SVALBARD
The Weight Of The Mask
(Post-Hardcore)
Label: Nucler Blast
Format: (LP)
Release: 06.10.2023
After SVALBARD and their charismatic front woman Serena Cherry took the (metal) annual best lists by storm with their 2020 album “When I Die, Will I Get Better?”, the new record “The Weight Of The Mask” by the Brits, So did I, of course eagerly awaited.
And I have to admit, the first single “Eternal Spirits” wasn’t really able to convince me in the summer. After the first playthrough of the entire record, the skepticism quickly disappeared, because the powerful opener “Faking It” conveys all of SVALBARD’s trademarks. Serena Cherry’s powerful and brutal voice towers over the riff storm, but the high tempo still leaves room for anthemic melodies. The “Eternal Spirtis” mentioned at the beginning has its effect in the context of the album, and the interplay of loud/quiet is made even more impressive by the vocal duel with guitarist Liam Phelan.
“Defiance” initially underlines the singing voice with heavy double bass attacks, before the striking riff gives the song a lot of catchy potential. The somewhat restrained but no less anthemic “How To Swim Down” not only impresses with a beautiful animated video, the color aesthetics of which are somewhat reminiscent of various films written by Hayao Miyazaki and his Ghibli Studios, but also with the Violin playing by guitarist Liam. In the final “To Wilt Beneath The Weight” SVALBARD once again pull out all the songwriting stops and close with the depressing words “Too much is all it takes to be here. How much will it cost to persevere?“.
With “The Weight Of Mask” 2023, SVALBARD will show how well the mix of (post-)hardcore and metal can work. A huge beast of an album that not only comes out of the speakers extremely powerfully, but the band also develops an unmistakable sound and also has a lot to say lyrically.
Tracklist „The Weight Of The Mask“:
1. Faking It
2. Eternal Spirits
3. Defiance
4. November
5. Lights Out
6. How To Swim Down
7. Be My Tomb
8. Pillar In The Sand
9. To Wilt Beneath The Weight
Total playing time: 44:17
Band-Links:
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