A SWARM OF THE SUN

(SWEDEN)

AN EMPIRE

(2024)
LABEL:

PELAGIC

GENRE:

POST ROCK

TAGS:
Melancholic
""An Empire” will go down in post-rock history as a milestone, affirming A Swarm Of The Sun's dominance of a style whose ramifications it continues to explore with soul and personality."
CHILDERIC THOR (13.01.2025)  
4/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s)
Despite his 17 years and increasingly masterful records, including the immense “The Woods” (2019) on which we left them, A Swarm Of The Sun still remains one of the most misunderstood of all the major post-rock/metal bands. Admittedly, the Swedes are not unknown to fans of the genre, but they deserve commercial recognition at least equal to that of their compatriots Cult Of Luna, for example. Let's hope that “An Empire” finally corrects this injustice. Because let's face it, this fourth album by the tandem of Erik Nilsson and Jakob Berglund is a monument. Nothing less.

Monumental, even in its massive, robust form: 71 minutes divided into just six tracks, two of which are close to 20 minutes long. Monumental, too, in its abundant sonic texture, where piano and harmonium mingle with icy guitars on a burgeoning percussive substratum, and which a sound recording at once colossal and ethereal envelops in an uncommon breadth.  Monumental, finally, in its entirety and indivisibility, a block of bleak melancholy that can only be understood in its entirety.

Roaring with cinematic power, “An Empire” has something of the feel of a story unfolding as its compositions follow one another in a progressive emotional rollercoaster, made up of moving pauses, atmospheric path and discharges as dramatic as they are shattering. Framed by two breaths numbed by a ghostly slowness ('This Will End In Fire' and 'Anthem'), the work travels along a rugged ridge that takes it to peaks of tragic ambience, Foremost among these are the enormous (in every respect) 'The Pyre', whose heart-rending second half touches on the sublime, and 'The Burning Wall', more stocky (all things relative) but pulsating with equally paroxysmal tension. More than ever a master of poignant elevation, A Swarm Of The Sun is at its best here, with its own unique blend of pulsating force and hypnotic delicacy.

But the Swedes' personality also shines through in the way they skilfully play with the codes of post rock. The heavy, stratospheric guitars are often replaced by vocal parts that play an essential role in the cold, melancholy drama, as on 'An Empire', where the fragile vocals do not detract from the seismic depth. Likewise, piano and keyboards play a predominant role in an ensemble whose hazy tessitura lends the album a falsely soothing dimension. In truth, the band likes to play as much on progression as on the opposition between the peaceful and the stormy, resulting in an enveloping creation that moves as much as it thunders with a fiery sap.

An Empire” is a slab of sound that deserves its due, but will go down in post-rock history as a milestone, affirming A Swarm Of The Sun's dominance in a style whose ramifications they continue to explore with soul and personality. 
- Official website
SIMILAR BANDS:
ISIS, ARCHIVE, MOGWAÏ, CULT OF LUNA

TRACK LISTING:
01. This Will End In Fire - 07:25
02. Heathen - 12:12
03. The Pyre - 18:16
04. An Empire - 08:01
05. The Burning Wall - 07:15
06. Anthem - 18:01

LINEUP:
Erik Nilsson: Guitares / Claviers
Jakob Berglund: Chant / Claviers
   
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