they unleash their fourth album The Weight Of The Mask.

Svalbard’s style of music primarily combines black metal and post-hardcore, however with each album they’ve also brought various elements into their music from post-rock, shoegaze, to classic hardcore and some elements of alternative, and each album feels like a natural progression for the band. This new LP is no exception, at this point the band has pretty much perfected their style and while it is in line with past albums, this record is the band’s most atmospheric and also their most, for lack of a better descriptor, hopeful, the music as a whole has a weird dichotomy where the music is very intense and aggressive but the melodies and atmospherics as well as the inclusion of a violin and keyboards have create beautiful noise, very much in line with the band’s shoegaze elements, but without rotely cribbing from Alcest or Deafheaven.

A major shakeup the band has is the inclusion of bassist Matt Francis, who also collaborated with frontwoman Serena Cherry on her black metal side project Noctule, and that particular album’s atmospheric leanings managed to make their way into this record, but filtered through the band’s established sound. Furthermore the band has gotten really good at doing the Pixies styled quiet then loud dynamic, or rather loud then quiet, though the band also do a good job of having songs that are consistent rangers and also do songs that are predominantly atmospheric driven.

Furthermore, the band’s instrumentation continues to be of ascending quality, as Cherry and fellow shredder Liam Phelan are as in sync in both their riffing and tremolo picking, as they are when playing haunting melodies and leads, the drumming of other original member Mark Lilley is always top notch and the aforementioned Matt Francis is not just a welcome addition, but an excellent foil to the guitarwork. Overall, the band just excel in their skills and their music truly displays that excellence.

To conclude, Svalbard continues to be an outstanding example of the more unorthodox branches between hardcore, post-metal and black metal, if anything, they actually display the best synthesis of those genres and the breaking of the often fabricated walls between them.

Best tracks: 'Faking It', 'Eternal Spirits', 'How To Swim Down', 'To Wilt Beneath The Weight', 'Defiance'

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 10, 2019.

Darkenhöld from France have already released their fourth full-length. I admit that I respect the stamina of widely ignored underground formations very much and, honestly speaking, I believe the here presented artists fall into this category. This is a pity, because the courageous dudes are seeking for a distinctive style.

Their quite melodic form of black metal is mixed with Viking choirs that appear from time to time, keyboards also emphasize the atmospheric side of their compositions and soft interludes prevent a harsh overall impression. The record label tells us that "the songs are an ode to the solitary explorations of the forests of South-Eastern France" and it might be this patriotic, naturalist approach that makes me think of Graveland. Yet the songs of Darkenhöld do not have much in common with that of Rob Darken's best tunes create. The hypnotic effect is missing. On a positive note, the album holds songs with a much higher degree of variety. Sometimes this way of proceeding leads to very good results. For example, the multi-layered "A l'orée de l'escalier sylvestre" creates a pretty intensive atmosphere at the end and does not lack speed and intensity. Nevertheless, it is also true that some songs fail to come to the point. They leave a relatively vapid taste, not bad, but, well, vapid. The problem is that the guitar work does not fully convince. A certain number of sequences is going nowhere, and effective riffing is not among the particular strengths of the band. However, inter alia the beginning of "Clameur des falaises" proves evidence that the explorers of the forests are (at least sometimes) definitely able to design a strong maelstrom of metallic guitars. Due to the fact that this track delivers some pretty fast and straight parts as well, I recommend listening to it if one wants to get in touch with this album.

The more or less typical lead vocals do not lack currishness or meanness, the production can be described as very solid and all songs reflect a meticulous song-writing process. Nevertheless, the album either lacks density or it is simply not brutal enough. Memoria Sylvarum sounds like the output of a very talented formation which is not able to bundle its strengths in an appropriate manner. That's sad, because the full-length offers many moments that indicate the actually great potential of the artists. The opulent - and very coherent - closer, for instance, turns from a somber part into an unleashed eruption and both sections are impressive. The guitars create a good flow and timpanist give the song a dramatic touch. Therefore, I can only encourage the band to put its harsh side into the focus of their next work while reducing heroic (and pretty annoying) background vocals and emotional sections. At the end, almost everything fits, the stylish artwork, the lyrical concept, the integrity of the musicians - only the music, and that is the tragedy of this release, leaves room for optimization.

Rating: 6.3 out of 10