Review by Jeger on November 26, 2025.

A dead star… planetary skeletons of an abandoned Solar System somewhere on the other end of a thousand light years. Ruins of entire civilizations like time-worn mausoleums in some galactic cemetery. A place beyond comprehension, beyond desolate and beyond ancient. A perfect setting for the conceptualization of a Black Metal album. And it is Norway's Sworn who've taken to said thematic realization. An underrated Black Metal band with an impeccable ear for melody is Sworn, and in 2018, they released their third LP, "Dark Stars And Eternity", independently.

No one sets out to create a record like "Dark Stars And Eternity", it's the product of Sworn simply being in the prime of their creative abilities or "in the zone", if you will. I will say that when it comes to the sacred art of Melodic BM, Sworn's third album is WAY up there with the greatest! Vinterland - "Welcome My Last Chapter", Sacramentum - "Far Away from the Sun" and Dissection - "Storm of the Light's Bane". You read that correctly… Wait til you hear this thing! It's a shame when a band releases such a beautiful record and it just sits under the radar. So, it's up to Black Metal dorks such as myself to bring it to you… And it's into the infinite, into the eternal, into a place that will eventually become a reality for every living galaxy, every planet and every Sun - desolation - monuments to Aeons forlorn.

Musically, "Dark Stars And Eternity" is luscious; a melodious and harmonious work of majesty. The very first track, "The Dreadful", ushers you right in with steady blast rhythms and rolling guitar riffs. Right away you can feel what you've gotten yourself into, and you wouldn't go back if someone paid you. A shallow gesture it would be in comparison to the magic of this track's final moments when all is relinquished over to the melodic. A passage that will remind you of days long past when wonder filled your heart instead of cholesterol… The following title-track - an epic! Track one left you mystified and so too shall this number grip you with its brilliant, comprehensive compositions: a gentle intro and a succeeding series of Doom-level riffs carry you mellowly into the experience before it culminates with a tom-rolling catalyst to higher levels of intensity: swifter blasts and stronger riffing currents.

This is no early '90's throwback and that's a good thing. The Underground is festering with bands that all sound like "Dark Medieval Times". "Dark Stars And Eternity" is a glimmering specimen of contemporary BM at its finest. Crisp tonality conveys the sound of the guitars, drums and bass with a glistening sheen, and nowhere to be found is any kind of homage to "Transylvanian Hunger"… "In The Presence Of Stars" alternates between intrepid riffs/hammer-like cadences and soothing tremolos/plush double-bass currents. Piano? Yes, sir! Keep laying it on, boys, because this is why I listen to Black Metal. I'm not some Michayah Belfagor-like curmudgeon who believes that BM is strictly a Satanic art, because who would want to miss out on this? Even the cover art is brilliant.

Sworn went on to record a good follow-up to this record in 2023, "A Journey Told Through Fire", and it is a fine recording, but it pales in comparison to "Dark Stars And Eternity". It's unfair to expect another one of these again. Sworn might pull it off one day, but for now, "DSAE" reigns supreme. A Sunless, black Obsidian, frozen interstellar wasteland awaits! And if you're anything like me, it is a a place that mirrors what's inside: dark chasms that yearn for filling, the bleakest light to guide the way and the eternal groan of my spirit to soundtrack the way through. What a triumph! Stop what you're doing right now and listen to "Dark Stars And Eternity". You can thank me later, or buy me some weed…

Rating: 10 out of 10